I’m in love, I’m in love, I’m in love!

With whom did I fall in love in the last 48 hours, you ask? Not a person, silly – everyone knows that takes at least 72 hours. No, I’m in love with a city: Hanoi.

I arrived last night around 8pm, but even in the dark, I could see Hanoi was unlike any place I’ve been before (and yet strangely reminiscent of many places I've seen before). From the window of the taxi, I could see the open storefronts of Sri Lanka, India, Costa Rica and Belize. Above those stores towered tall, European buildings with gorgeous balconies, shuttered windows and striking peaked roofs. Then we turned a corner and I was in Beijing, in front of a Chinese gate flanked with lion statues and striking red and gold craftsmanship.

This morning I woke up early and began wandering the streets around the old-town area I’m staying. Women in pointed hats pass by walking bikes laden with flowers, or balancing large poles on their shoulders with baskets of technicolor fruit at each end.

I wandered down a side lane lined with shade trees and sidewalk cafes, and could have sworn I was in Paris. The once French occupation of Vietnam shows its face everywhere in Hanoi, from the architecture to the rich coffee served even in the most rudimentary noodle shops.

After being cornered by a street vendor insistent on something (what, I have no clue – I’m so bad at understanding the accent here, much of the time I’m not even sure if they’re speaking English), I slipped into a café and ordered a traditional French breakfast of coffee, juice, croissant, toasted bread, butter and jam. Oh, have they got food figured out here – I’ve never tasted such delicious toasted bread, nor more decadent a croissant. And don’t even get me started on the coffee!

From the window, I watched more pointy-hatted ladies pass by, indifferent to the endless stream of scooters swerving around them. Across the lane, dozens of Vietnemese men enjoyed their morning coffee, played cards, and observed me observing them.

Back on the street again, I wandered a few more blocks to the lake that sits in the middle of old Hanoi. I can picture summers, when this is surely tourist central. Right now, the weather feels like a crisp, sunny fall day back home, and most of the faces around the lake are Vietnamese. Many of them want to sell me something: a scooter ride, a Lonely Planet book, a tour.

They’d have better luck selling me safe passage across the streets – I’ve only seen one intersection so far with a stoplight. At all the others, there’s some unspoken way of navigating right of way among the drivers, none of whom appear to have any concern for people on foot. I knew traveling alone for five months would involve taking some risks, but I didn’t realize that would include something as pedestrian as, well, being a pedestrian.

More photos at http://babas.typepad.com/photos/my_gap_year/.

Comments

[Jan]

Now it's starting to sound like a vacation, and I would very much like to be there with you. I love that red bridge, by the way. Your descriptions are a good indication of how much your mood has improved as well. Bravo!

[Jen]

I know a guy who married a vietnamese lady. Since they went to Hannoi for their honeymoon, he talks of nothing else other that moving back there as soon as possible. He totally fell in love with the city.

The pointy hats are called conical hats, or "Non La" in vietnamese.

Sounds like you found a little piece of heaven. Keep the pictures coming!

[Judy Mathias]

Okay, now I am jealous! It sounds wonderful and the pictures are beautiful! We, on the other hand, are facing freezing rain in the morning. Is there no justice!

Truly, I'm so glad your in love. Enjoy every minute of it.

Judy