Streets

There are more scooters on the streets of Hanoi than all other modes of transportation combined. There are quite a few bicycles...


But everyone wants a car. When I think about staying in hanoi long-term, that's the main reason I wouldn't want to be here in 10 years. This is a big intersection at rush hour...

Can you imagine if all of these motorbikes were replaced with cars?


Or the parking lot at the supermarket?


They don't seem to have any real concern about pollution here.

(That's right, he's peeing into the lake.)

I live right by this lake. There are always people fishing in it, but there are also always dead fish floating in it. I sort of wonder why they don't just grab the ones floating at the top and call it a day. It's the same lake that McCain crashed into during the Vietnam war. I actually have a little more respect for the man now, knowing that he survived that water. But it's still pretty at night.

Air pollution is pretty thick here, and some people wear masks to filter the fumes. Thousands of idling cars are not going to improve the situation. I don't even think the streets would be passable with cars parked along both sides. I see people ride up on the sidewalk to get around traffic as it is. But it seems like a lesson that they're going to have to learn the hard way.

It seems funny to me that they don't see the problems we have in the US and want to avoid them. But 4 wheels means success here. I think it's just human nature. In the states, we knew that burning gas was causing problems and that it was running out, but people still seem surprised that gas prices are so high. I think it's ironic that they want cars to imitate western culture, while we're all trying to downsize. So if you can't find a place to trade in your SUV, you might try Hanoi.