Roads

Every time we're on the bus between here and Hanoi we go through this huge round-a-bout. There are six roads that join there to combine who know how many lanes into a massive spiral of bicycles, motorbikes, cars, trucks, and buses. This is always where I realize, again, that I am a long way from home.

So far the most people I've seen on one motorbike is five. Granted, one of them was a baby (balanced standing up between the woman in back and a toddler), but you have to admit 5 people is a lot.

I was really surprised to see regular old bicycles going down the main highway next to six lanes of motor traffic. I was even more surprised to notice a bicycle with two children on it, under the age of ten, merging into traffic to get off the highway. The one on back held his hand out to signal while the other ducked and weaved through the speeding mass of metal as if surrounded by a forcefield.

There are some advantages to the highway system here. For example, say you were hungry or had forgotten to stop at the store while you were in town. No problem, you can just pull over (out of the speeding mass of metal) and buy a couple of fresh loaves from ladies standing randomly on the side of the highway with baskets of fresh bread!