Suffice to say I may miss the safety precautions taken in The States, I do enjoy the sights to see whilst on the back of a motorbike here in Hanoi. Anyway, in NYC there is no better way to travel than on the subway, while here there is no better way to travel than on the back of a motorbike. (Taxis take to long & are over priced in both cities- just don’t do it.)
One of the unique differences of this mode of transportation is that it is above ground. Also, a Grab Bike rarely takes the same route twice. Both of these lend to a secret into finding your way around the city, and to being able to see the sights without having to drive, or be surrounded by the metal of a car- the city is vertical, you are able to look up!
Sometimes, when the streets aren’t crowded- which is almost never- I stick my arms out and feel the breeze hit my skin. A little Titanic I’m free moment before the iceberg hits. Lucky for me, my moto driver is unflinching as he weaves in and out of near death experiences of oncoming drivers, children, sales women with their rice hats, and that god awful Hanoi bus. In the mean time I look around at the buildings and the range of architecture around me. In between thoughts of screaming at the danger I am surrounded by, I laugh to myself for being in such a beautiful, chaotic place, that just works.
The slight downside to Grab Bike would honestly be that they call us Westerners expecting us to be able to speak and understand their Vietnamese, which we probably should, but can’t. In these cases, I just say the address of where I’m at or hand the phone to a nearby friendly native to help dear ol’ me out. Therefore, while a NYC subway allows you to jump on and off wherever, without much help of the city, a Grab Bike throws you into the city, and the culture of Hanoi itself.
Perhaps I will ride my own moto one day here, but until then I will continue to enjoy the blood pressure rising, the adrenaline running, and the cortisol coursing through my veins at the madness and beauty the joy rides have to offer.
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