Walking to 'Train Street' - Hanoi, Vietnam | Part One

Today we attempt to navigate the busy streets of Hanoi to reach 'Train Street'.
The railway was built by the French colonists in 1902. It cuts through the heart of Hanoi and connects the Vietnamese capital with the rest of the country. From north to south, it stretches 2.652 km, but it is only on two short stretches, each of a few hundred meters, where you can sit at arm’s length to the train tracks.
The special thing about Train Street is that the street functions (almost) like any other street in the old town. With small shops, coffee shops, and everyday life. Here, families live side by side with trains rumbling through their front yard every day. Parents pull their playful children to the side, chickens and dogs are chased off the tracks, and laundry flutters on the balcony as the long caravan of train cars rolls by.
⏱️Time Stamps⏱️
00:00 - Start at a coffee shop in Hanoi, near the fake flower sellers
05:09 - Big market place. The people were not happy with me there. I later heard its wholesale only
10:37 - Creepy Laneway
12:36 - Restaurant Laneway. Local people cooking and serving all kinds of food
16:55 - Finally found the train line. Some interesting murals and art depicting Vietnam and its history
18:20 - Bird Cafe. Locals order coffee / food to chat and watch the little birds.
22:18 - Still following the train line, looking for an entry point
23:45 - Someone's funeral. Preparing flowers and showing solidarity
25:22 - We finally find a staircase to go up to the track