In Vietnam, people watching is an Olympic sport. The world moves so fast. Hanoi is the second largest city in Vietnam: 9 million people, 6 million motorcycles. I saw a mom, dad, their two children, and their dog riding on one last night. A family model, which looks exactly like all the other models.
In Vietnam, crossing the street is an Olympic sport. It’s very important to not let the motorcycles sense your fear. Remember, it’s more afraid of you than you are of it. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. Or, something to that effect.
On my second day, I sat outside a coffee shop as the world went by. You think you love coffee, but come to Vietnam, then you’ll learn everything before was just a childish infatuation. A woman balanced a glass table top on the back of a motorcycle. A few minutes later, a man zipped by with the table’s framework. The guy next to me lectured his girlfriend: How many lorries have you seen pass by? That’s just not how they do things here. Not like in the UK. His girlfriend hummed and sipped her coffee. In between two parked motorcycles, a dad sat on a stool and held his sleeping baby. The baby’s face was pudgy and peaceful. I hope he has a joyful childhood and a long life. When it was time to leave, I ordered a second cup of coffee instead.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to The Long Way Home to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.