The first thing that overwhelms most people when they arrive in Hanoi for the first time are the motorcycles. As with motorcycles anywhere in the world along comes the noise and the chaos. They are everywhere, just like Saigon!
Always .... remember to look both ways before crossing the street as you never know who will be riding that motorcycle!
Always .... remember to look both ways before crossing the street as you never know who will be riding that motorcycle!
From what we heard there are approx 4.5 million motorcycles on the roads of Hanoi (compared to over 5 million (?) in Saigon) they account for approximately 95% of the total number of vehicles in Vietnam.
Mid 2010 The city had 1,000 buses on the road and they meet only 10 per cent of demand, so traffic is at a premium without a doubt.
But what we found fascinating was the business being run by two young men outside the hotel where we stayed in Hanoi .... washing and cleaning the Motorcycles.
Cost?
20,000 Dong ....
Cost?
20,000 Dong ....
or $1.22 SGD / .95 cents USD / .93 cents AUD per bike. (currency exchange DEC 2011)
They were very busy, constantly washing - on average - 4 to 5 bikes per hour.
and of course, one day, they become obsolete:
HELPFUL WEBSITES FOR HANOI:
HANOI KIDS- volunteer tour guides - hotel can organise if you book well ahead.
KOTO Restaurant - hotel can book a table for you.
This is the third of many blog postings of our visit to Hanoi and beyond.
So stay tuned!!
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