Look both ways, then walk anyway

After finally making back onto the worn trail of Vietnam, I think the first thing everyone noticed about was the impossibility of crossing the road. The are litterally nearly as many bikes as there are people in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, and it seems at rush hour every single one of them is out and on the same stretch of road as the one you want to make it over.

Crossing is easier than it looks though, but it is worth noting that rather than brakes, Vietnamese bikers prefer to use the horn instead. Essentially you edge nearer to the band of traffic as you prepare mentally to step out. Then before you've taken the plunge, one bike will career round the back of you followed by several more and before you've stepped anywhere, you're in the middle of the traffic. There's not much left to do now but keep walking slowly and only stop for cars and busses, the bikes will always mangae to dodge you...you hope. Upon reaching the halfway mark it's time to rapidly switch you attention to the other direction and continue forward. Never ever go back. Nearing the other side, don't celebrate making it alive until you're actually on the pavement. No matter how near to it you are, one stray bike will always cut infront of you and encourage others to do the same, putting you back in the middle of the traffic once more.

If you can bare to take your eyes off the rows on 10 strong mopeds coming at you, it is advisable to try and look both ways. You wouldn't expect anything to be coming at you from the left with a herd of bikes speeding forward from the right, but there will be at least 5 bikes going the wrong way in the wrong lane. Nobody gets hurt though, organised chaos just seems to work here.