Things We've Noticed

The people in Vietnam use bikes to get around. Albeit, some are motorized, many are still manual and are put to good use. We noted the following things people do on their bikes: Eat, Sleep (I kid you not)...lying flat across, read, text, drive, transport, and the list goes on. I've never seen so many bikes..ever, EVER. They say there are over 5 million bikes here on the road, not including other vehicles. It's quite the thing to see. When you get to an intersection, the herd (as we call them) of hundreds and perhaps thousands of bikes are all around. It looks like a motorcycle gang from a movie. People here also wear masks on their faces and long gloves on their arms. Some are used to keep the pollution, exhaust out, but many use it to keep their bodies from tanning. Infact bleaching creams are very common here and white is the preferred colour. If they only knew what we would do to have some color on our skin. It is very common to see people walking around with no shoes, yes, even in the rain. Many also where a one toed sock so they can wear their flip-flops. I'm big on flip-flops and am desperately looking for a pair of these special socks. Maybe I can start a trend back home. It's also very common to see people wearing the special cone shaped traditional Vietnamese hats. They are everywhere. They are specially shaped so it covers their narrow shoulders and protects from the sun and rain. One thing we've noticed were people walking around in pajamas but it's not pajamas but rather traditonal Vietnamese clothing. They are sold everywhere and still worn by much of the population. Black electrical lines are everywhere. They are so dis-com-bobulated that we figure air traffic controllers have nothing on the suicide rate of these poor men they call upon to fix a cable. It's beyond belief and pictures will never do it justice. On our day trips and trip to Mui Ne we have noticed that they have rest stops everwhere. This is where you can buy a drink and sit in a lounge chair (always facing traffic so you can keep up with what is happening) or sleep in a hammock. Also there are always cows, bulls and oxen roaming near the shoulder of the roads, where many of the cyclists drive. As a whole population, they love their feet. They love touching their feet, walking around in bare feet. It's also common to see construction men working in no, not construction boots but bare feet or flip-flops. Brooms here are not the brooms that we use in Canada. They are made out of straw and bundled up. This is your common everyday broom. When it rains, everyone wears a poncho. If you don't have one, you can just stop by the side of the road and buy from one of the many vendors selling ponchos. Flowers and gardens are all around and they are impeccable. The flower arrangements are like nothing we've seen before and are literally works of art. They have the stinkiest fruit on this planet. It's called a Poly Jack Fruit and tastes just as bad as it smells. We have found that there are a few here that like to color their hair and that's pretty normal, right? Except for the men that also color their hair purple but only on the crown of their head. Perhaps it's a new fashion that hasn't hit Ottawa yet?? Toilet paper and napkins are at a premium here. Even in the hotel, you only get one roll at a time and have to call housekeeping if you need extra. In public bathrooms there are either no toilet paper or if you are fortunate, you may get 4 squares allotted to you by the Toilet Paper Monitor.

And these are just of the things we've noticed.