April 1st – Evening in Hanoi
The street vibe is alive
Life happens on the streets and sidewalks in Hanoi.
Many items are for sale – in fact you can buy just about anything.
One of the most common items is FOOD, which comes in many shapes, forms, flavors and options.
I was starting to think my name was money, as I was greeted with, “hello, Money” over and over by local children. This women simply looked at me and rubbed her fingers together as her friend laughs while I snapped their picture.
Money, money, money…
The buildings are very narrow, and it is not unusual to see them seven stories high. We saw several examples of current construction where another floor was simply added on the top of an existing building with seemingly little or no pre-planning or reinforcements done. And yes, occasionally you saw one crumbling or leaning precariously to the side.
You can get a hair cut:
A sucker for a quick kid’s haircut
Or get your hair cut here
Or get married…
White wedding tent
Dodge traffic:
Just keep moving slowly in one direction to cross the street
Or stage a peaceful protest (as long as no one catches you that is):
Quickly closing her sign when she comes under surveillance
But the sidewalks truly come alive as the sun sets. A place where families and friends gather to cook food or share a meal, smoke a cigarette, or catch up on the days activities.
GRATITUDE MOMENT: Today I am grateful that we had this evening to walk the streets and get more of the pulse of the city. During the day, we noticed it was difficult to walk on the sidewalks because of all the motorbikes parking there. But in the evening the sidewalks became a substitute for the local bar, your living room, dining room or social club.
And a very sincere THANK YOU to all of you who follow our journey. Your comments, questions, and encouragement mean the world to us!
A Note From Abroad 
I love your photos!
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Thank you so much.
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You do know why they are calling you “money,” yes?
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I assumed that was their way of saying that they wanted me to give them some money. Is there more I should know?
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That’s the basic idea, yes. They want to be paid for their picture. I usually never give cash, but instead, buy whatever they might be selling. Depending on their age — the people in your pictures didn’t look that old — they may also think, as do Native Americans, that by taking their picture you are taking a piece of their soul.
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I have really enjoyed these travel blogs … and great pictures!
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Appreciate your kind comment. Thanks!
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Awesome!
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The food is superb there! Would you agree?
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Sorry, no. I love Vietnamese food, but NOT all the MSG that they use there. It was very difficult for us to get any food without it.
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That is truly culture shock! Not sure about those exrentions to the buildings, though! Would you!feel safe living there? However, It does seem like a very co!ourful and interesting city. ☺
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There were some things that caused a raised eyebrow or two.
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Don’t know how people could eat it the streets – it was so noisy
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The noise did not bother me near as much as the lack of sanitation. But this is their culture and it was so interesting to get to witness it.
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