Tuesday, December 28, 2004
Hanoi
Some 'brief' words on this city.
It's insane. There are 2 million motorcycle here, we are told. Maybe 5 million people? I forget. All I know is that the traffic here surpasses anything we've seen yet. Constant blaring horns, exhaust hitting your face, motos zipping by on the road on the sidewalk on which ever side of the road they feel like being on....chaos. Barely restrained. Crossing the street? Yeah, you can. There are crosswalks and a couple traffic signals. Not that they mean much. Basically you just walk, slowly, out into traffic and let the chaos part around you. Don't stop or move quickly because you'll throw off the people driving. Just take your time and try not to freak out. I've adapted quicker than I should have, I think. In fact most times I don't even look before starting to cross (there is no point), I just go. Rachelle is smarter. She hesitates and looks and all that.
It's just crazy though.
That's about it. I think. I am tired again. I think maybe I'll go take a nap. Who's with me??
Tomorrow we are seeing a water puppet show. And Uncle Ho's mausoleum (people ignored his will request to be cremated and stuck him in a building for viewing instead. Respectful, eh? They honored him tremedously in life and revere him in death. Yet they ignored his last request. Hooray for Communism!!) in the AM.
The day after we may do something. Perfume pagoda. yeah, me too.
Friday am we fly out. That night we'll dress up (both looking spiffy. R in her new dress looking fabulous, and me in my new fancy suit [I even have a vest!] looking...uncomfortable.) and probably hang around our fancy hotel enjoying it's fanciness.
Jujubees
It's insane. There are 2 million motorcycle here, we are told. Maybe 5 million people? I forget. All I know is that the traffic here surpasses anything we've seen yet. Constant blaring horns, exhaust hitting your face, motos zipping by on the road on the sidewalk on which ever side of the road they feel like being on....chaos. Barely restrained. Crossing the street? Yeah, you can. There are crosswalks and a couple traffic signals. Not that they mean much. Basically you just walk, slowly, out into traffic and let the chaos part around you. Don't stop or move quickly because you'll throw off the people driving. Just take your time and try not to freak out. I've adapted quicker than I should have, I think. In fact most times I don't even look before starting to cross (there is no point), I just go. Rachelle is smarter. She hesitates and looks and all that.
It's just crazy though.
That's about it. I think. I am tired again. I think maybe I'll go take a nap. Who's with me??
Tomorrow we are seeing a water puppet show. And Uncle Ho's mausoleum (people ignored his will request to be cremated and stuck him in a building for viewing instead. Respectful, eh? They honored him tremedously in life and revere him in death. Yet they ignored his last request. Hooray for Communism!!) in the AM.
The day after we may do something. Perfume pagoda. yeah, me too.
Friday am we fly out. That night we'll dress up (both looking spiffy. R in her new dress looking fabulous, and me in my new fancy suit [I even have a vest!] looking...uncomfortable.) and probably hang around our fancy hotel enjoying it's fanciness.
Jujubees
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