Hanoi, Vietnam

Under the Order of Chaos


lawless city
A self-managed intersection of the Vietnamese capital.
Asian balance
Fruit seller walks down a city street.
sore pawn
Passerby is run over while crossing a road that is too risky.
Outdoor Barber Shop
A street barber takes care of a client's haircut.
Right and Left Priority
Aging vehicles skirt a roundabout in Hanoi's historic center.
Last Register
Craftsman carves a headstone in his shop.
back to the infernal city
Residents cross a garden bridge to Hoam Kiem Lake.
patriotic home
A restaurant employee watches the city leaning on the Vietnamese flag.
framed reflection
The reflected image of a fruit seller in a shop mirror.
BIM
Seller displays his postcards with illustrations from Hanoi.
Lamps and motorcycles
Colorful lanterns on a colorful city street.
winter in Hanoi
View of the central area of ​​the Vietnamese capital around Hoam Kiem lake.
Still Ho Chi Minh
Propagandist poster of communist heritage praises the figure of Ho Chi-Minh
And more Ho Chi Minh
The mausoleum that honors the "eternal" character of Ho chi-Minh, the father of the Vietnamese nation.
Hanoi has long ignored scant traffic lights, other traffic signs and decorative traffic lights. It lives in its own rhythm and in an order of chaos unattainable by the West.

The Asian winter extended to the maximum of its geographic limit and despite being almost 40º in Ho Chi-Minh – 1600 km south of Hanoi, a little less in Hue – it is unusually cold in the Vietnamese capital.

Having just arrived, we are taken by surprise and we move as fast as we can through the streets looking for a store that sells us coats something more modern than the post-communist look still in fashion around these parts.

Despite the icy fog, the day unfolds as usual in the garden of Hoam Kiem lake (Lake of the Restored Sword).

winter in Hanoi

View of the central part of the Vietnamese capital around the Hoam Kiem lake

Groups of seniors indulge in endless matches of traditional Asian games like XiangQi and Mahjong. Or exercise the body playing badminton or practicing tai chi.

Meanwhile, vendors run after visitors to the Ngoc Son temple and The Huc bridge that gives access to it. They are foisted on postcards, photocopied Lonely Planet guides and small handicrafts, usually made by family members.

Portfolio, Transit of Hanoi, Under the Order of Chaos, Vietnam

Seller displays his postcards with illustrations from Hanoi.

The First Serious Confrontation with Traffic Chaos in Hanoi

Crossing the garden and the lake does not present us with any major difficulties. We could no longer say the same about Dinh Tien Hoang Street, right next door, and the intersections where it ends.

Endless motorbikes pass at full speed. They skilfully avoid those that come from other streets and in the opposite direction. Cyclists do the same, more slowly.

Like the motorcycles and the scooters, bypass cars, the occasional lorry and old buses that force their way through and contaminate the urban atmosphere with immense discharges of black smoke.

Hanoi Transit, Under the Order of Chaos, Vietnam

Aging vehicles skirt a roundabout in Hanoi's historic center.

Apart from these vehicles, the streets of Hanoi still hold room for the eventual overloaded cart drawn by horses or buffaloes.

And for the fearless or unconscious pedestrians who cross them endlessly, confident that everyone else will avoid them.

Asian Equilibrium, Hanoi Transit, Under the Order of Chaos, Vietnam

Fruit seller walks down a city street.

In Rome, be a Roman. In Vietnam, Vietnamese.

We get tired of waiting for an open that insists on not appearing. We have faith in the faith of these passersby. we hit the road. Like Moses backpackers, we separate the traffic to get to the other side.

Things are going well for us. But bad for a woman trying her luck just a few feet away.

Two motorbikes and a bicycle hesitated as to which direction to detour. In the middle of the disturbance, one of the motorcycles knocked her down and hit her head on the ground.

Accident, Hanoi Transit, Under the Order of Chaos, Vietnam

Passerby run over while crossing a road that is too risky, in traffic in Hanoi

Only accidents like these force traffic officers to abandon their uselessness. One of them, identified by his old-fashioned dark green uniform, leaves his small pulpit protected.

