I'll never forget the short walk from our bus drop off that very first evening that we arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam to our hotel. It was the Asia culture shock that we had all been waiting for and the feeling was electric!
The night was lit up with a mix of rooftop restaurant fairy lights; bright, colourful food stall signs, and the golden glow from the cities oldest, gothic Cathedral towering over the square.
We navigated the chaos of motorbikes and kids running around playing Vietnamese hacky sack in the street, just in awe of this lively scene. Vines from massive, centuries-old teak trees hang over the streets, giving it a "city in the jungle" type of feel and it feels as if every resident in the city is out sitting on a little plastic stool, enjoying life together.
It was one of my favourite impressions ever of a new place.