04 Dec. 2011: 36 STREETS #3 of 3

Hanoi is like backpacking in the late 60's: very little English, cheap hostels, and a gobsmacking new sight around every corner. I'm sorry these pictures don't convey the chaotic energy and wonder in the streets. You could get lost in The Old Quarter for months by itself. I can't repeat myself enough ---- there are tens of thousands of motorbikes, everything from war-era Honda Cubs to flashy Vespas and Berettas. How I would like to try every one. With no traffic rules, how do you get a driver's licence? How do you know when you did something wrong?? Whole families or businesses ride on 2 wheels. Women butcher fresh pork (feet and all) on the sidewalks. A guy cuts out and glitters numbers and letters for New Year's signs. Christmas is a mystery to the locals, but if you can make a buck, sell Santa.

The Old Quarter was originally called "36 Streets" because there were that many guilds of craftsmen, each with their own street. Many still survive, like tin street, glasses street, toy street, welding street, silk street, mirror street, carpet street, and on and on. Local strawberries are a real treat in December. But did I mention the bikes?? It's enough to make a guy lose his hair!