Hanoi Night Market
The Perfect Birthday Finale
📍Hanoi, Vietnam
"At the night market, please!" I answered the guide when he asked where to drop me off. He made a face and said, "Really?!" as if surprised that I still had energy after the busy day in Ha Long Bay. But I didn't want this day to end yet.
I got off the bus and immediately entered the bustle of the Old Quarter. In the evening, Hanoi comes to life. Colorful lanterns everywhere, not as hot as during the day, and the streets are full of people.
The night market is one of the coolest things in the city. On weekends, they close the streets to traffic, and there are lots of stalls, but even mid-week, like today, there's life and all the shops are open.
I wandered through the streets, and all my senses were working overtime - the smells of local food, sweet Vietnamese coffee, and tropical fruits from the stalls. Different music came from each shop, and occasionally I heard the sounds of cutlery and plates from the open restaurants.
When the alarm clock of 9 PM rang, I stopped. This is the time to publish the birthday post, the time to announce to the world that I'm leveling up. I stood at the street corner and simply felt excited.
I realized how much it's not taken for granted that I'm here. In a split second, I revisited all the choices I made in life that brought me here. I understood that it wasn't by chance, it wasn't something that "happened to me", it was something I had to take responsibility for and make happen, and I woke up just in time.
I continued wandering while hunger began to gnaw again. And here I am again in the same situation of a mouse maze, looking for the perfect cheese. Where will I sit? Where will I go? I passed by a variety of places - restaurants full of tourists with menus in English, small food stalls with low stools, and local restaurants with menus in Vietnamese only.
And then I saw it. A small bar up the street, somewhat hidden from the bustle of the market. I was drawn to it like a magnet. Through the large windows, I saw the dimmed and inviting atmosphere, and from outside, I heard music that struck me - techno music! Not just any techno music, but exactly the kind I love, the kind I haven't heard for a long time.
I found an amazing bar with a DJ, cheap bar food, and excellent cocktails! The atmosphere was dim and pleasant, far from the hustle of the market outside. I went in, sat at a high table, and ordered a pizza and a cocktail.
After the waiter served me the food, it just burst out of me: "It's my birthday today!" The waiter looked confused. He hesitated before saying "Happy birthday" as if trying to remember what to say about such a thing, and in English.
I wanted to stay there forever, but my phone battery was about to run out. Despite having peak energy, I felt that it might be better to head home. I just didn't want this day to end.
When I got up to pay the bill (a habit that stayed with me from Australia), the girl behind the register placed it in front of me and said, "Wait!"
I immediately stepped back because I thought maybe it wasn't my bill, and I was pushing into the waiters' area. I know very well it’s the "forbidden zone".
But then my waiter arrived quickly and placed a huge shot next to me, while shouting "Happy birthday!"
"Is this for me??" I was stunned because I really didn't expect anything. And before I knew it, all the waiters and bartenders gathered around me, including the bar manager who had been sitting comfortably all evening, all smiling and happy with me.
The waiter took out a lighter, and just before he lit the shot, I stopped him.
"Wait, wait! I want to film this!" I shouted and took out my smart glasses. Everyone around me was so excited, and the show began.
He lit the shot and gave me a straw. It's funny that I'm a bartender, but I was never good at such gimmicks. I inserted the straw and drank hot alcohol, I forgot how it feels. On my 3rd attempt, I managed to finish the shot, maybe also because this was the who-knows-how-many drink of my evening, and as mentioned, we're talking about a girl who doesn't drink much anymore.
Everyone cheered when I managed to finish the shot, and I felt 18 again (yes, in Israel that's the legal drinking age). I stayed to talk with the bar manager, and the conversation with him was fascinating.
He's an American who came here for a vacation, and when he encountered the owner of the place, she offered him to stay here and manage the bar. How amazing is that! These are situations we're used to seeing in movies, and here life is more spontaneous and more amazing than any movie.
I told him about my experience behind the bar and mentioned that I liked the cocktails. He breathed a sigh of relief and said he was happy he met my expectations. We laughed together.
I was a bit disappointed that I only discovered this place tonight, and I'm leaving Hanoi in two days and moving to Da Nang, otherwise, I would have spent much more time in this bar.
This is the Hanoi I love. Not the hustle of the day, not the crazy traffic and scooters going in all directions. But rather this one - the calm, the intimate, with a smile and patience, with an energy of joy of life.
A birthday is a time for insights, but I think I needed to go through the amazing cruise to arrive at exactly this moment, on a street corner in Hanoi, when I'm simply standing and marveling at the life I've chosen for myself.
There's something special about spending a birthday away from home, in a foreign city. I celebrate myself, truly, without external expectations, without familiar schemas. Just me and the world.
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