Here I am in Hanoi, in my dream destination and everything feels like a dream after a very long journey, time difference, two hours of full body and foot massage. I feel tired, relaxed, dazed and confused and many other things. And I have a terrible headache.
I go back home after the massage with the intention to sleep, but I can't. Even though it's 9pm, for me it feels like lunchtime and I am wide awake. I also feel hungry and decide to go eat something. I step outside and turn right. I see a vegan and vegetarian place a few yards ahead and pay it a visit. The young chef asks me to choose from the picture menu and tells me to have a seat inside. There's a table with six chairs, four of them are occupied by some young Americans. We greet each other and I take a seat next to a young lady.
I am somewhat absentminded and lean back and let my gaze stray. When suddenly the young lady asks me something, I don't react. Then one of the men asks if I speak any English. Then I come back to reality. The lady says that I smell nice and asks what perfume it is. When I tell her it's the oil from the massage, they all burst out laughing. Then I tell them that I arrived just a few hours ago and that I have a headache and feel weird. It will go away they say. Yes, it will. My mistake was to sleep long on the plane. The trick is not to sleep at all or very little, so you get tired when the night comes.
We continue to talk while we wait for our food and when we are done they ask me if I want to go for beers with them. Yes, I want. So off we are.
Since they have been in Hanoi and in this area for a few days, they know their way around. I follow them into a bar and then into a club. One of the Americans asks me if I'm stoned, because I act as if I were. The other start giggling. Nah, mate, I am not. It's the massage, the headache, the jet lag, you name it.
While in the club, the Americans decide to hit the dance floor and drag me with them. I move to the beat, but I feel like being in trance. Everything is blurred, sounds, colours, people, scents, all is a great mix. I need to get some fresh air at some point and when I step outside it's already dawn. What time is it? According to my wristwatch it's just past midnight, but that can't be. My mobile phone is at home, so I can't consult that either. I ask somebody for the time and he says that it's 6:15am. Oops!
I walk home and go straight to bed and fall into a deep sleep. I wake up many hours later in the early afternoon. Have a shower and go down to that vegan place for breakfast. Yeah, at 3pm!
I then walk around the area for a while, but since my head still aches, I decide to go home and work on a translation. Sleeping around midnight doesn't work again, so the hours pass and it's 5am when I finally drift off to the realm of Morpheus.
This time I wake up at 9am, have a shower, go to the vegan place again, come back home to work a little and then make my way to the famous railroad street. In case you haven't heard of it, it is famous around the world, for going through a residential area, passing very close to the buildings on either side. Some stretches are full with cafes and restaurants and some others have nothing to offer, there are just houses. The peculiar thing is, that since not many trains pass by, the locals use the track as their backyard. They put tables and chairs on the track and sit there. Since they know when the trains pass by, they remove all the furniture a minute or two before the train arrives.
The track was open to tourists until earlier this year, but the local government decided to close it due to safety reasons. However, as I discovered, there is a way around it. There are two possibilities. Since the access from the crossing main roads is blocked by guards, you either try to find a side street to enter, or talk to one of the cafe owners who stand next to the guards and they take you to their businesses, where you sip at your drink while waiting for the train to pass.
After that, I walk randomly through the streets, have dinner and come back home to pack my belongings. I am leaving early in the morning to go to Ha Long to run a half marathon and I will spend the weekend there.
I go back home after the massage with the intention to sleep, but I can't. Even though it's 9pm, for me it feels like lunchtime and I am wide awake. I also feel hungry and decide to go eat something. I step outside and turn right. I see a vegan and vegetarian place a few yards ahead and pay it a visit. The young chef asks me to choose from the picture menu and tells me to have a seat inside. There's a table with six chairs, four of them are occupied by some young Americans. We greet each other and I take a seat next to a young lady.
I am somewhat absentminded and lean back and let my gaze stray. When suddenly the young lady asks me something, I don't react. Then one of the men asks if I speak any English. Then I come back to reality. The lady says that I smell nice and asks what perfume it is. When I tell her it's the oil from the massage, they all burst out laughing. Then I tell them that I arrived just a few hours ago and that I have a headache and feel weird. It will go away they say. Yes, it will. My mistake was to sleep long on the plane. The trick is not to sleep at all or very little, so you get tired when the night comes.
We continue to talk while we wait for our food and when we are done they ask me if I want to go for beers with them. Yes, I want. So off we are.
Since they have been in Hanoi and in this area for a few days, they know their way around. I follow them into a bar and then into a club. One of the Americans asks me if I'm stoned, because I act as if I were. The other start giggling. Nah, mate, I am not. It's the massage, the headache, the jet lag, you name it.
While in the club, the Americans decide to hit the dance floor and drag me with them. I move to the beat, but I feel like being in trance. Everything is blurred, sounds, colours, people, scents, all is a great mix. I need to get some fresh air at some point and when I step outside it's already dawn. What time is it? According to my wristwatch it's just past midnight, but that can't be. My mobile phone is at home, so I can't consult that either. I ask somebody for the time and he says that it's 6:15am. Oops!
I walk home and go straight to bed and fall into a deep sleep. I wake up many hours later in the early afternoon. Have a shower and go down to that vegan place for breakfast. Yeah, at 3pm!
I then walk around the area for a while, but since my head still aches, I decide to go home and work on a translation. Sleeping around midnight doesn't work again, so the hours pass and it's 5am when I finally drift off to the realm of Morpheus.
This time I wake up at 9am, have a shower, go to the vegan place again, come back home to work a little and then make my way to the famous railroad street. In case you haven't heard of it, it is famous around the world, for going through a residential area, passing very close to the buildings on either side. Some stretches are full with cafes and restaurants and some others have nothing to offer, there are just houses. The peculiar thing is, that since not many trains pass by, the locals use the track as their backyard. They put tables and chairs on the track and sit there. Since they know when the trains pass by, they remove all the furniture a minute or two before the train arrives.
The track was open to tourists until earlier this year, but the local government decided to close it due to safety reasons. However, as I discovered, there is a way around it. There are two possibilities. Since the access from the crossing main roads is blocked by guards, you either try to find a side street to enter, or talk to one of the cafe owners who stand next to the guards and they take you to their businesses, where you sip at your drink while waiting for the train to pass.
After that, I walk randomly through the streets, have dinner and come back home to pack my belongings. I am leaving early in the morning to go to Ha Long to run a half marathon and I will spend the weekend there.
Vendor
The vegan place
The menu. I had the bottom ones
Lady chef this morning
inside
Railway Street. The part with the cafes. Photo taken from the barrier.
This is from the other side, when you get in through a side street.
The view to the other side, with no cafes.
Inside
Fluffy little doggy
Cheers everyone!
The train is coming
And it's gone.
A different stretch of the railway street
And another bit
No idea what this is. It's opposite Lenin Park
Some more bits
The latest fashion, like in China.
Four on the scooter. There's a small kid in front.
A a slightly shorter video of the passing by train. The original video that goes on for a little longer, wouldn't upload. Might not show or play on mobile devices.
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