Getting Around in Hanoi

The first thing that caught my eye as we departed the airport was the massive amount of motor scooters that crowded the highway. I was so busy observing all of my new surroundings that I didn’t even think to snap photos as evidence. We will be here for 18 months so I am positive another photo opportunity will arise. 

I am accustomed to rush hour starting pretty early having grown up in New York. Hanoi, however, has taken it to another level! When we left the airport at 7:00am there were so many people on the road one would have thought it was already midday. The traffic was horrid! Apparently that is quite normal for the morning and evening rush hours. It will become even worse when the kids return to school in another week. I cannot imagine any more people on the road than there are right now. That will be a sight to see!

Many Hanoians still wear the very recognizable cone-shaped hats called non la, or "leaf hat." I bought one the other day while taking a stroll outside. After I bought it, Douglas said to me, “You’re not going to wear it?” I replied, “No crazy, it’s a keepsake.” He rolled his eyes as if I were the crazy one. Really! I’m not trying to convert that quickly!

The weather here was another shocker. We were warned, but there are not enough warnings to prepare you for the heat wave that flows throughout Vietnam. The humidity engulfs your lungs and so does the pollution. It feels like you’re walking into a sauna when you step outside. Every time I’ve walked around the neighborhood, I could feel my clothes sticking to my body within the first 15 minutes. The scarves I often tie on my head quickly look as though they are painted on by the end of my outing. Loose dresses are my new best friends.

The heat does not seem to affect the Hanoians. They are obviously accustomed to the weather. They are probably looking at me wondering why I am a hot sweaty mess. I am amazed to see that several women wear long jackets to cover their skin while riding motor bikes, even in the hot weather. We were told Hanoians do not want to get dark and cover their bodies to prevent sun exposure. They look incredibly hot underneath their layers, but I can’t blame them. I’m not a fan of the sun myself, but I do not go to such lengths to avoid it.  It is interesting to note that in this culture people do not have any desire to darken their skin tone, while many light or fair skinned women throughout North America and Europe are consistently sun bathing or tanning, trying to add color to their skin.

 

I was pretty impressed to see how women were dressed while riding the motor bikes. There were women in business suits, dresses, and even short skirts, riding those bikes like a pro! Unfortunately, I did not have my camera available during my morning commute, which is when many women are dressed for work. The next time I am out that early I will bring my camera to get a few pictures. 

Some women, mostly those in skirts, elect to sit on the bike sideways and cross their legs, which seems quite dangerous. One wrong move and she could be on the ground. Fortunately the flow of traffic is slow. Most bikes and cars don’t go over 35 mph. I was also surprised to see women riding bikes in heels. Many of their shoes were not baby heels either. I am talking stilettos! I find it challenging to drive a car in high heels, let alone a small motor bike. That is talent! 

 

Many people wear masks over their mouths to avoid breathing in the polluted air

These are not the stilettos I was referring to, but she still gets cool points for riding in baby heels :)

I was also impressed to see the amount of cargo carried on the back of these bikes. I love that there are just no limitations for Hanoians when it comes to getting something from one location to the next.

 

Looking at the size of these bikes, you may not think more than two people could fit. But people squeeze onto them in packs and make their way. So far the most I have seen on a bike is a family of three, but I have been told not to be surprised when I spot a family of four or five. I will be sure to get pictures of that when I see it. 

 No sun exposure or pollution for the children. They are covered well. Nice purse too.

Who would have known that Hanoi was such a big tourist destination? There are several tourists in our neighborhood and around the city. It is great that many Hanoians speak English to better serve Westerners. You will find this in many of the nicer hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, and other areas frequently visited by Westerners.

The source of transportation here for tourists and foreigners is taxis. We mainly see taxi cars, but taxi motor bikes are available as well. Our embassy does not recommend that Americans take motor bikes to get around the city, but if anyone decides to do so they must get a helmet from the States because the ones here do not meet U.S. standards. Thankfully this does not concern Douglas and I. You will not, I repeat, WILL NOT catch me on a motor bike. I am not a fan of motorcycles, motor bikes, mopeds, or anything that doesn’t come with a door and a roof. You would be lucky to find me on a bicycle! Thankfully Douglas feels the same way about motor bikes, so at least we are on the same page. There are plenty of taxis to choose from; just stand outside for one minute and at least three will go by. The best part is that taxis are very inexpensive. Rides for 15 to 20 minutes cost no more than $5. The average cost of a taxi ride is $2 to $3. Super cheap!

