Hanoi has 6 million citizens, 4 million mopeds and 1 moped helmet that someone accidently left at home. They must have been thinking of Hanoi when they coined the phrase organized chaos. Everyone drives everywhere at once all honking, beeping and tooting there various horns, indicating everything from “get out of my road or I’ll run you over” to “hi how are you and how’s your Mum”.
I’m serious I have never seen anything like this before. There are no traffic lights as such so when crossing the road you just step out, close your eyes and hope to reach the other side.
The old Quarter is a warren of roads and shops and back streets, I grab my camera and after saying a small prayer to Saint Christopher I make my way down to Lake Hoan Kiem just before sunset. There are young couples talking and older folk practicing Ti Chi as the sun goes’ down. Hanoi is electrifying, spellbinding and as complex a capital city as I have ever visited.
With the chic style of Paris, the trendy socialites of Florence and the seething street culture that reminds me of Cairo and Istanbul. I can’t wait to spend a day losing myself in this mêlée of the city tomorrow.
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