Hanoi, Part 2: These Sidewalks Aren't Meant for Walking!

Brian and I came to Vietnam with my parents, siblings and their spouses in 1999.  It was Brian's first trip to Asia, and it got off to an inauspicious start - one of our first street crossings ended with Brian getting hit (yes, hit! hard!!) by a moped. It left a pretty impressive bruise, and an indelible memory that Hanoi drivers make Boston drivers look like wusses.  We learned then that traffic, streets, and sidewalks in Hanoi (and much of Vietnam) are nothing like the streets of San Mateo.  Traffic lights mean nothing. Nor do intersections. No one ever has the right of way - it is all about avoiding the others. Honking is more of a way to let someone know you are there - not just to say "get out of my way", except when it does mean that. We can't tell the difference between the two. There are no such things as one-way streets - even when it says it is, and all of the motorcycles are coming one way - ALWAYS look the other way because someone is going to fly down the street (Brian's big mistake).

We arrived into Hanoi at night, having prepped the kids extensively on the trick to crossing the street there - just go. Don't wait for the cars, bikes, mopeds, carts, cyclos, people, etc to stop and let you cross - it will never happen. Just form a line across, walk slowly, and expect that the bigger vehicle (everyone but us) will swerve around us. For the most part, this held true.

One issue that makes walking around Hanoi tough for the uninitiated is that you just can't walk on the sidewalks, so you have to navigate the crazy streets on the street.The sidewalks are wide enough for 3-4 people to walk shoulder to shoulder, but all of Hanoi life takes place there! Here are some of the things we saw that DO happen on Hanoi sidewalks:

• All meals. Tiny chairs and tables are in front of every storefront (most live above their stores), and families sit down in these all day to enjoy meals with family and friends
• Dishwashing. Everyone does their dishes on the sidewalk as they finish their meal. There is water everywhere.
• Inventory storage. Can't fit your stuff in your store? Leave it in boxes in front of your store.
• Scooter/Bike parking. 
• Food selling. Older women selling fruit or desserts will often just sit on the corners and call to you as you walk by. 
• Exercises. Ok, this happens mostly in the early morning hours, but there is lots of Tai Chi around the sidewalks near the lake early in the morning.
• Menu posting. Pretty much every restaurant posts their menu outside so you can determine if you want to eat there - very handy for us. Turns out, almost every restaurant offers pretty much the same food anyways.
• Garbage Dropping. Everyone puts their garbage in a pile in front of their store. Street cleaners (people with brooms and dustpans) 
• come occasionally and pick it up. Interesting idea, but also means lots of garbage everywhere.

Despite the craziness that is Hanoi, we really enjoyed living there off-and-on for almost 2 weeks.  There aren't a lot of great sites to see in Hanoi (see the kids' posts to learn about visiting Uncle Ho), but the city life and bustling nature of the city give it a great vibe. And Brian escaped unscathed this time, so that was just an added bonus!

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