It has been nice to freely walk the streets of Hanoi. This freedom was not readily available to us in Algiers. I have already found a few nice exercise paths to do a morning run. I wandered about the area for a few hours by foot last weekend. It felt great to be able to do that. There really should be a sign up at every street corner that reads Cross at your own risk. The most difficult thing about walking in Hanoi is crossing the street. The best advice we received thus far was from a fellow American who said that you have to cross the street with confidence! 

Now, I thought the traffic in Algiers was bad. The driving here is absolute mayhem. The police would enforce the traffic rules, if they existed. Think of an open road of drivers with hardly any restrictions or guidelines to follow.  In the majority of areas the flow of traffic is non-stop. Thankfully in our area there are a few stoplights and one way streets that help greatly. I cannot say the same about most other parts of the city. You simply have to walk into the street as the cars and motor bikes all go around you. It’s kind of like crossing a highway but the vehicles are not going nearly as fast. It has to be the most awkward thing ever! You can’t be scared and turn back, otherwise they will hit you. The other weekend I went out for a morning stroll. I got to an intersection where there were bikes and cars coming from five different directions. I must have stood at the corner for almost 10 minutes trying to muster up the courage to cross. When that never happened I happily stuck my hand out to wave down a taxi. I paid about $1.50 to have a taxi get me out of that area and I’m completely okay with that! 

Think about walking out into this! The whole situation screams accident waiting to happen!

There is no doubt that getting around Hanoi will be an adventure in and of itself.

Flight to Asia

After 3 flights, 21 hours of flight time, and 30 hours of travel time…we made it Vietnam!

We flew on Vietnam Airlines from Germany to Hanoi. In case for some strange reason Douglas and I were not aware of the fact that we were headed to Asia, there were three things that happened en route that made it quite obvious.

First, while sitting at the gate in Germany waiting for an announcement to board the plane, we noticed a group of people scurry to the gate entrance without warning, forming a cluster around the counter. The flight representative said to everyone, “We are not ready for boarding. Please be seated.” No one moved an inch! Of course, Douglas and I grabbed our bags and joined the mob because we didn’t want to be at the back of this crowd. Then, when it was actually time to board the plane, everyone rushed the gate in the most disorganized fashion imaginable. Our personal space was beyond invaded as people began climbing over seats just to get in front of us. When it was announced that families with small children could board first, a father, mother, and three little kids went to board. Several men and women followed behind them. Douglas said, “Must be a big family.” I said, “No, this is not a big family. These are strangers trying to act like they’re with the family!” That mess has not happened on any of our American or European flights.

Second, while in the air, it seemed like everyone was getting out of their seats to go towards the back of the plane. I would say we were wondering what was happening, but Douglas was knocked out cold nearly the entire flight. I guess it is true that Marines really can sleep anywhere. I got up to use the bathroom and noticed many passengers holding plastic cups of food. These people were headed to the middle of the plane where there was hot water to fill their bowl of what appeared to be a knock-off version of Ramen noodles. That just does not happen on other flights. The entire plane started to smell like noodles soaked in expired broth.

Lastly, the seating for the plane was 3x3x3. Douglas and I were seated on the left side on the aisle and in the middle. During the flight, I happened to look to my right and saw that one of the passenger’s seats was empty. Now, we all know that if you have a row to yourself, you might stretch across the entire row and lie down. I looked to the floor and a woman was laid out on the floor underneath the three seats. The other two passengers in that row were sitting with their feet in the chair to give the woman room to lie down. My mouth dropped! Even some of the other Asian passengers looked down at the floor as if to say, “Even I don’t do that!” I definitely have not seen that craziness happen any other time while flying. After that flight, all I could say was, "Welcome to Asia!"

We arrived into Hanoi around 6:00am on Thursday, August 1. All six of our bags made it safely with us. Thanks to US Airways for allowing military members and their dependents to travel with up to four bags per person, each weighing up to 100 lbs. We took full advantage of that rule. More than anything, I was relieved to be off the plane and done with flying, at least for awhile.

