Hanoi is for Motorscooters

 Wow oh wow.  

Our first morning here in Hanoi, and boy howdy, it’s a fire hose of sensations.  The city is remarkably clean, people are super friendly, and things are hopping.  There are people walking all over the place, and cars, sure, but the biggest group are the motorscooters.  They are ubiquitous, fearless and used to carry not just the driver but entire families, produce, boxes, furniture and more.   Frankly, the driving skills of the Hanoi citizens are remarkable as they must navigate super skinny spots, weave between cars and people and stop on a dime.  Nerves of steel.  I’ve seen people riding sidesaddle, checking their phone while driving, balancing tall and heavy loads.   People walk across the traffic equally fearlessly.  The trick is to walk with purpose and not stop.  I know it sounds awful but it is just fascinating!!  Sometimes they are parked soo

Karen saw one carrying what looks like 1/2 a side of beef!!  They use them to prepare street food.  I could go on.  

Today is Saturday and the roads around some of the downtown lakes are closed to traffic and we walked around one of them this morning which was a delight!  People in their Sunday best, posing with flowers in their arms and watching the world go by.  Multiple times we were stopped by school children who wanted to practice their English, and had some delightful chats! These kids speak exceptionally good English and were astounded that Karen and Libby live in the land of cold and snow.