In the center of Hanoi’s bustling Old Quarter, the French-built train tracks have grow to be a preferred spot for tourists searching for the proper Instagram selfie and for café owners serving hot coffee and cold beer.
While picturesque, also they are dangerous: the tracks are still in use and on most days visitors must seek safety because the every day train passes through the narrow streets.
But for a lot of, the joys of escaping a speeding train is an element of the appeal.
“It was amazing, but in the identical sense terrifying, slightly overwhelming, that we were so near the train,” Australian tourist Michelle Richards told AFP.
The tracks were built by France’s former colonial rulers, who used the railways to move goods and folks through Vietnam – then a part of Indochina, together with Laos and Cambodia.
During the Vietnam War, parts of the railway were severely damaged by American bombs that fell on the communist-ruled north.
Today, the unique subway tracks are still a way of transportation for tourists and travelers searching for a less expensive option.
However, over the past few years, visitors to Hanoi have been benefiting from their photography opportunities.
Lined with houses and cafes, the tracks offer a novel charm for aspiring travel photographers and business opportunities for makeshift cafe owners who’ve arrange shop.
“It has a really strange charm. Flowers hang from the balconies, the buildings are very old and close to each other. You see people living close to the train tracks,” Edward, a tourist from Hong Kong, Tsim said.
As the train comes into view, everyone clears the tracks and takes out their phones to capture the scene.
“I felt like I used to be waiting for Christmas… and when it got here, wow, it was something different,” said British tourist Paul Hardiman.
“Worth the wait.”
Source : Jakarta Post Office | AFP
