Last night Viet Nam celebrated the Reunification of the country or Liberation of Saigon OR as my hotel receptionist eloquently put it "Tonight we celebrate the kick-out of the Americans war" I hadn't planned it out particularly to be here in Hanoi for it, but apparently this place has the biggest celebration and I believe it! I have NEVER in my life experienced such crowds and noise and firework shows all over the city that seriously made any 4th of July fireworks I've ever seen at home look really sad.
I met up with some foreigners who have been living here teaching English at the Bia Ha Noi Junction - a corner in the Old Quarter where you can sit on a stool on the sidewalk and sample a fresh brew of the local beer Bia Ha Noi. It was interesting to hear the perspective of people living in this mad city for 5 months and nice to hear that even after that long you don't get used to the traffic and the crazy motobikers honking at you.
We were lucky to find a balcony cafe to escape the street and wait out the mass exodus after the fireworks. on street level all the motos are just honking like crazy with a wall of people in front of them and you wonder - WHY are you honking?? You are not going to get anywhere! Total madness and quite the experience.
Awesome! My brothers birthday is the 4th of July...I'll think of your experience witnessing the Hanoi Reunification celebration the next time we fire off a block-party-pack of fireworks to celebrate his birthday.
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