Hà Nội, Vietnam
For days, Hanoi had been warning us that it would be different. And just when we thought we had figured Vietnam out, everything changed. We had learned that a simple lunch can easily consist of six different dishes. We had discovered that the Vietnamese possess an extraordinary talent for transporting virtually anything on a scooter. And we could even convert amounts in Vietnamese dong without reaching for a calculator.
But Hanoi was different.
Hanoi would be busy. Chaotic. Overwhelming.
We noticed that before we had even stepped out of the minibus.
A City on Two Wheels
Our driver decided to take us through the Old Quarter on the way to the hotel. Before long, we found ourselves glued to the windows. Scooters were everywhere. Hundreds of them.
They came from every direction at once. Sometimes they even emerged from side streets we did not know existed. Pedestrians weaved their way through the traffic. Street vendors pushed carts through the crowds.
On paper, it looked like complete anarchy. And yet, hardly anyone collided.
When we finally arrived at our hotel, we received a warm welcome. The hotel felt like an oasis of calm in the middle of the chaos. Beautiful rooms, a rooftop swimming pool, and friendly staff. But we did not stay there for long. We wanted to see Hanoi.
The First Real Challenge: Crossing a Street in Hanoi
Fifteen minutes later, we faced our first real challenge.
Crossing a street.
Not just any street.
A Hanoi street.
In front of us flowed an endless stream of scooters. No traffic lights. No respected pedestrian crossings. No moment when the traffic would magically stop.
Just constant movement.
Fortunately, the hotel staff had already prepared us:
- “Don’t panic.”
- “Don’t stop suddenly.”
- “Don’t step backwards.”
- “Just cross.”
Easy enough to say.
There we stood, with two children, facing a wall of scooters that showed absolutely no intention of stopping.
I looked left.
Then right.
Then left again.
As if that was going to change anything.
Learning to Trust the Flow
Then we took the first step.
And another.
And another.
The scooters kept moving. They swerved around us. In front of us. Behind us. Sometimes only a few dozen centimetres away. Every instinct in your body screams STOP.
But that was exactly what we were not supposed to do. So we kept walking at a calm, predictable pace. A few seconds later, we were standing safely on the other side. Alive.
We looked at each other in disbelief.
Was that it?
Apparently, it was.
Behind the Apparent Chaos of Hanoi
The next crossing felt a little easier.
And the one after that easier still.
Slowly, we began to understand the system.
Or at least, that is how it felt.
To the locals, we probably still looked like tourists who might panic at any moment.
The secret of Hanoi is that there is not really any chaos at all.
It only looks that way to outsiders.
Everyone is constantly moving, but everyone is also paying attention to the movements of everyone else.
The person who stops unexpectedly creates the problem.
The person who moves steadily becomes part of the flow.
During our days in Hanoi, we crossed dozens of streets.
By the end of our stay, we were walking among the scooters almost casually, something that had seemed completely unimaginable on our first day.
And perhaps that is what makes travel so special.
Before a trip, we often imagine obstacles we will have to overcome. We expect unfamiliar situations to be stressful or even a little frightening.
But more often than not, we discover that behind that initial uncertainty lies simply a different way of life.
Hanoi taught us that things do not have to follow our own rules in order to work.
Sometimes, all you need to do is take the first step.
And keep walking.
Our journey doesn’t end here. ❤️
From African wildlife to Asian adventures and the incredible landscapes of Canada, we’ve collected quite a few stories along the way.
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