Three Generations of Women

During our transition from Algiers to Hanoi, Douglas and I had a quick visit in the States. I was excited when I found out we would be in Virginia. I got to see my mom the last two times we were in the States, but I didn’t get to see my grandma. When I did plan a trip to visit my grandma, I had a death in the family and I was unable to get to her. I guess the third time is a charm!

When I was younger, my parents always took me to Virginia to visit my grandma in the country. Being a city girl from The Bronx, I never enjoyed the country atmosphere. At the time I felt it was too slow, too boring, and that we stayed too long. The only part I favored was spending time with my grandma. I can remember those summers like it way yesterday. I would usually stay anywhere between two to three weeks. One summer I was there for nearly six weeks. Everything I did at my grandma’s house was routine.  My grandma usually found her way outside to do yard work with the produce she planted while I stayed inside. I just could not tolerate the bugs. At 11:00 am we sat on the sofa and watched The Price Is Right. Immediately following that were the soap operas. I never did like soap operas. That was my grandma’s thing. There was also only one television in the house, so whether I liked it or not, that is what we were watching. Early in the morning or mid-afternoon we went to visit her friends in the neighborhood or drove to Lawrenceville or Emporia where we went to the library, bank, dry cleaners, Peebles clothing store, Food Lion, or McDonald’s for a treat. Some days we would visit her friends from the church and other family members. At night we made our way to the sofa by 7:00 pm to watch Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. Once or twice a week, we went to church at night for Bible Study or some other church function. You could guarantee that every Sunday we were in church from early morning to late afternoon. I always looked forward to Sunday dinner (or rather, dessert). My grandma often fixed her famous sweet potato pies or that delicious corn pudding. That was how I spent my quiet summer weeks in Virginia with my grandma. Our routine was pretty simple.

As a child I had no appreciation for those experiences, but as an adult I can see such great value. I am so thankful my mother didn’t give me an option to go to Virginia each summer. Now, I treasure those memories and look forward to spending time in the country with my grandma and my mom, now that she's moved there. Living in a city where there was never any silence, I did not know how to function without busyness around me. Fast forward to the present and I could not function with busyness around me. I still do not go outside much. My annoyance of bugs and all other insects that come with the outdoors has not yet changed. But the calmness and serenity that I have found in the country brings me such peace and happiness. I find great joy in its simplicity. Who would have known?

I feel very blessed to have such a beautiful mother and grandmother. Both women have always given and shown me enormous love. In so many ways I can see how my mom is just like my grandma, as in many ways I am just like my mom. Oftentimes, daughters try not to be like their mothers in every way, but I am happy with certain similarities I share with them both. I am who I am because of them, and I can happily say I like who I am.   

As I have gotten older, there have been fewer opportunities to see my grandma and mom as much as I would like. Distance is not a friend. With oceans between us, our time together is limited. Gatherings once or twice a year will never feel like enough, but I maximize those moments as much as possible. Each time we get together I pop out my camera and snap away. Pictures are a beautiful visual reminder of the memories that live in our hearts and minds. I believe they can tell their own story and will be useful when I am not around to share it for myself. I decided to do something different during this visit. Instead of taking casual photos around the house I wanted to take some more professional photos. However, my grandma is 95 and it would be too much on her to go to a studio for pictures. Thus, we brought the studio to her. I recently got Douglas a new digital camera for his birthday. He had been anxious to put it to use and this was the perfect time! Thank you to my sweet husband for jumping at the task of being our photographer. You did a great job!

To my grandma and mom...I will treasure our moments together forever - every laugh, every smile, every conversation, and every outing. I take none of it for granted. I love you both dearly and I thank you both for showing me what beautiful spirits look like. I am exceedingly proud to come from women of the Harris, Walton, and Bright families. If God should bless me with a daughter one day, I hope she too will be so proud to come from this beautiful line of women that will then include the Hardees.

In the background is a picture of my great-grandmother

I'm in awe of their similar features

Grandma has the most adorable smile

I just love this picture. Grandma just dropped her head into my chest and I thought oh how the tables have turned. How sweet!

One of my favorites...