Hanoi is hot. Sticky hot. Over 40C with the humidity. Between that and my jet lag, I haven’t done much exploring yet.

After arriving at the airport, we met up with the contact we’d arranged to get us through customs quicker. It likely saved us at least an hour, maybe more. Well worth the modest sum it cost us.

Immigration was a breeze. We handed over our passports, and after a brief, bored inspection, they were stamped with our visas. Thence to the baggage carousel for the long wait for our checked bags. Once they finally arrived, the customs officer waived us through his checkpoint with hardly a glance.

We found our greeter at the appointed location, which was outside the terminal. Our first encounter with the heat. Thankfully the driver’s vehicle was air-conditioned. I

t was a long, twisting journey from the airport to our hotel, and it gave us our first glimpse of Vietnamese traffic. I have never seen so many mopeds and scooters in my life, all weaving past and around each other and the larger vehicles, themselves threading their way through intersections like schools of fish. Everyone on their phones. Many of the scooters with no mirrors to see what’s behind them.

The sidewalks are lined with parked scooters, so much so that pedestrians are forced to walk on the road. It’s a strange world for someone who’s spent an inordinate amount of time working in road safety in North America. And yet, it seems to work for the people here.

Never mind the lane markings! Never mind the traffic signals, or quaint ideas about right of way! Everybody goes with the flow, joins the dance of trucks and cars and scooters and pedestrians, gets where they’re going.

It only took about 25 hours, give or take, to get from our place on the other side of the world to our hotel. After we’d showered (or bathed, in Adele’s case) we had a short nap before venturing back out into the heat in search of dinner. Rare beef pho for me, lemongrass chicken for Adele, and a fried Vietnamese crepe filled with beef, veggies and vermicelli.

And now, after a short post-meal wander, we’re back in our hotel to try to catch up on our sleep, and recharge our various devices. Back at it tomorrow. Anon.