Blogs from Red River Delta, Vietnam, Asia - page 281

Ha Noi walking tour A little shopping and sun Lots of museums. That pretty much sums up Sunday. Claire, Sarah and myself checked out a few sights on Sarah's last full day in Ha Noi. First stop was a visit to the Woman's Museum. Quite an interesting display especially the role that Women had during the Revolution etc. The top floor was basically the "costumes" of the different areas of Viet Nam. To be honest I can't remember what the second floor was all about at this point in time. :) Then we headed towards the Temple of Literature. But not before having lunch at KOTO. I believe that stands for Know one, Teach one. Basically a place where young people are trained in the ways of the restaurant World among other things. I will have ... read more

Hi All.. Everyone OK? Hope So.. So here we are...we thought Bangkok was crazy for traffic but this place tops it by a long stretch.. Never have we seen so many bikes in such a small place, and somebody decided to do away with traffic lights and road markings just to up the stakes.. You literally took your life into your own hands when crossing the road, but it was this or just being satisfied with seeing one side of Hanoi! Somehow though we saw only one small bump in a city where there is no wrong side of the road and no correct direction to take - just hold your horn and go seemed to be the accepted way. If this was in the UK there would be a dozen road rage murders a day ... read more

Ethnography has long been the written form of choice for Sociologists, and so I was excited to learn that the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology was located in Hanoi. My penchant for nerdiness and adventure inspired me to begin my Bicycle Tour of Vietnam by renting a rickety bike and navigating my way to the museum. How tough could 7km be, even if the streets DID seem daunting as a pedestrian. Surely it would be easier to be among the dodgers than the dodged. The trip there took me a little over 2 hours. As it turns out, this tourist destination is more likely to be frequented by bus-boarding tour groups than Henry the Navigator types on bicycles, and marked very well on the map. At any rate, the museum was lovely, and I particularly enjoyed chatting ... read more

For the most part, I spent my first day in Vietnam learning to cross the street. Despite having dodged traffic in a variety of continents, I was surprised by the interpretive ingenuity of road etiquete in Vietnam. I spent the morning on an informal tutorial, following natives up to busy intersections and walking alongside them as they confidently headed directly into the flow of traffic. I stopped on several corners just to take a mental snapshot of a vegetable woman picking her way across the street as motorbikes sped past on either side and a taxi barreled on behind. On narrower passages, pedestrian traffic is forced onto the street, and motorized vehicles dodge and weave in any spaces in between. There are no rules of right or left, only the law of "motorbikes and bicycles dodge ... read more

Happy Monday to all, especially those sitting in work !!! We left boring Vientiane yesterday and took a 50 minute flight to Hanoi in North Vietnam. So sad to leave Laos, the people are amazing. It is ranked 14th poorest country in the world and you can see why when you pass through some of the towns, but the people are so happy and work 7 days a week. Most of them have never left the country......never seen a beach or the sea.......makes you think! Arrived in Hanoi late last night and got a minibus into town. The city is huge (3.5million people). I know a few of you warned me about how mad Vietnam traffic is, but it has to be seen to be believed!!!!! Motorbikes flying across the road in all directions. The trick ... read more