After spending 2-3 comfortable days at Jyotiba’s place in Hanoi, it was time to start my real journey. The safety net was about to disappear, and I was heading south into the unknown.
Exploring Hanoi
Before leaving the city completely, I decided to explore Hanoi properly. Walking through the bustling streets, I got my first real taste of Vietnamese city life – the endless stream of motorbikes, street vendors calling out in Vietnamese, and the organized chaos that somehow just works. It was overwhelming but exciting at the same time.
The traffic was something else entirely. Coming from Indian roads, I thought I’d seen it all, but Vietnamese traffic has its own rhythm. Motorbikes weaving between cars, people carrying impossible loads on two wheels, and somehow everyone just flows together like a river.
The Search for Shelter
As evening approached and I moved further south from Hanoi, reality hit hard. This wasn’t like booking a hotel room or staying with a friend anymore – I was completely on my own, cycling through unfamiliar territory with no plan for the night.
The further I got from the city, the more isolated everything became. Soon I found myself in the outskirts where the city lights faded and the roads became quieter. Finding accommodation became my urgent priority as darkness approached.
But here’s the thing about being in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language – asking for help becomes a real challenge. People looked at me curiously, but communication was nearly impossible. I was basically miming “sleep” and pointing at my tent, hoping someone would understand.
An Unexpected Solution
Just when I was starting to worry about spending the night on the roadside, I spotted a parking area. Not ideal, but at least it was some kind of organized space. I started looking around for whoever might be in charge of the place.
Eventually, I found the owner, and somehow through gestures and broken English, I managed to explain my situation. To my surprise, this complete stranger was genuinely happy to help. He showed me a spot where I could set up my tent and even invited me to join him.
Now, I’ll be honest – part of me wondered about safety. Here I was, alone with all my belongings, in a foreign country with someone I’d just met. But sometimes you have to trust your instincts, and this guy seemed genuinely kind.
Railway Track Adventure
I decided to play it safe and stayed in my tent with all my gear inside. But here’s where the story gets interesting – when I looked around the next morning, I realized I had pitched my tent literally 2 meters from an active railway track.
Two meters. That’s about six feet between me and trains thundering past.
The sound was incredible. All night long, trains would come roaring past, and each time it felt like the ground was shaking. The whoosh of air, the clatter of wheels on tracks, the occasional horn – it was like sleeping inside a sound effects studio.
My host was amazing though. He arranged food for me and even offered alcohol, which was such a warm gesture. Despite the language barrier, his hospitality was crystal clear.
The next morning, as I packed up my tent with trains still rumbling past, I realized this was exactly the kind of experience I’d hoped for when I started this journey. Uncomfortable, uncertain, but absolutely unforgettable.
As I pedaled away from my railway-side campsite, I couldn’t help but smile. Day one of real adventure travel was complete, and despite all the challenges, I was still in one piece and ready for whatever came next.
This was just the beginning of my Vietnamese adventure, and already it was proving to be everything I’d imagined and nothing like I’d expected.
