Day 1 โ Leaving Indonesia and Arriving in Vietnam
Today was the day that I ha
d been waiting for. After weeks of preparation, packing my belongings, and making sure that everything was ready, the day of our backpacking journey to Vietnam had finally arrived. I felt a mixture of excitement, nervousness, and curiosity because this would be my first experience backpacking in another country. I knew that this journey would be very different from an ordinary vacation because we had to live independently with limited facilities and learn to adapt to a completely new environment.
At around 11:30 PM, all of us gathered at the airport with our luggage. Before entering the departure area, we spent a few final moments with our parents. It was time to say goodbye, and although we knew we would only be away for a while, it still felt emotional. My parents reminded me to always take care of myself, pray on time, stay healthy, and look after my friends. After saying goodbye and asking for their prayers, we entered the immigration area together. From that moment, I realized that our backpacking adventure had officially begun.
The immigration process went smoothly. Even though there were many people at the airport, everything was well organized. After passing through immigration and the security check, we waited near our departure gate. While waiting, everyone looked excited. Some of my friends were talking about what they wanted to do in Vietnam, while others were taking pictures to capture the beginning of our journey. I also spent some time looking outside the large airport windows, watching airplanes take off one by one. Seeing them made me even more excited because soon we would be flying to another country.
At around 1:50 AM, we were finally allowed to board the airplane. We found our seats, stored our backpacks, fastened our seat belts, and waited for departure. The atmosphere inside the cabin was calm. Some passengers immediately closed their eyes because it was already very late at night, while others were still chatting quietly with their friends. I looked out of the airplane window, thinking about how this journey would become one of the most memorable experiences of my life.
At approximately 2:10 AM, the airplane began to move toward the runway. A few moments later, it accelerated and finally took off into the night sky. Watching the city lights slowly disappear beneath the clouds was an unforgettable feeling. Everything looked smaller and smaller until all I could see was darkness outside the window. At that moment, I felt grateful because I had the opportunity to join this backpacking program and experience something completely new.
During the flight, most of us tried to get some sleep because we knew we would have a long day after arriving in Vietnam. Even though sleeping on an airplane was not the most comfortable experience, I managed to rest for a while. Occasionally, I woke up and looked outside the window. The view was mostly dark since we were flying before sunrise, but it still felt amazing to realize that we were traveling between countries high above the clouds.
After several hours in the air, the airplane finally landed safely in Vietnam at around 6:00 AM. Everyone looked excited as we prepared to leave the aircraft. As soon as I stepped out of the plane and entered the airport terminal, I realized that I was finally in another country. It felt strange but exciting at the same time because everything around me looked different, from the language written on the signs to the people walking through the airport.
Our first activity after arriving was collecting our luggage from the baggage claim area. We waited patiently until our suitcases appeared on the conveyor belt. Everyone carefully checked that they had picked up the correct luggage because we would need all of our belongings for the next several days. Fortunately, all of our bags arrived safely without any problems.
After everyone had collected their luggage, we walked together to the meeting point outside the airport. From there, we had to wait for the vehicle that would take us to our accommodation. We waited for about 30 minutes, and while waiting, we had our first opportunity to observe Vietnam more closely. I noticed that the weather already felt quite warm, even though it was still morning. I also saw many people riding motorcycles, something that would later become a very common sight throughout our stay in Hanoi.
When our transportation finally arrived, we quickly loaded all of our luggage into the vehicle before continuing our journey to the accommodation. The trip took around 20 minutes. During the drive, I spent most of my time looking out of the window because I wanted to see as much of Vietnam as possible. The roads were busy with motorcycles and cars, and I noticed that many of the buildings were tall but narrow. The streets looked different from those in Indonesia, giving me my first real impression of Hanoi.
After arriving at our accommodation, we immediately unloaded our luggage. We were then divided into three different accommodation groups, with each group staying in a separate place. After knowing which accommodation I would stay in, I brought my belongings inside and started organizing my things. Even though the room was simple and had limited space, I knew this was part of the backpacking experience. We were not staying in luxury hotels, but instead learning how to live simply and appreciate everything we had.
Once we finished arranging our luggage and making the room comfortable enough, we decided not to stay inside for too long. Together with my friends and our mentors, we went outside to explore the area around our accommodation. We did not travel very far because it was our first day, but walking around the neighborhood already gave us many new experiences.
As we explored, I paid close attention to everything around me. The streets were full of motorcycles, local shops, cafรฉs, and people going about their daily routines. Everything felt new because it was completely different from what I was used to seeing in Indonesia. I also noticed that many buildings in Hanoi were very tall but narrow. They stood closely together, creating a unique view that I had never seen before.
One thing that immediately caught my attention was the weather. My very first impression of Vietnam was that it was extremely hot. Even though we were walking during the day, I could barely feel any wind. It felt as if the air was trapped between the rows of tall buildings. I even thought that perhaps the narrow streets and closely packed buildings blocked most of the wind, making the weather feel hotter than expected. After walking for quite some time, I was already sweating, but I still enjoyed every moment because everything around me was completely new.
We continued exploring until around 8:00 PM. Although we did not visit any famous tourist attractions on our first day, simply walking around the neighborhood was already enough to make me feel excited. It gave me the opportunity to experience the atmosphere of Hanoi, observe the local lifestyle, and slowly adapt to a new environment. Every street, every building, and every small shop made me even more curious about what else Vietnam had to offer during the rest of our backpacking journey.
When it became dark, we returned to our accommodation. Everyone looked tired after such a long day. We had traveled from Indonesia, gone through immigration, flown for several hours, waited for transportation, organized our belongings, and explored the area around our accommodation. Even though it was exhausting, it was also one of the happiest days because our long-awaited backpacking journey had finally begun.
After returning, we cleaned ourselves up and prepared for bed. Some of us talked about our first impressions of Vietnam before going to sleep. We shared our thoughts about the weather, the unique buildings, the busy streets, and how different everything felt compared to Indonesia. Finally, at around 10:30 PM, we went to bed. As I closed my eyes, I felt grateful for arriving safely in Vietnam. I was excited for everything that would happen in the coming days, knowing that this was only the beginning of an unforgettable backpacking adventure.