Appears to get up and recompose the lady who appears to be only slightly injured. Once the incident has been resolved, the police officer returns to his post.

Hang Dao Avenue Down Below, By a Profusion of Funeral Homes

We gained the desired access to the long Hang Dao avenue. We walk through it pressed by the unpleasant temperature, keeping an eye on all the stores and businesses that appear.

In Hanoi, as in neighboring China, trade is organized in a compartmentalized way. We hit the nail on the burial and funeral sector. We first pass dozens of competing florists with stalls full of gaudy wreaths that employees refresh.

There follows an area of ​​tombstone makers that keep our attention and our pace.

Inside one of these workshops, an artisan inscribes commissioned messages on the blackboard. we see him surrounded by golden plaques in honor of the dead Vietnamese, immortalized in color and black and white photographs.

Last Record, Transit of Hanoi, Under the Order of Chaos, Vietnam

Craftsman carves a headstone in his shop.

Among others, we find Lê Van Luc who died in 2001 at the age of 72. Nguyen Thi Hat who died in 1954.

And, to our surprise, Anna Duong Tu Huong, a Catholic who was declared dead on March 12.3.1982, XNUMX, is blessed with several sacred illustrations of Our Lady but, for lack of a more credible image, appears with the temporary face of Britney Spears.

It is not the amazement that deters us either. A few blocks down, we finally come to an area with sportswear stores. We buy Polartecs of reasonable quality.

Back to the Chaos at the Heart of Hanoi

The newly acquired comfort and the city map that we are equipped with inspire us to return to the center by a different path.

This alternative arrests us with the eccentric view of a street occupied by barbers, all of them installed against a wall, under the protection of small removable tarpaulins.

Even though it's the coldest season in northern Vietnam, judging by the amount of hair that has accumulated on the ground, business is booming. It demands maximum dedication from each artist.

Barber Shop, Transit Hanoi, Under the Order of Chaos, Vietnam

A street barber takes care of a Hanoi customer's haircut

Once again in the vicinity of Hoam Kiem Lake, the traffic noise increases. A lone biker stands on the far side of the yard.

During Vietnam War, the entire Communist era and, until some time ago, any motorbike fulfilled the most unreasonable dreams of the Vietnamese. After the fusion of the North with the South and the opening of the country to the capitalist virtues – which, in part, followed the Chinese molds – the financial power of Vietnam increased enormously.

How the ambitions of the Vietnamese who dared to want more and more grew. On a wide leather seat, supported by the chrome handlebars, raised and hung with fur fringes, a young man from Hanoi seems to have just fulfilled one of his dreams.

Shows a new Harley Davidson to the city, indifferent to the common motor scooters and scooters that pass by.

The Chaotic Transit of Hanoi, Seen from Above

We thought of returning to the guest-house that hosts us, but we noticed a bar installed on an outdoor terrace on top of a building.

We had already faced and conquered the harmonious chaos of traffic in Hanoi. We had also witnessed one of their incidents. It was time for us to admire and celebrate.

patriotic home

A restaurant employee watches the city leaning on the Vietnamese flag, high above the chaos of Hanoi

Without haste, without cold or any other kind of limitations, we climbed to the communist heights of the building. We settled at a table overlooking the avenues ahead.

We taste the “Hanoi” beer and enjoy the motorbikes, bicycles, cars and pedestrians flowing in the famous orderly chaos of the city.

Lawless City, Transit of Hanoi, Under the Order of Chaos, Vietnam

A crossroads of self-managed chaos, from Hanoi.

Hue, Vietnam

The Red Heritage of Imperial Vietnam

It suffered the worst hardships of the Vietnam War and was despised by the Vietcong due to the feudal past. The national-communist flags fly over its walls but Hué regains its splendor.
Hi Ann, Vietnam

The Vietnamese Port That Got to See Ships

Hoi An was one of the most important trading posts in Asia. Political changes and the siltation of the Thu Bon River dictated its decline and preserved it as the most picturesque city in Vietnam.

