In the Hang Bong area of Hanoi, just off Tran Phu, you can find a railway track cutting through a small oasis of daily life where mothers are cooking or washing, children are playing and others are just watching the time pass by. I named it ‘Railway Alley’ to hoping emphasize the contrast of such a small confined area.
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As a tourist you are not going to search out Railway Alley unless you are really looking to see how people are living and for sure you won’t find it on any map. Ask a taxi driver to take you to the sights of Hanoi and you can be certain that he will not even think of taking you to such a place. Locals and tourists alike will pass by the gateway to this oasis without noticing its existence, however, if you by chance did come to venture into Railway Alley you would find that it oozes life, has its own unique charm and presents an overwhelming abundance of photo opportunities of families living literally on a busy railway track in a way that could not be thought possible in the western world.
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As you make your way down Railway Alley witnessing the daily life that goes on, you will notice meals being cooked, mothers washing cloths and young children playing crossing the track at will without a second thought. The alley is lined with dwellings of multiple levels each having a balcony where cloths are hung out to dry. The balconies being are so close together one could easily imagine that it would be possible to reach out and touch the passing train as it rolls by.
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Eventually the train arrives after a loud warning of its pending danger and it is only at this point does one appreciate the true reality of this location. There is hardly any space to stand either side of the track as the train passes and your only choice is to huddle in the nearest doorway.
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After a moment the train has gone and life once again resumes its normal pattern.