The City is Alive.

 You said you'd like the red one?

Hanoi, Vietnam – Chickens and roosters squawk, perched on scooter pedals. Women, leaning on plastic stools, twirl noisemakers, attempting to drown the constant bark of horns.

Pinwheels spin dizzyingly in front of walls of intricate silk, spun in reds and pinks. Entire stores of locks shout like a brass section.

A couple pops popcorn into a giant bag, as a mustachioed man spins cotton candy from a cart. There is so much to see and hear and smell; it’s sensory overload.

Katrina and I decided to get lost in the city today for the national holiday. Of course, you can't really be lost if you don't have a destination.

We covered the four sections of central Hanoi during a 10-15-kilometre walk that took us to a wet market full of fish, flopping in small buckets; bags of live frogs trying to get a leg up on each other; and mounds of intestine destined to become sausage casings.

Jail birds.

We stumbled upon the massive Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the Presidential Palace after watching swan pedal boats glide across West Lake. In the moment, we found unexpected serenity on its banks. Sometimes, stumbling across things is the best way to see a city.

We were chided by a banana vendor and strolled down heavily treed avenues where branches appeared to lock fingers above us. And, we likely ended up in areas we weren't intended to see.

The angular streets left our compasses spinning, and bent. As we finally approached the ancient quarter, the skies, too, came to life.

The thunder claps: an ovation.

A welcome, now that the real purpose for my visit is about to unfold.