A Silver Lining

I have discovered an upside to the current weather in Hanoi: blue sky!

Yesterday I was driving home by West Lake, an area that on even the grayest of days is far more appealing than the majority of the city's dust, construction and never ending line of xe mays, and could not help but be in awe of the brilliant blue backdrop and clouds so white and fluffy they looked like marshmallows just waiting to be plucked from their place in the sky. It was a scene from a postcard---not a Vietnamese postcard because those are all rather silly but the general idea of what a postcard should be---that would be considered legitimately beautiful in any country. I was shocked to see a mountain in the distance. I have never, in my 11-month stay in Hanoi, seen even the hint of the outline of this mountain. Suddenly yesterday, with a clear sky, mountains are just appearing in the skyline. Again I repeat, I was in awe. While I could not catch the distant nature, I do have a few examples for you of how enchanting a city can be:

Who knew Hanoi could look like this?! I definitely did not. Turns out there is always a silver lining, even to record-breaking tropical heat.