Hello Hanoi January 31, 2024

We boarded our plane in Philadelphia and, wow, after about 19 hours in the air, a little before 7 am Hanoi time we arrived at the Noi Bai International Airport in Vietnam. Flights were excellent; our first flight, out of Philadelphia was on American, and our second flight, out of Doha, was on Qatar. 

We checked into the Pan Pacific Hotel and after an hour and a half wait (and a couple of cups of coffee) we got keys to room 1526. It’s a very pleasant room with a great view. 

We had a light lunch and when finished decided to take a stroll in the neighborhood of our hotel to get a feel for the area. Now, I need to inform you that we were tired and hung over from our flights and we just saw a little bit from tired eyes. My photos are without any theme or continuity. They provide evidence of what we saw, all of which interesting. I will get my act together. So, without any delay, let’s see what I have to offer. 

From what we can see, and as we expected, this capital city is a mix of old and new. Sleek modern buildings next to ramshackle houses. Traffic, traffic everywhere, a combination of automobiles and motor scooters; vying for position and seemingly challenging each other for the lead. Vehicles moving erratically and without concern for anyone else, especially pedestrians. Try crossing the street; it’s not for the faint of heart. Here they come.

Who wants to be a millionaire? Open a motor scooter repair shop in Hanoi.

What follows is a snippet; a mere moment in time. We wanted to have a look-see at the area but were not prepared for much as the flights were exhausting and we were tired. I also had some unexpected camera issues which precluded the use of a number of photos. But, . . .

The city appears to me to have a French influence, which is to be expected since Vietnam was under French control for many years. These buildings alongside Truc Bach Lake put me in mind of a Paris scene with buildings reflecting in the Seine.

We walked the length of the lake and came across a number of scenes that resulted in photos. The Chinese New Year is on February 10th and Hanoi is getting ready for the celebration. Lets start with a vender looking to sell a balloon or two.

Evening with nothing but scooters on the road.

We took a side street. Have a look.

A working woman, shouldering the load.

It’s next to impossible to walk on a sidewalk on the side streets what with all the motor scooters parked on the pavement and, where there are no motor scooters, other impediments such as a group of guys playing cards or people just sitting around.

Here is another woman moving her New Years offerings on her bike. Note the trash in the street in front of the car. Unfortunately, we saw trash everywhere.

We took another little side street and found ourselves back at Truc Bach Lake. 

And now back to the hotel. More to come.