I stayed in Hanoi for about 3 days before heading up to the Bac Ha mountains. I was here to meet some local contacts and friends that could help me with leads to the tribal village I was looking for.
Staying in Hanoi isn’t cheap, compared to other cities in Vietnam, I spend my days walking the streets of Hanoi for hours, trying the street food (as cafe’s are expensive), meeting other backpackers, making local friends, watching bikes on the road, getting asked a million times if I need to rent a bike (you need bike?), getting used to overloaded cables/wires hanging from every building and couples having dinner on miniature chairs.
As you walk around the old town you quickly realise that the shops are all squeeze into this jigsaw puzzle and their homes are right behind the shops. They are living here too!. Walking through small narrow alleys in between the shop they have homes hidden behind.
Hanoi is an amazing historical old town with many new brands and activities happening. Street vendors with bamboo baskets still roam around creating the ancient vibe to the city, while new brands popping up to showcase themselves. The bikes in Hanoi are a signature character to the city, with many new and old styles, girls with short skirts, men in suits, families of four and at times also furniture.
Tourist getting excited about how to cross the streets with all the bikes passing by, haggling the vendors or some are just passing through to head to their next destination, most likely Ha Long bay, Sapa etc.
Overall Hanoi made me feel welcomed with all the smiles, language barriers and side walk cafes. I did learn how to say Hello! (Cao En)
Senior resident of Hanoi, usually the Vietnam veterans wear some significant green pants or shirt.
Street vendor are mainly women, mainly selling fruits or vegetables. They start walking the streets really early each day, mainly attracting the locals and tourist.
I was walking through a street in Hanoi and found myself is a place made only for bamboo sales. The streets were covered with it. Vietnamese Bamboo Pipe for Smoking Tobacco. The most popular pipe used for smoking Thuoc Lao, also known as The farmer’s pipe, a popular past time of the pavements of Hanoi.
Capturing the Real Streets of Hanoi, Vietnam
