This slideshow requires JavaScript.

In Hong Kong the buses rule the streets, in Hanoi it’s all about the motorbikes. The streets are full of scooters, mopeds, and small motorcycles flowing through the crowded streets like a school of fish. The street signs, lights, and rules are all optional yet the traffic seems fluid only bothered by the sudden, jerky reactions of fearful tourists. My day started with a mad dash to the bank to exchange dollars before the banks closed at 11:00 AM for the weekend. With only about 30 minutes to find the bank on foot, I had no option but a crash course in walking through the streets of Hanoi. First, there are no sidewalks here; walkers share the road with bikes, motorbikes, cars and buses. The sidewalks are used for commerce, construction, and parking, but not for walking. Second, when crossing the street the pace must be constant. Any sudden reaction to perceived danger will break the flow of things and actually result in danger. Third, the hustle is constant and tireless. The only things that stand still in Hanoi are the buildings. I’m learning these things as I go all while trying to appreciate the chaos around me and not missing the bank.

Although there are plenty of regular banks in Hanoi, the one bank that exchanges traveller checks was more like a street side kiosk. As I was standing in line an old lady with straw hat kept approaching me saying “Money!” offering to exchange my foreign currency for Vietnamese Dong. I waved her away anxiously awaiting my turn in line. After a few minutes, she signals to me again and this time pulls out a huge stack of bills from her purse again saying “Money!” I’m wandering why isn’t one of the two security guards at the bank calling the police. This lady is trying to pawn off counterfeit bills on a tourist, but who knows, maybe she was a licensed street banker. A few minutes later a young girl with a school uniform walks up to me with a big smile on her face. She asks me my name and where I’m from. I’m not sure what’s going on now, I have one lady selling me monopoly money and another asking me for my personal information. Not knowing what else to do, I shrugged her away hoping on the inside that she wasn’t actually a student doing her English homework. I finally got to the banker who made no mention or apologizes for the attempted scams while waiting in line. She swiftly exchanged my $500 for 10,000,000 Vietnamese Dong. I shoved the big wad of cash into my zippered pocketed and hightailed it back to the hostel; feeling like a multi-millionaire for the first time.

We had an amazing first day in Vietnam. We walked around a lake in the center of Hanoi’s Old Quarter to find Pho 24; a franchised vendor of Vietnamese noodle soup. After our first bite, we realized that it was way to late in the day to be eating what the Vietnamese mostly eat for breakfast. Our noodles had the texture of a spaghetti noodle that has been cooking for 5 hours. Not having had anything substantial to eat in 24 hours, we bunkered down and slurped through the bowl of brain noodles. Afterwards, we continued around the lake and found an amazing park. We watched parents play with their kids, a group of schoolgirls learning a dance, and a group of teenage boys learning how to skateboard. Behind the park was a large cement area where mostly men were playing soccer and jianzi. Jianzi is a sport that mixes the strategy and structure of volleyball with the dexterity and flexibility of hacky sack. We marveled at the reaction times and dexterity demonstrated by the players. Imagine playing volleyball with a ball the size of the lemon, but the catch is, you can’t use your hands. You receive the ball with your head, chest, or shoulder. You then set the ball with your foot at the perfect height. Finally, you spike, lob, or drop shot the ball with one of your two feet. An amazing feat!