Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Hanoi, Vietnam

A roadside mechanic: Vietnamese life, social and business, seems to revolve largely on the streets.
Hanoi traffic: Vietnam has millions of motor-bikes. Renting one is dirt cheap but it can be a scary experience to plunge into the maelstrom of Vietnamese traffic.

A street for toys: Hanoi still retains its old world charm. Compared to bustling Saigon,where construction work on new office blocks and apartments goes on at a frenetic pace, Hanoi is leisurely. In the old city, each street is devoted to one craft or business.


A toys street

The lychee hawker: In season, lychee are incredibly cheap.

These days more and more people are venturing to Vietnam. Unlike the hordes of backpackers and tourists you inevitably bump into in Thailand, Vietnam is comparatively quiet on the tourist front. But the momentum is gradually gathering pace so go before it's too late. Go while you can still have miles of pristine, golden beach all to yourself.

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6 comments:

  1. Hey Roger! Thanks for commenting on my blog! Yours looks really cool too--I've been to many places in the US and Europe, but never Asia. It looks like a fascinating part of the world and one I will hopefully visit sometime! Thanks for sharing and happy travels! :-)

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  2. Hey Roger! Thanks for commenting on my blog! I really enjoy yours too--I've been to many places in the US and Europe, but never Asia. It seems like a beautiful and exciting part of the world, and I really hope I can make it over there sometime. Glad you enjoyed my pictures and happy traveling! :-)

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  3. As they say, Asia is exotic so don't hesitate to come. Sell off your car and all your worldly possessions and set off for Asia. Hey, I'm just being in a jocular mood.

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  4. I noticed the motorcyclists in Vietnam are not wearing helmet.

    Roger, is there any bazaar in Vietnam selling Vietnam War authentic memorabilia?

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  5. Ha, ha, you must be a biker to notice such things. But now the law is being enforced strictly as on my last visit I observed that everyone complied. I didn't come across any bazaar like the famous one in Bangkok but I'm very sure you can unearth war memorabilia with some diligent search.

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  6. No, I'm not a biker. Back here in Malaysia...there are lots of 'crazy' motorcyclist. We call them 'Mat Rempit'. They commit crimes, reckless, dangerous and have no respect for the law.

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