Hanoi is like many third-world cities – an endless cacaphony of sound (horn blowing as street music), smells (mostly from street food vendors) and traffic, which seems to have a unique rhythm. I love such a busy environment and feel competent to walk the streets despite rather casual traffic patterns only because drivers and cyclists (mostly) drive on the right, which is culturally consistent with my habits. That gives me a fighting chance. Nonetheless I’m struck by the fact that navigating across intersections, even those ostensibly regulated by traffic signals and walk signs, feels quite like swimming in a lane crowded by other swimmers. There are few collisions, but many near misses and the system works only insofar as all players remain alert at all times. Which makes walking around Hanoi more stressful than in more familiar territory – and more satisfying. Driving these streets is a challenge I’m not yet up to. I’ll leave that to the taxi drivers.
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