Vietnam: First Impressions

January, 2009

We arrived in Vietnam at midnight and took a taxi into Old Hanoi.  During the whole drive our taxi driver was honking for no reason.   

When we were driving into Hanoi, we saw motorcycles that had baskets tied on the back.  You couldn't even see the people  who were driving the motorcycles because of all of the goods on their back!  They carried fruits, vegetables and flowers in straw baskets.  We found out that there was a midnight  flower market, which was where all the motorcycles were bringing flowers.  We were staying in Vietnam during their New Year, which they call Tet.  As we got closer to the old quarter of Hanoi there were old houses that were very tall, skinny, and long!  They were kind of spooky and creepy looking because they didn't have any lights on in them and they looked abandoned.  We thought they might look like that because everybody left to visit friends and relatives for Tet.  As we got into the Old Quarter, the streets became narrower

 and all the buildings were squished next to each other, taking up hardly any room!  There were also a LOT of wires drooping between the telephone poles!  

When we woke up the first morning, all we heard was honking!!   When I looked out on the balcony and  down at the street I saw motorcycles everywhere!  The only way to let other people know they were coming was to honk!  There didn't seem to be a right side of the road to drive on. Everyone was just weaving around each other.  There were also people carrying big bundles of balloons for New Years.  

The streets of Old Hanoi all had a name for the merchandise they sell on that street (for example, Silk Street, Shoe Street (see picture above), Leather Street...).  All the stuff in Vietnam was very cheap!  They didn't use the same money we use.  Instead they used Dong.  $1 was equal to 15,000 Dong!! 

 I bought a silk scarf for 50,000 Dong ($3).  There were woman selling their goods on the street, such as vegetables and  fruits; they even cooked soup right on the street!   You have to be careful with what food you buy on the street because sometimes it isn't very clean and you could get sick.  Once, when we were walking down the street, a lady carrying a basket over her shoulders came up to us.  She came right up to me and put the basket on my shoulders and said we could take a picture, in not very good English.  Then, after we took our photo, she said we had to buy something because we got the picture.  We payed $7 for a few banana's and a few oranges (and a picture)!  They will do anything to get your money!!  Vietnam was so different from North America!