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W
hen you make the jump
from sleepy Vientiane to
Hanoi, life becomes more
exciting – whether it’s ad-
justing to the food, or something as sim-
ple as pulling up one of the tiny plastic
chairs that dot the city’s sidewalks.
For some people, mountain climb-
ing gives an adrenaline rush, while for
others, it’s all about bungee jumping;
however, my main thrill now comes
from risking my life every time I cross a
road in Hanoi.
Drivers here won’t stop at a pe-
destrian crossing, no matter how long
you wait. When I arrived I was told
that you’ll never make it across if you
don’t have the courage to step for-
ward and not look back. And that has
proven true. The cars and motorbikes
will all swerve around a crossing pe-
destrian, so long as they move at a
steady pace.
I have also been surprised to see
many older people crossing the street
without drivers stopping to let them
pass. There isn’t the same respect for
the elderly in Hanoi as in Laos.
I often question how anyone with a
weak heart can handle the constant and
stressful presence of motorbike horns.
In Laos using a horn is impolite. Thai
people honk to indicate their approach
or out of frustration, while in the Philip-
pines drivers may use the horn when
they’re in a hurry, but here it seems to
be used at random. And constantly.
What rules?
If you’re not born and bred in the
country, driving can be a serious risk
as most motorists never signal when
they turn. Drivers regularly pull out in
front of you without warning and just a
momentary lapse of concentration can
lead to a serious accident.
A Vietnamese friend told me riding
a bicycle might be safer as it would give
me more control, but I suspect the risk
would be the same – most drivers just
ignore the road rules and no amount of
control makes that safer.
My Filipino friend drove for years in
his hometown without an accident, but
a lack of understanding about driving in
Hanoi caused him to crash while riding
his bicycle to work.
The papers often carry reports of
foreigners being involved in accidents,
but comprehensive crash statistics are
not available.
I often consider giving up on my
motorbike and travelling by bus or taxi
instead – services which are consider-
ably cheaper than in Vientiane. Buses
cost VND5,000 per ride, while metered
taxis start from VND8,000.
Thanh Nga and Sao Hanoi are my
preferred taxi services as the drivers are
Reflections on Hanoi
After a few months in Hanoi,
Ounkham Pimmata
considers the differences
between his hometown of Vientiane and Vietnam’s capital city
LIVING