A barbershop on the streets of Hanoi

The Streets of Hanoi

Motorcycle drivers wait for fares on a Hanoi street

I asked our guide in Hanoi how we would ever getto the other side of the street given the endless stream of vehicles.“Just step out onto the pavement” he said, “and start walking. Keep asteady pace. Don’t speed up and don’t slow down and never ever come toa complete stop. If you do you will be hit for sure. If however youwalk at an even pace the vehicles will be able to judge your speed andwill dodge around you.” He was right! I admit that even after being inthe city for four days my heart beat still began to race ever time Itook that leap of faith and stepped out onto the street. I had to keepmy head down, because if I looked at that frightening wave of trafficcoming at me, it was too easy to lose courage and slow down or stop.And the noise! There is absolutely no need for signal lights onvehicles in Vietnam. No one uses them. Everyone just blasts their hornwhen they want to pass. The honking of thousands of horns is a twentyfour hour a day background accompaniment to life in Hanoi. After awhileyou just get used to it.

The Streets of Hanoi

The streets of Hanoi are clogged with traffic

    Thetraffic is only one of the things that makes the streets of Hanoiunique however. The sidewalks are endlessly fascinating as well. Sincehouses and shops are small, narrow and for the most part without airconditioning, the people of Hanoi do lots of their living and workingoutside their homes and businesses. Children play tag, soccer and jumprope on the street.  Barbershops are set up right on thesidewalk. A chair, a pair of scissors, shaving cream, razor and comband you’re in business! In the evenings children in their pajamas sitoutside their homes reading or doing homework. People wash dishes,butcher chickens, do laundry, bag rice, cook, eat supper, feed theirbabies and sleep on the sidewalk. Of course it’s also where everyoneparks their motorcycles and bicycles. Often there are so many vehiclesparked on the sidewalk that there is no room to walk.

        Youcan buy just about anything on the sidewalk in Hanoi. Enterprisingentrepreneurs have hundreds of “knock off” designer clothing itemsneatly arranged on blankets spread out on the cobblestones.  Peoplesell fruits, vegetables and fresh bread on every corner. Childrencarrying cases of cigarettes, souvenirs and toiletries accost youconstantly. Vendors with pirated copies of bestselling novels piledhigh on their heads will approach likely looking clients any hour ofthe night or day.  Lots of women have little restaurantson the street. In the morning they come from their homes with thetraditional wooden yoke across their shoulders. Balanced on one side isa pot of steaming soup. On the other is a pail filled with bowls,spoons, a little coal burner, two small plastic chairs and a foldingtable. They pick their spot for the day, set up their supplies andvoila they’re in business. Once the pail without soup is emptied of itscontents it is filled with water so the women can wash dishes in itafter each customer. We ate at several of these mobile soup kitchensand had delicious meals.

A street vendor on the streets of Hanoi

         Thestreets and sidewalks of Hanoi are places of constant activity andendless fascination. If you really want to get to know the city all youhave to do is walk down the street. Just be careful when you cross it!