Vietnam Diaries (Hanoi- The city of motorbikes!)

Hanoi is called The city of peace.

I would much rather it be called the city of motorbikes. The BBC even did a story about it, with some amazing pictures in the link here: https://www.bbc.com/news/in-pictures-47908800. It is easy to get around the city by renting a 2 wheeler and if you have driven in India, you will see familiar traffic sights on the roads. They have no lane discipline or rules. You just need to be smart to drive around without stress.



The people of Hanoi are so relaxed and patient. No hustle or bustle. They love to do slow dancing in the middle of the street, in the park or beside the lake (see video below). It is more like a slower form of Zumba and am sure it has its own health benefits. On a Friday night, in the weekend eve, the Old Quarter town around the lake are closed to vehicles and the entire place gets filled with street performances, children driving their little rides around and playing, slow dancers and food stalls and little shops. Its like they transform the place into a different and happening town during this time.

One thing I observed while walking around the narrow streets were that some of the men put up their T-shirts just above their tummies to get some cool air onto the body. I remember how i used to love doing that too, but at home :)










Another pretty sight is the fruit/snack seller, either on a cycle or carrying baskets on both sides of a long stick and placed on the shoulder. They peel the pineapples in a special way and there are so many of them walking about. A typical sight is a street vendor with hundreds of those lovely looking Vietnamese hats stacked on their cycles. I carried a few of those lovely hats back home. It is a great way to protect your head from the sun and the rain.

It is easy for tourists to feel rich in Vietnam, as their currency is Dong and has low value compared to other currencies. We are always carrying cash in 100,000 or Millions!


The houses are generally quite tall with a very narrow width. Reminded me of similar houses in Bangalore, India. And you will see tiny stools to sit in from of most shops and eating joints. The locals sit on these stools while eating, chatting and drinking. You will find the picture of a little blue stool in one of the pictures below. A typical set for worship consists of fruits, water bottles, beer cans, plants, etc

We watched the Thang Long water puppet show, which is in the Asia book of Records for being the only show in Asia to be performing all 365 days. It is a Vietnamese folk art showcasing puppets dancing in the water with some traditional live music. Unfortunately, the entire show was in Vietnamese and none of us enjoyed it as we couldn't understand the story.

That reminds me of the fact that only the Vietnamese language widely used- for sign boards, shops, etc. However, we did not have an issue communicating with them as most of them could manage English.

Last but not the least, the Vietnamese love art and paintings. I felt thrilled to see a Mona Lisa painting, in which Mona Lisa looks prettier than the original one in Louvre :)

The best part about trying food in Hanoi is you could go to the small stalls and still enjoy delicious and authentic food without shelling out a lot of cash!


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For those of you who are interested to know more about Vietnamese cuisine, scroll down :)

What to eat in Hanoi

If you like experimenting with local cuisines like us, look at the list below.

Pho- This is their staple food. It is a noodle soup. Vietnamese like to eat their food extremely hot. If you are from other parts of the world, you would wonder how an appetizer like soup can be fulfilling to replace the main food. Frankly, the noodle soup is very filling and you would not want to eat another dish.

Egg coffee- Had heard a lot about egg coffee in Hanoi and saw it on the menu of most cafes. We tried it on our last day, after mustering courage.  I must say it was delicious, as the upper foam tasted like liquid custard and the coffee beneath was like any good coffee. Vietnamese love their coffee and we saw a lot of shops selling local coffee beans.


Fried rice- I love! Phuket convinced me that Thailand was the mother of fried rice. But i was impressed with the fried rice in Vietnam as well. Different and super delicious flavors.







Fruit salad with yoghurt- How i wish i could have them everyday! The first time i tried it from a  street vendor and boy,was i blown away! I made sure i had it once in a day until i left the country. The variety of fruits they put (jackfruit, tapioca, mango, apple, papaya, pineapple, jellies etc with yoghurt and cocunut milk).