Memorable moment: Crossing the street in Vietnam
Dateline: 11 September 2010.
We’d spent the greater part of the day (and the night before) flying from Melbourne to Ho Chi Minh City. It’s a trip which should only take about nine hours…but we had, for reasons not entirely well-thought-through, taken a circuitous route from Melbourne to Bangkok, Bangkok to Hanoi, Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. Look it up on a map…that route made no sense at all…
Anyway, we were all tired, but keen to get out and explore the city, especially as this was our first ever taste of Vietnam. So, after a quick swim in the hotel pool, we hit the streets to walk to a restaurant recommended by a couple of ladies in the pool.
Straight off, at the very first intersection, we realised we weren’t in Kansas anymore. Crossing the street in Vietnam is like an extreme sport. The traffic was manic. Motorbikes, scooters, taxis, cars and trucks…all with a total disregard for road rules. Pulling out into oncoming traffic? Of course! Across roundabouts? No reason why not. Ducking and swerving around stationary objects? De rigueur.
Click here for all my previous posts about Vietnam in one easy-to-access location.
