We were pleasantly surprised by the international terminal at the Hanoi airport. It’s brand new (just opened in January) and the arrival processing through immigration and customs was very quick and our luggage arrived even faster than in Singapore. There is also a new road from the airport into the city and a lovely new bridge over the Red River, bridge designed by a Japanese architect. The rustic shops and buildings on the outskirts of the city reminded me of coming into Annantanarivo in Madagascar. Closer in, there were new residences, many of them 3-4 story narrow townhouses, like row houses, but separate. They were a variety of muted colors and many had balconies or other decoration on the facades.
It is gray and drizzly and about 65 degrees–quite a change from hot and humid Singapore. But, after checking into our hotel, we went for a walk to scope out the neighborhood. The streets are very lively with traffic, many motor scooters midst the cars and very few traffic lights. Crossing the street is an exercise in daring as the drivers will weave around you rather than stop. With all this traffic, the air is polluted and a number of people, particularly women, were wearing cotton masks over their nose and mouth. Close by is a small lake bordered on one edge by a park which provided a bit of respite from the swirl of vehicles.
We discovered several small streets of bookshops and book stalls, several with books in English as well as Vietnamese. And one street over, Ferragamo and Prada’s luxury goods were on display. At the same time, we noted women crouched on the corners or sitting on the steps in their coolie hats selling fresh fruit and chestnuts or small pastries. Shades of China in the 1980’s in a city of contrasts.
I love your descriptions and the photos – I’m having a good time armchair traveling.