Nha Trang-Doc Let, Vietnam

The Salt of the Vietnamese Land

In search of attractive coastlines in old Indochina, we become disillusioned with the roughness of Nha Trang's bathing area. And it is in the feminine and exotic work of the Hon Khoi salt flats that we find a more pleasant Vietnam.

Philippines

The Philippine Road Lords

With the end of World War II, the Filipinos transformed thousands of abandoned American jeeps and created the national transportation system. Today, the exuberant jeepneys are for the curves.
Chiang Khong - Luang Prabang, Laos

Slow Boat, Down the Mekong River

Laos' beauty and lower cost are good reasons to sail between Chiang Khong and Luang Prabang. But this long descent of the Mekong River can be as exhausting as it is picturesque.
Ho Chi Minh a of Angkor, Cambodia

The Crooked Path to Angkor

From Vietnam onwards, Cambodia's crumbling roads and minefields take us back to the years of Khmer Rouge terror. We survive and are rewarded with the vision of the greatest religious temple
Believers greet each other in the Bukhara region.
City
Bukhara, Uzbequistan

Among the Minarets of Old Turkestan

Situated on the ancient Silk Road, Bukhara has developed for at least two thousand years as an essential commercial, cultural and religious hub in Central Asia. It was Buddhist and then Muslim. It was part of the great Arab empire and that of Genghis Khan, the Turko-Mongol kingdoms and the Soviet Union, until it settled in the still young and peculiar Uzbekistan.
Host Wezi points out something in the distance
Beaches
Cobue; Nkwichi Lodge, Mozambique

The Hidden Mozambique of the Creaking Sands

During a tour from the bottom to the top of Lake Malawi, we find ourselves on the island of Likoma, an hour by boat from Nkwichi Lodge, the solitary base of this inland coast of Mozambique. On the Mozambican side, the lake is known as Niassa. Whatever its name, there we discover some of the most stunning and unspoilt scenery in south-east Africa.
A campfire lights up and warms the night, next to Reilly's Rock Hilltop Lodge,
safari
Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary, Eswatini

The Fire That Revived eSwatini's Wildlife

By the middle of the last century, overhunting was wiping out much of the kingdom of Swaziland’s wildlife. Ted Reilly, the son of the pioneer settler who owned Mlilwane, took action. In 1961, he created the first protected area of ​​the Big Game Parks he later founded. He also preserved the Swazi term for the small fires that lightning has long caused.
Young people walk the main street in Chame, Nepal
Annapurna (circuit)
Annapurna Circuit: 1th - Pokhara a ChameNepal

Finally, on the way

After several days of preparation in Pokhara, we left towards the Himalayas. The walking route only starts in Chame, at 2670 meters of altitude, with the snowy peaks of the Annapurna mountain range already in sight. Until then, we complete a painful but necessary road preamble to its subtropical base.
Architecture & Design
Cemeteries

the last address

From the grandiose tombs of Novodevichy, in Moscow, to the boxed Mayan bones of Pomuch, in the Mexican province of Campeche, each people flaunts its own way of life. Even in death.
The small lighthouse at Kallur, highlighted in the capricious northern relief of the island of Kalsoy.
Aventura
Kalsoy, Faroe Islands

A Lighthouse at the End of the Faroese World

Kalsoy is one of the most isolated islands in the Faroe archipelago. Also known as “the flute” due to its long shape and the many tunnels that serve it, a mere 75 inhabitants inhabit it. Much less than the outsiders who visit it every year, attracted by the boreal wonder of its Kallur lighthouse.
Ceremonies and Festivities
Military

Defenders of Their Homelands

Even in times of peace, we detect military personnel everywhere. On duty, in cities, they fulfill routine missions that require rigor and patience.
Singapore, Success and Monotony Island
Cities
Singapore

