Mysteriously, without me planning it, I live in harmony with the cycles of the moon. It was again the full moon when I was leaving a country and heading to the next. My last night in Thailand was the night of the religious celebration Loy Krathong, the Festival of Lights. As it was the closing of one chapter in Thailand and the beginning of the new in Vietnam, my feelings were colored by the gratitude of being blessed with the dear friendship of Thailand. I was also feeling melancholy and sadness because of leaving the lands I have been wandering around for a while. Releasing the candle and flowers onto the river, I honored the blessings of life and wished for our darkness to meet the light.
Saying okay to life’s unexpected turns enable us to surrender to the uncontrollable nature of creation. Surrendering may melt away the sense of the doer. When the doer ceases to exist, then it feels a little bit more like the whole ride is being ridden. Everything is just okay and complete as the way it is because there is no conflict arising in the absence of the doer. What is left for me is to listen to the spirit of time -which is always now, and sense into the waves which shapes my being. This is resting in the boundless womb of the Mother and embracing profound happiness. Then a more refined and clearer seeing emerges, recognizing the greatness in the smallest and the exceptional in the most ordinary.
My travels in Vietnam started from the capital Hanoi. Hanoi is a very crowded city with a chaotic traffic due to the great number of motorbikes. As Vietnam is among the top 10 most visited countries in the world, tourists contribute to the density of life in Hanoi as well. Never ending horns add on the chaos of the streets that has kind of an order to it though. So, Hanoi is crowded, chaotic, crazy, noisy and dirty but very attractive!
There is a kind of a distinctive beauty here. Westernization or modernization are transforming every place they touch, so most places in the world start to be similar to each other, losing their identity. But Hanoi -or Vietnam in general- is not really like this. When I am in a place that has its own unique flavor and authenticity, that is when my soul rejoices.
In Hanoi I always stay in the center, around the old town. I really love it! Here, life still bears many traces of those times from the previous century. Without needing to be renovated, some buildings or streets are just there as if time has stopped. Buildings are old, plasters are peeling, walls are cracked, paints are old and yet they offer an unusual beauty.
The ambience on the street, the vibes of the daily life, authentic architecture, the appearance of the people, all the little details of local living come together to create the unique quality of Hanoi. I enjoy observing people, especially the Vietnamese women with their traditional conical bamboo hats, selling fruits on the streets.
Hanoi -including some other parts of Vietnam- feels nostalgic. Seeing so many people in their traditional Vietnamese clothes plays a part in this feeling. People love to dress like that and have their photo taken either by the peaceful environment of the lakeside or in front of an old house or a temple. I love watching their cheerful mood.
The lake right in the heart of the city is very relaxing. It’s beautiful landscape is decorated with so many colorful flowers and old trees. It is one of the best spots to observe typical Vietnamese city life, families, children, elders and lovers. When I was sitting at one of the benches by the lake, this adorable young girl below approached me, asking; “If you don’t mind, can I sit with you? Maybe we can have a chat so that I can improve my English?” We had an amazing conversation and unexpectedly a deep sharing. When we were saying goodbye to each other, we were very grateful for this encounter.
Every street around the old town is unique and beautiful with all kinds of touristic or local restaurants, cafes or shops. To have an overview I recommend you to climb up to the roof terrace of a building and watch the area from there. To me, Saint Joseph Cathedral is one of the beautiful hubs of the old town. The square in front of the cathedral is not just the meeting point of friends but also a place to sit and observe life in Hanoi.
Vietnam is a former French colony. Therefore, French influence is clearly seen in architecture, food, or cloths. But the language is only of its kind, like the other Asian countries. Vietnamese language is based on tones. As if it consists only of single syllable sounds. There are so subtle sound accents which makes it really hard to pronounce. It is so funny that when I try to say something, I say something completely different!
Water puppetry is almost a thousand years old tradition emerged during the entertainments of the farmers inside the rice paddies. You can watch a performance of this tradition at Thang Long Theater every day. On the show there are sections about agriculture, animals, birds, buffalos, rice harvest or simple aspects of life. Also, the dance of 4 sacred animals; dragon, unicorn, turtle and phoenix take place in the play while a traditional Vietnamese orchestra performs the background music.
Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is one of the must-see places in Hanoi where you can have a glimpse of the rich diversity of 54 different ethnic groups living in Vietnam. The map above shows this diversity with colours. Some examples to these ethnic groups are; Austronesians (they look like native Australians), Thais (those who came from China and settled in Southeast Asia), Austroasiatics (a mixture of Australian natives and Asians), Sino-Tibetans (those who came south from the Himalayas), Viet, Khmer, and many more.
It is a very impressive museum where you can view diversed elements of Vietnamese culture such as; customs, handicrafts, agriculture, clothing, weaving, metal and wood works, hand tools, daily items, etc. Various natural building examples of different ethnicities are also exhibited in the museum’s large gardens.
Coming to the amazing Vietnamese food which may be my favourite cuisine. Vietnamese recipes use fresh ingredients like lemongrass, ginger, mint, coriander, cinnamon, bird’s eye chili, lime, basil etc. There are not much dairy or oil, but herbs and vegetables instead so it is so suitable for vegans and vegetarians. The cuisine is almost always naturally gluten-free as many of the dishes are rice-based instead of wheat-based.
Some examples of these delicious food are; Pho (noodle soup), vegetable noodles, vegetable rice, spring and summer rolls, Banh Mi (sandwich influenced by French baguettes), various dips, stir fried, boiled or raw vegetables, etc. Coffee is also a significant part of daily life.
Starting from Hanoi, I would be traveling throughout Vietnam for 2 months, visiting Tam Coc, Lan Ha and Ha Long Bay, Thai Nguyen, Hue, Hoi An, Ha Giang and Sapa on my route. You can read through all of these destinations in the other essays of mine. I feel like Vietnam became my favorite country in Southeast Asia. Here I feel the sense of belonging so intimately.
After 2 months of travels in Vietnam and 7 months of travels in Southeast Asia, I would be returning back to Türkiye for a while. A lot of things fit into this adventure, leaving so precious imprints upon my soul; new discoveries, experiences, blessings, encounters, friendships, romance, melancholy, sickness, accident, fear and many more. If I say otherwise please remind me that, living my life as a traveler is the most meaningful and profound way my heart is captivated to live.
