591

February 26, 2009
One of the hassles of exiting a bus is dealing with the hordes of entrepreneurs who want to offer further transportation. This group of people storms at every stopping bus, shouting and waving. They are not very successful, so the whole process repeats itself at least 591 times per day.

597

February 20, 2009
In some places in Hanoi the forthcoming 1000 year anniversary is visible. The wall of the dyke road is being transformed into "The Hanoi Ceramic Mosaic Mural". It is an idea of painter- journalist Nguyen Thu Thuy – a member of Vietnam Fine Art Association.
As can be read at www.artaction.com:
"The project will transform 6 kilometers of the grey concrete Red River dyke structure into a ceramic mosaic mural. This mural will be made into four parts which respectively show the motifs and images of the Vietnamese traditional culture, the Vietnamese contemporary arts, artworks of international artists, and Vietnamese children’s paintings. The project will encourage the involvement of local communities, providing them with artistic skills and the inspiration to beautify their living areas. The project ultimately aims to encourage and enhance the responsibilities of local residents to improve their own living environment, raise their voice and become actively involved in the urban planning process."

597 days to go till the completion of phase 1. The project duration is 3 years. Later a more beautiful part of the wall will be in colour.

598

February 19, 2009
Part two of wearing helmets indoors. First I was too late to capture this scene full frontal and then I decided to respect their privacy. In a hospital when an old man is staggering, helped by two men, one of the last things to expect is that they are both wearing a helmet. If anyone should be protected it is patient, not them.
598 could be the amount of cigarette buts I saw on the corridor floors. Yes, in a hospital.

599

February 18, 2009
The helmet law, introduced in December 2007, has made a big impact on Vietnam. I wouldn’t say that is because everybody is wearing a helmet now (quite the contrary, especially in rural areas), it is when they are wearing one. Helmets have become a fashion and for Vietnamese it is quite normal to walk around while wearing one. Even in shops, shopping malls (not to mention at rock concerts!) many don’t bother to take off their helmet and feel more comfortable.
The days of the conical hats are numbered! (599?)

602

February 15, 2009
The start of the Valentine 10K run, organised by the Red River Road Runners.
Usually they have a run every week and occasionally there is a special run, such as a marathon, a half marathon and in this case "just" ten kilometres. Running goes a bit faster than at the Hash House Harriers and it is for the more serious runners. Also, they always run in Hanoi, so it won’t cost you a lot of time (unless you even use a motorbike for 20 metre trips and are suffering from a chronical lack of fitness).
Maybe one day you could wear number 602.

610

February 7, 2009
In Hanoi it is not difficult to get somewhere. There is a huge fleet of motorbike taxis, called Xe Oms. Xe Om literally means "moto hug". You hop onto it and you will be taken to your destination at a modest price (bargain first!). Xe oms can be found anywhere, especially at street corners. As a foreigner you don’t find them, they find you! I bet you will hear "motorbike" more often than "hello" or anything else.
If you need one, first make sure you don’t smell any alcohol. Actually I can give a whole list of safety issues, including "don’t ever take a xe om". Maybe the best idea to avoid stress during the ride is to close your eyes and slowly count to 610. A good chance you will be at your destination once you hit 0.

612

February 5, 2009
In case you're thinking I'm making this all up, on the north side of Hoan Kiem lake is another countdown. It is much more fancy and expensive than mine and it is in two languages. If you don't speak English or Vietnamese I guess you will have to wait until the number reaches 0 to find out what's going on.
Don't wait in front of the display though, as every day you will be told 612 times you can't stand there, or anywhere else you move to.

614

February 3, 2009
Drinking beer is a favourite pastime anywhere in the world. In Hanoi are a lot of very good bargains and one place is very popular amongst travellers. It is known as "Bia Hoi corner". A bia hoi is where locals sit down together, drink cheap beer and eat some food. Some of them can cater for a few hundred people and some are busy when there are only ten.
Bia Hoi corner must be mentioned in the guidebooks, as many travellers find their way to there. Actually there are few on that corner. This one charges VND 3,000 for a beer, which is 17 dollar cents or 13 euro cents.
Conveniently located in the old quarter it is within short distance of a lot of hotels and guest houses. For one dollar you can buy 6,14 beers. In many other counties it is the other way around. Actually, at a few places in Hanoi too :)

615

February 2, 2009
Traffic lights play an important role in regulating traffic. One would suspect that they should be visible at all times. Not in Hanoi.
A large amount of traffic lights is hidden behind trees, leaves, banners, signs and whatever else is tall or big enough to keep them out of sight. The light in this photo is red, but it can only be seen on the very last moment. This is not even the worst example.

There are more typical traffic situations in this photo. The white car is not coming from the left, it is just standing there, having a short break in an attempt to turn around. Also, a few are ignoring the red light on the other side (as many do) and some think there is no such thing as a helmet law.

One really weird thing: there is no one on this side of the traffic light. In traffic infested Hanoi you would expect at least 615 motorbikes waiting there.