Night arrival in Hanoi
We weren't expecting to board an airplane destined for Vietnam and relive the experiences of those who traveled there during the festive season. To be honest, we didn't really care. However, getting on the flight from Seoul and hearing Christmas music in the background was a pleasant surprise. After all, it was only a few hours until Christmas, and the same airport in Seoul was decorated festively, something that might not have been possible in a Western country. We arrived in Hanoi in just under 5 hours. Despite the snow in Turin, we managed to catch our flights, although with the added inconvenience of leaving our airport almost two hours late. The flight from Rome also departed with about an hour and a half delay, but we arrived just in time for the connecting flight to Hanoi. Upon arrival in the Vietnamese capital, we immediately met our guide, Han. We completed all the necessary formalities for the visa directly at the airport, followed by a relatively unobtrusive customs check. Finally, we set off into Hanoi, which was preparing to celebrate Christmas in its own way. As a Buddhist and formally communist country, there were no official celebrations, but there were many decorations that appealed to the locals, and it was an opportunity for young people to go out on the streets and ride scooters through the city center. We later discovered that the use of motorbikes is common among all Vietnamese people, regardless of the day of the week. It's a celebration that reflects Western culture, but tomorrow remains a working day for everyone. The driver immediately suggested we stay awake, amidst traffic that could be described as chaotic. After all, it's known that there are different driving systems in Asia: on the left in China, and on the right in Japan and India. In Vietnam, we quickly realized that you can drive wherever you want. The unspoken rule is to stay in the passing lane on highways and ignore any lights or honking from behind, which does cause noise but doesn't provoke anger as it would on our roads. At midnight, the city center was bustling with young people on their scooters with at least two, if not three or more people. We arrive safely at the hotel and this might be enough for today. The hotel is well-located near the center, although it's not very quiet, and the rooms are in a colonial style.
