Exploring a regular area instead of a tourist one

I needed to take a breather after so much new information and change, so today I decided not to go anywhere, but just take a walk around the local neighborhood, drop by the store, and get some work done. And that's exactly what I did. It was interesting to stumble upon a mini-lake and a wide street that revealed a different side — the modern face of Vietnamese life. That’s also where, for the first time, someone helped me cross the road — and not just anyone, but an old grandmother :)

After the store, I came across a Buddhist temple, where I filmed a bunch of videos because it was so beautiful, and some sort of “abbot” kept circling around, showing off all the charms of the place :) Pleased with the visit, I calmed my nerves a bit and was no longer afraid to move to a new hotel, thus marking the beginning of the journey.

Sometimes, it’s precisely these quiet days away from tourist attractions that allow you to feel the true atmosphere of the country. Street vendors, kids playing, the smell of street food — all of it creates an authentic picture of everyday life that you’re unlikely to see in touristy areas.

I wandered through narrow alleyways where small metal shutters hid homes with open doors — life was buzzing inside: someone was grilling pancakes over coals, someone was sitting right on the doorstep in pajamas playing with a cat. Almost every house had a scooter, sometimes two or three, parked close together. And of course — plastic chairs in the brightest colors, where locals sat sipping condensed milk coffee or lotus tea.

A man passed by me carrying an entire mobile noodle stall on his bike — pots were steaming, and the fragrant broth tickled my nose. Across the street, they were selling banh mi — Vietnamese baguettes with meat, vegetables, and spicy sauces. A bit further down, there was a stall where a man was manually peeling pineapples, turning them into perfect spirals.

I noticed how children, after school, were proudly pushing their bikes, and some even managed to hold a juice bag with a straw in one hand. Even the traffic here feels alive and organic — a kind of chaos that somehow works.

This day reminded me why I travel — not for postcards and excursions, but for moments of real life. To catch the gaze of a vendor, hear someone tapping on a pot lid, feel the scent of mango in the heat, and just exist — in the flow of a foreign, yet suddenly so familiar world.