First lesson from Ho Chi Minh - Crossing the street

One thing that Ho Chi Minh is not lacking in is mopeds and scooters. There are literally thousands of them here. Unlike the US, they do not serve as leisure vehicles. These two wheeled rollers are used as delivery trucks (even for larger construction stuff!), mini vans (I've seen up to 5 people on 1!!), and bumper cars. They're in every lane, on the shoulder of the road, on the sidewalk, going with traffic, going against traffic, They are literally everywhere!

We quickly learned that to cross the street you just have to go! They don't stop, they don't wait, they don't nod an acknowledgment that you're there, they just flow around you.

The lesson to learn here is we are in a communal society and traffic flows like the blood of the city. It weaves, bends, adapts and flows like water through channels that sometimes overflow the banks and then returns.

So at each intersection, you take a deep breath, tuck your belongs close and step out. Pick a pace, and stroll across. If I lived here, I'd need anxiety meds ASAP!

Crossing the street in Ho Chi Minh from Matt Parks on Vimeo.