Vietnam: Streets of Hanoi

Vietnam is a popular trip among the expat crowd in Singapore, and from what I had heard Hanoi was supposed to be less hectic and more charming than Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon). Even so, I found Hanoi's old quarter pretty frenzied with its jumble of motorbikes, people, and goods. There is actually often a sidewalk, but it has become parking and extra retail space, so that you often have to step out onto the street to get to the next stall.

The easiest way for me to cross the street was to grab OD's arm and close my eyes (if I opened them I would hesitate in the path of an oncoming motorbike). We soon realized that cars were much more likely to hit you than motorbikes, due to their larger size and limited maneuverability. While perched above one of the main intersections, we only witnessed one minor collision between a motorbike and bicycle -- they both just stood up their bikes and went on their way.

Can you find the toddler on the blue bike crossing with the rest?

The accident

Since most everything in Singapore is pretty pricey, we were ready to shop with an exchange rate in our favor. We got a nice lacquered cup set for the house and I managed to get some work clothes. At one point we went in a mall with chain stores just to check out the prices, and they were pretty much the same as anywhere else. However, the mall, unlike Singapore, was completely empty of customers -- they were all getting deals on the street.

Many of the stalls were still in full swing late into the evening, and some had so many goods piled up onto the street that we wondered if the shopkeepers ever actually packed them up or if they just camped out over night to watch their merchandise. To our surprise though, when were returned from the train station at 6 in the morning, the streets were quiet and empty.