Les Go to Long Bien Bridge

There’s this faraway land in Hanoi called Long Bien. Though only a hop-skip-jump away from the Old Quarter, it’s a long hop-skip-jump. If we’re being honest I’ve only ever been there to watch a Vietnamese LGBT film (Madam Phung’s Last Journey) at a hippy-dippy French compound. It sounds much more interesting now that I think about it. So, Les Go to Long Bien Bridge!

The Bridge

The bridge itself is an iconic symbol in Hanoi. Its rustic charm blends nicely into the rustic reality of the city. It’s reserved only for pedestrians and motorbikes which is the one thing that actually makes sense in Hanoi when it comes to traffic. Periodically the train runs through the middle which I’m sure may not be the safest seeing that the bridge looks ancient.

The bridge was actually designed by the same man who gifted the world with the Eiffel Tower. It was designed during the French occupation of Vietnam and constructed entirely by local Vietnamese people. I guess you could say it serves as a sore reminder to an occupied past. During the American war it was bombed several times but has perserved through and through.

To get a killer view of the bridge, we went to Serein Cafe and Lounge. The interior fits nicely to the theme of 1920’s railroad. However, the Vietnamese trap music blasating from the speakers threw me off. If you can handle the blazing sun, I’d recommend going to the tip-top for the best view. It’s also a nice social experiement watching all the people take “candid” photos for the ‘gram.

You can also watch the tourist as they attempt to walk the length of the bridge. It’s not that the bridge is the longest but it’s hot as balls and it’s Hanoi. So there’s motorbikes zippin by and who knows what whippin through the air. They’re prolly teetering near the edge of the bridge and sanity by the time they make it to the other side.

If you look at the surroundings of the bridge, it intersects the mosaic mural that runs along the Red River. It’s the longest mosaic mural in the world, or some shit. But seriously though, it’s beautiful. I drive past it every day on my way from work and I’ll almost crash because I get lost in it. The intricate detail that went into that is astounding. And compared to how got damn filthy Hanoi is that wall is sparklin’!

As we sipped our coffee and watched the train glide past, we realized we should get home before the rain came. Did we beat the rain? Nope. I’d venture to say one hasn’t lived until they’ve ridden a motorbike in the rain sans raincoat in Hanoi.

Because my girldfirend bought such a ridiculous purchase for our foster pup, we have to walk her while it’s raining.