Vroom Vroom

As I think I've mentioned before, one of the first things you notice about Vietnam, and Hanoi in particular, is the motorbikes. They're literally everywhere, including driving on the sidewalks during rush hour, and they carry everything - four people on one bike is fairly common, as are 10 of those 5-gallon jugs of spring water, crates of various animals (including pigs, chickens, and rabid cats), 20-foot steel bars, and pretty much anything else you can think of that would need to be transported across the city. Some people have Vespas and Vespa-like fully automatic scooters, but the majority have these semi-automatic motorbikes where you shift gears like on a motorcycle but without using a clutch. They're all fairly small (100-120cc engines), but are perfect for navigating the tiny alleys of Hanoi and cruising around Hoan Kiem lake with your lady friend on the back. And now that Alison and I are the proud renters of our very own SYM Elegant 100cc motorbike, that's exactly what we're doing. Isn't she great? So despite being terrified of all things motorbike related when we got here, we eventually warmed up to them and realized that they're incredibly convenient, especially for my commute to work. It's not that far, about two miles, but that's pretty miserable to walk in the heat and with the busy streets, and the public bus doesn't really stop that close to my office. So we decided to rent a motorbike. Driving home from the rental place was one of the more nerve-wracking experiences of my life, along with driving to work the next day in rush hour, but I pretty quickly got comfortable with the crowds and the feel of the bike - it's actually not that different from riding a bicycle, just way heavier and harder to balance. Alison drove for the first time last weekend, and managed to get around the block a few times without any incidents, so that's a good sign too. We're always really careful since we've heard plenty of stories about accidents and things, so don't go worrying too much about us (I'm looking at you, Mom).

The bike is definitely tons of fun, and it gives us a lot more freedom to travel around the city without being dependent on cabs (expensive), buses (annoying), and xe om (motorbike taxis -lots of haggling). And we actually do occasionally go cruising around the lake at night, Alison on the back. Although to be truly Vietnamese she'd have to sit side-saddle, and she's not quite there yet. Probably for the best.