Scooter Nation

Before Cindy’s friend Katie arrived this afternoon we
decided to put Trey in the front pack and venture out
to the park we saw down the street.

We had to cross an extremely busy intersection to get
to there. I felt like the human version of Frogger.
The traffic never stops and stop lights are apparently
optional in Vietnam. So crossing the street is an
unnerving game of chicken. The trick is to start
walking and not stop.

I didn’t realize that I was holding my breath till we
got to the other side and I exhaled!

There are cars and trucks here, of course, but the
primary mode of transportation is a scooter. We’ve
seen families of 4 and 5 all on one scooter. Usually
the dad is driving, the mom is behind him holding an
infant in her arms with one or two toddlers perched on
the handlebars.

There are so many of them that sometimes the streets
overflow and they come up onto the sidewalk. The best
way I can think of to describe them is that when the
traffic starts up the scooters are like a tidal wave.
They pour forth and don’t stop, they just kind of flow
around any obstacles in their way.

The interesting thing is that no one ever seems to
mind. They honk all the time, but it’s to let other
drivers know where they are rather than to express
their displeasure at how anyone else is driving.

In addition to driving on the streets there are
scooters parked all over the sidewalks. Often I’ll see
men perched on them, or reclining back on one like
it’s a lazy boy. Last night I saw two men spread out
sleeping on a row of scooters.

Kate arrived safe and sound. Cindy has a little more
paperwork to complete and we leave tomorrow for the
beach for 6 days! We are going to a resort on the
South China Sea. We’ve reserved a bungalow on the
beach, it looks like paradise. Hopefully they have
internet connection, otherwise you may not hear from
me for awhile.

Till then, stay warm, I’ll be thinking of all of you
as I lounge on the beach!

Peace-
Sandy