Day 1-3
Arriving in Hanoi left me feeling a bit overwhelmed. Between the scooter flooded streets and the constant horn beeps that kept me up at night, I was wishing that I had at least started my trip with a friend. Since that wasn’t the case, I spent my first two days walking around the city to acclimate myself.
The street markets in the Old Quarter were incredible. It felt like the in person equivalent of searching for something on Amazon and being overwhelmed by results.
“Oh, you want sandals? Here are 2,000 options that match your search.”
There was a section dedicated to colorful party supplies and one for Nike and North Fake knockoffs and another for metal work where workers fabricated structures in the middle of the street with welding torches and grinding wheels sending sparks into the air.
The first night I attached myself to a chef from the Czech Republic who had been traveling by motorbike for several months. A cross between Henry Rollins and Anthony Bourdain, he was driven to avoid the tourist attractions while seeking to eat, drink, and listen to punk rock like the locals.
We found a hole in the wall with communal dining and sat across from a woman who told us we found the best place for pho in the city. She also recommended a place with food that rivaled it but her directions were rather vague – to the right of the Catholic Church…the restaurant has no sign or name.
I managed to track down the church and the restaurant the following day before exploring Tay Ho, an area around West Lake that came highly recommended.
After stopping for a coffee, I began making my way back to my hostel. Along the way I stopped at the Tran Quoc Pagoda, my first of what I assume will be many temples during my trip.
Dave Tortora 