Vietnam - Buzzing Bees

For the most part of April, Luke and I holidayed in Vietnam.  We decided to travel Vietnam due to Australia's links throughout the Vietnam War.  I wanted to pay my respects to all those who suffered during the war, and especially pay my respects to the Vietnamese as it was a war that we should not have participated in.  And of course, Asia is relatively cheap to travel for all Australians. 

Over the next couple of blog postings, I will write about the aspects of Vietnam that I found fascinating, moving, beautiful and culturally different.  The aspect of Vietnam that shocked me first, from the moment I exited the airport, was the traffic.  

Approximately 90% of the population in Saigon ride around on motorcycles (as pictured above).  Very few follow any road rule.  One of the most paramount road rules - stopping at a red light - is not even obeyed.  I'm not kidding when I say that these motorcycles were everywhere.  I remember waking at 3am and still hearing them buzzing around the streets. Saigon does not rest. 

Furthermore, aside from not obeying any road rules, there is no observance of health and safety on the road.  As you can see above, they are willing to carry anything on their motorcycle.  One day we had a guide and I asked him what the death toll was on their roads, and he responded with a factual tone, '40 a day, mostly motorcyclists'.  There is certainly a pecking order on the roads - trucks, buses, cars, motorcycles and cyclists, respectively.  

After a couple of days, the traffic became the norm.  We quickly learnt to cross the road - well we had to really, if we wanted to get anywhere.  We learnt that the trick is to walk straight onto the road and keep walking.  Don't change your pace.  And certainly don't hesitate.  The motorcyclists go around you.  Whilst in Saigon we even made it across the round-a-bout - it was an important achievement.

On many occasions, I witnessed whole families on one bike.  The picture above is hilarious to me because the boy on the back is reading his novel.  He is not concerned at all about holding on.  There were even times when I saw babies asleep in their mother's arms.

The traffic literally never stopped.  Some on the wrong side of the road, some on their mobile phones, some driving on the footpath, some coming to a standstill in peek hour, and some holding hands - but always buzzing.