Vietnam feels amazingly alive!
So many things take place out on the sidewalk, like haircuts or family dinners. Small motorbikes dominate traffic and they move not 1 but often 3 or more people. The really skillful ladies ride side-saddle, many girl’s helmets have cutouts for pony tails. Other bikers move voluminous loads instead. Seeing full-size fridges, huge stacks of flowers or building materials on a bike is pretty much the norm.
At the same time, traffic flows like water. Drivers may honk but they let other mopeds join traffic by just going around them. The honking feels not like “hey why are you cutting in front of me” but rather “hey come join the procession”.
As first time visitors we had to literally learn how to cross the street. Hint: it involves pretending to be confident and slowly wade through while motorcycles flow around you.
Similarly, we took a tour with Jack Tran in Hoi An and learned how the locals water the gardens, throw traditional fishing nets, and ride on a water buffalo.
Another highlight was joining the flood of 2-wheelers and seeing busy Saigon from the back of a motorcycle with XO tours. They took us from one sight to another, zipping through traffic like no tour bus ever could. We got to try delicious, iced sugar cane juice, local desserts, and fresh rambutans and mangosteens.
Such great memories!
