The driver in the video (not the one in the picture on the left) is my regular guy - he camps out where my side-alley exits into the main street - and he is a little faster than some of the other xe om taxis that I've taken. Not the fastest on the road by any means... some people with their own bikes really zoom. But he doesn't limp along like some of these weaker bikes I've been on. I like that. He also doesn't go the wrong way down one-way streets, which I ALSO like. He's a good driver.
Check out the video after the jump...
I missed half a block at the top and bottom of the trip because I'm never quick enough with my camera when we start, and don't like him to know I'm doing something so touristy when we stop. ha ha! ...I'm SURE he knows.
I'm on my way to my Vietnamese lesson in this video. This ride costs me 30k VND, or a little less than $1.50.
[Family: I always wear a helmet. In fact, virtually every biker on the road does. Don't watch this is if you don't want to see first-hand what a 7am ride in traffic in HCMC is like (and I'm actually missing the WORST of morning rush hour - as you can see, traffic is a tad light. Or maybe you can't see it, but trust me, it is).]
Bottom line: Motorbike is a SUPER FUN way to get around!
AWESOME VIDEO. :) Thanks for posting.
ReplyDeleteSure! Next up: trying to get a picture of some of the more ridiculous loads people carry on their bikes...
DeleteHey - that wasn't too bad! It looked fun! Not as harrowing as I expected.
ReplyDeleteIt IS fun! The only (ha) crazy part is that no one, and I mean NO ONE, ever looks to the side or behind them when they're driving, no matter the honks or shouting. It's completely disconcerting and yet... somehow it works.
DeleteI feel like I would probably cause some major problems in the city, whether I was trying to cross the street on foot, driving a scooter, or just riding on the back. I would be flailing like a crazy person, afraid we would crash. I guess I would need to keep my eyes closed.
ReplyDelete