The Island of Success and Monotony

Accustomed to planning and winning, Singapore seduces and recruits ambitious people from all over the world. At the same time, it seems to bore to death some of its most creative inhabitants.
Fogón de Lola, great food, Costa Rica, Guápiles
Lunch time
Fogón de Lola Costa Rica

The Costa Rica Flavour of El Fogón de Lola

As the name suggests, the Fogón de Lola de Guapiles serves dishes prepared on the stove and in the oven, according to Costa Rican family tradition. In particular, Tia Lola's.
Tombola, street bingo-Campeche, Mexico
Culture
Campeche, Mexico

A Bingo so playful that you play with puppets

On Friday nights, a group of ladies occupy tables at Independencia Park and bet on trifles. The tiniest prizes come out to them in combinations of cats, hearts, comets, maracas and other icons.
Reindeer Racing, Kings Cup, Inari, Finland
Sport
Inari, Finland

The Wackiest Race on the Top of the World

Finland's Lapps have been competing in the tow of their reindeer for centuries. In the final of the Kings Cup - Porokuninkuusajot - , they face each other at great speed, well above the Arctic Circle and well below zero.
Navimag Cruise, Puerto Montt to Puerto-natales, Chile
Traveling
Puerto Natales-Puerto Montt, Chile

Cruise on board a Freighter

After a long begging of backpackers, the Chilean company NAVIMAG decided to admit them on board. Since then, many travelers have explored the Patagonian canals, side by side with containers and livestock.
Dances
Ethnic
Okinawa, Japan

Ryukyu Dances: Centuries old. In No Hurry.

The Ryukyu kingdom prospered until the XNUMXth century as a trading post for the China and Japan. From the cultural aesthetics developed by its courtly aristocracy, several styles of slow dance were counted.
ice tunnel, black gold route, Valdez, Alaska, USA
Got2Globe Photo Portfolio
Got2Globe Portfolio

Sensations vs Impressions

San Juan, Old Town, Puerto Rico, Reggaeton, Flag on Gate
History
San Juan, Puerto Rico (Part 2)

To the Rhythm of Reggaeton

Restless and inventive Puerto Ricans have made San Juan the reggaeton capital of the world. At the preferred beat of the nation, they filled their “Walled City” with other arts, color and life.
Jumping forward, Pentecost Naghol, Bungee Jumping, Vanuatu
Islands
Pentecost Island, Vanuatu

Pentecost Naghol: Bungee Jumping for Real Men

In 1995, the people of Pentecostes threatened to sue extreme sports companies for stealing the Naghol ritual. In terms of audacity, the elastic imitation falls far short of the original.
Era Susi towed by dog, Oulanka, Finland
Winter White
PN Oulanka, Finland

A Slightly Lonesome Wolf

Jukka “Era-Susi” Nordman has created one of the largest packs of sled dogs in the world. He became one of Finland's most iconic characters but remains faithful to his nickname: Wilderness Wolf.
Baie d'Oro, Île des Pins, New Caledonia
Literature
Île-des-Pins, New Caledonia

The Island that Leaned against Paradise

In 1964, Katsura Morimura delighted the Japan with a turquoise novel set in Ouvéa. But the neighboring Île-des-Pins has taken over the title "The Nearest Island to Paradise" and thrills its visitors.
Merganser against sunset, Rio Miranda, Pantanal, Brazil
Nature
Passo do Lontra, Miranda, Brazil

The Flooded Brazil of Passo do Lontra

We are on the western edge of Mato Grosso do Sul but bush, on these sides, is something else. In an extension of almost 200.000 km2, the Brazil it appears partially submerged, by rivers, streams, lakes and other waters dispersed in vast alluvial plains. Not even the panting heat of the dry season drains the life and biodiversity of Pantanal places and farms like the one that welcomed us on the banks of the Miranda River.
Sheki, Autumn in the Caucasus, Azerbaijan, Autumn Homes
Autumn
Sheki, Azerbaijan

autumn in the caucasus

Lost among the snowy mountains that separate Europe from Asia, Sheki is one of Azerbaijan's most iconic towns. Its largely silky history includes periods of great harshness. When we visited it, autumn pastels added color to a peculiar post-Soviet and Muslim life.
Walk on the coast, Villarrica volcano, Pucon, Chile
Natural Parks
Villarrica Volcano, Chile

