"Tampa_Shawn In Hanoi Vietnam" a Hanoi Travel Page by tampa_shawn

Hanoi is amazing. It’s total chaos with tons of energy. It's really a city of contrasts. Rice paddies dotted with billboard advertisements... fantastic European looking gardens, communist block-houses with a French flair (think New Orleans).

The street life is amazing. Pedicabs, bikes and motorcycles EVERYWHERE. Crossing the road is a bit like playing Frogger, the old video game. We already found out that you’re supposed to keep on walking the same pace to cross the street and the traffic mergers around you. I feel a bit like a large moving rock in a class 5 rapid. We were in a pedicab during rush hour today and it was so great. Pedicabs are a bit like a rickshaw except you’re in front of the driver, not behind. Driving through that traffic that way was such a blast. Families of five on little motorcycles are commonplace, horns blasting all the time...what fun! It’s like stepping into another amazing world.

We're off having yet another exciting day in Vietnam.

We got up at 5 AM today to see the city come alive and do Tia Chi and flag dancing in Lennon Park. Gill didn't join in the fun, but I did, and the locals really got a kick out of me and all came up and shook my hand afterward. The park was filled with people exercising and playing badminton. It was so much fun to be there and be part of it. It was all done by 7:20 AM and our sleepy little city had turned into the mad exciting dash that is Hanoi.

This morning, we also came across a group of elders singing in front of a temple so we stopped to listen. They wanted me to take a group picture of them so I did with me in the middle towering over everyone. They gave me their address so I will need to mail them a copy of the picture when I get back.

The people here are wonderful and the energy of the place is just amazing. We spend the day saying, 'Come on' which is how you pronounce 'Thank you' in Vietnamese...

I just love this country and I could really see myself living here. It is so much better than I even dreamed it would be. Exotic, safe, fun...AWSOME!

It's not quite lunchtime so we are off for another one of Mr. Toad’s wild rides on a cyclo to see more of Hanoi. There is just no way to describe the traffic here. We actually saw our first red light this morning and we almost took a picture since it is so rare. Imagine thousands and thousands and thousands of bikes and motorcycles on the roads with no stops signs or apparent rules. When you hit an intersection, everyone just keeps on going. On a 4 way intersection on a one or two lane road you may have 100 motorcycles in the intersection at once...all going different directions...about 50% coming straight at you. I really enjoy being on the cyclo (where you sit in FRONT of the driver in a buggy) and are part of it all.