{"id":74,"date":"2025-01-21T13:11:49","date_gmt":"2025-01-21T12:11:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travel.thatmanmatt.com\/?p=74"},"modified":"2025-01-22T09:53:12","modified_gmt":"2025-01-22T08:53:12","slug":"day-2-chaos-energy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/travel.thatmanmatt.com\/index.php\/2025\/01\/21\/day-2-chaos-energy\/","title":{"rendered":"Day 2: Chaos Energy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I slept for about ten hours last night and stilll needed a nap this afternoon. But I\u2019m nearly synced. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think Hanoi lives off chaos. It\u2019s a city for turning chaos into air pollution. How people get from A to B is just a factor of staying exactly on the line between chaos and calamity. At the same time there\u2019s a literal balancing act going on with the 80 litres of wine or 120cm maxi-bonsai tree or four cubic metres of socks being carried on the back of each moped. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I saw it go wrong<\/em>. Nothing serious, maybe a busted indicator and a grazed hand. Fortunately the bus behind the guy who came off stopped. But since it generally feels faster to walk<\/em> places, it\u2019s clear nobody is going that fast in the first place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

T\u1ebft 2025<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Maybe I mentioned it already. The lunar new year happens 29th January, and everybody is preparing. Most noticeably, young Vietnamese are taking a lot of photos in traditional dress. It\u2019s fun to watch and they take it very seriously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elsewhere loads of places are decorated (red, obviously) and the streets of the old town are doing rapid business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I was talking to the guy running a bar near my hotel and he said that since the pandemic, T\u1ebft has become a bit more insular <\/em>or closed off<\/em>. Where before people would spend the days visiting absolutely everyone they know, now they just do relatives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One anecdote does not make the truth, and I\u2019ll be in a much smaller city when it happens, so let\u2019s see. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photo dump<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
\"\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>
Pavements are for parking your moped, not walking. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>
Flag Tower at the former Hanoi Citadel.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>
Gate at the Temple of Literature.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>
Dragon statue at the Temple of Literature.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>
Seats for children, except they\u2019re for adults.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>
I just like the framing of this clothing store. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>
Street sweeper removing leaves. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>
(Rather distant) view of the \u201cTurtle Tower\u201d in Hoan Kiem Lake. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n
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I slept for about ten hours last night and stilll needed a nap this afternoon. But I\u2019m nearly synced. I think Hanoi lives off chaos. It\u2019s a city for turning chaos into air pollution. How people get from A to B is just a factor of staying exactly on the line between chaos and calamity. […]<\/p>\n

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