Ascent to the Villarrica Volcano Crater, in Full Activity

Pucón abuses nature's trust and thrives at the foot of the Villarrica mountain. We follow this bad example along icy trails and conquer the crater of one of the most active volcanoes in South America.
Khiva, Uzbekistan, Fortress, Silk Road,
UNESCO World Heritage
Khiva, Uzbequistan

The Silk Road Fortress the Soviets Velved

In the 80s, Soviet leaders renewed Khiva in a softened version that, in 1990, UNESCO declared a World Heritage Site. The USSR disintegrated the following year. Khiva has preserved its new luster.
View from the top of Mount Vaea and the tomb, Vailima village, Robert Louis Stevenson, Upolu, Samoa
Characters
Upolu, Samoa

Stevenson's Treasure Island

At age 30, the Scottish writer began looking for a place to save him from his cursed body. In Upolu and the Samoans, he found a welcoming refuge to which he gave his heart and soul.
Network launch, Ouvéa Island-Lealdade Islands, New Caledonia
Beaches
Ouvéa, New Caledonia

Between Loyalty and Freedom

New Caledonia has always questioned integration into faraway France. On the island of Ouvéa, Loyalty Archipelago, we find an history of resistance but also natives who prefer French-speaking citizenship and privileges.
Motorcyclist in Sela Gorge, Arunachal Pradesh, India
Religion
Guwahati a Saddle Pass, India

A Worldly Journey to the Sacred Canyon of Sela

For 25 hours, we traveled the NH13, one of the highest and most dangerous roads in India. We traveled from the Brahmaputra river basin to the disputed Himalayas of the province of Arunachal Pradesh. In this article, we describe the stretch up to 4170 m of altitude of the Sela Pass that pointed us to the Tibetan Buddhist city of Tawang.
Serra do Mar train, Paraná, airy view
On Rails
Curitiba a Morretes, Paraná, Brazil

Down Paraná, on Board the Train Serra do Mar

For more than two centuries, only a winding and narrow road connected Curitiba to the coast. Until, in 1885, a French company opened a 110 km railway. We walked along it to Morretes, the final station for passengers today. 40km from the original coastal terminus of Paranaguá.
Busy intersection of Tokyo, Japan
Society
Tokyo, Japan

The Endless Night of the Rising Sun Capital

Say that Tokyo do not sleep is an understatement. In one of the largest and most sophisticated cities on the face of the Earth, twilight marks only the renewal of the frenetic daily life. And there are millions of souls that either find no place in the sun, or make more sense in the “dark” and obscure turns that follow.
Coin return
Daily life
Dawki, India

Dawki, Dawki, Bangladesh on sight

We descended from the high and mountainous lands of Meghalaya to the flats to the south and below. There, the translucent and green stream of the Dawki forms the border between India and Bangladesh. In a damp heat that we haven't felt for a long time, the river also attracts hundreds of Indians and Bangladeshis in a picturesque escape.
Rhinoceros, PN Kaziranga, Assam, India
Wildlife
PN Kaziranga, India

The Indian Monoceros Stronghold

Situated in the state of Assam, south of the great Brahmaputra river, PN Kaziranga occupies a vast area of ​​alluvial swamp. Two-thirds of the rhinocerus unicornis around the world, there are around 100 tigers, 1200 elephants and many other animals. Pressured by human proximity and the inevitable poaching, this precious park has not been able to protect itself from the hyperbolic floods of the monsoons and from some controversies.
Passengers, scenic flights-Southern Alps, New Zealand
Scenic Flights
Aoraki / Mount Cook, New Zealand

The Aeronautical Conquest of the Southern Alps

In 1955, pilot Harry Wigley created a system for taking off and landing on asphalt or snow. Since then, his company has unveiled, from the air, some of the greatest scenery in Oceania.