The Adventures of Brian & Julia

OK, I’ll admit it. There have been moments on this trip when I’ve wondered if it was a good idea. Moments when scary bathrooms, weird food, and creepy crawlies have gotten the best of me, and I’ve asked myself why, if it was travel I wanted, I couldn’t have at least picked somewhere with smaller bugs.

And then there have been the other kind of moments, when it dawns on me that I am really and truly exploring the other side of the planet. Moments when I know, unequivocally, that what I am seeing and hearing right then will stay with me for the rest of my life.

The last few days were filled with so many moments of this second type that I suspect, when I get to be an old lady and I squint wistfully off into the sunset (as I imagine I might), I will likely be picturing the beautiful, alien landscape of Ha Long Bay.
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What can we say about a city as frenetic as Hanoi? From the moment we arrived, we knew Delhi had a serious contender for the title of most overwhelming big city of our trip. The narrow streets of Hanoi’s old quarter bustle with shops, tourists, bia hoi (cheap Vietnamese beer) joints, street vendors and above all else SCOOTERS. The city is absolutely overrun with them, and they veer screamingly fast through even the narrowest streets and alleyways. As every sidewalk is blocked with endless rows of parked scooters, pedestrians are forced to contend with them in the streets. Right-of-way is determined by size (and audacity) here, with foot traffic yielding to every vehicle. Simply crossing the street is often an exercise in bravery (or stupidity?), but there is some technique to it. Just wait for a lull in the flow of traffic, and slowly and steadily wade through, trusting in the agility and mercy of the onslaught of scootists to weave around you. After a few successful crossings, we even refined our system by crossing in the wake of a yoke-laden street vendor, which you never have to wait long for.
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