Daimler and Maybach could have been two of the proudest person to see the great volume of motorbikes in Vietnam. it comes almost everywhere around the busy streets of Ho Chi Minh. a city where a person after crossing the main streets can end up thinking twice of crossing back on the same street when returning.
Vietnam was once a bike country but people later patronized the use of the motored ones. but you will still see bicycles around, usually used by kids and those who cannot afford to buy a motorbike. if some Filipinos would associate their mobile phones as a status symbol, in Vietnam it's these motorbikes.
there is only one rule which you should take note when crossing the streets of Ho Chi Minh, "you can stop but never turn back". at first it sounds bizarre as the riders would seem to hit you but in a quick instant they will do a curve from your back assuming that you knew the rule which is not to turn back.
though Vietnam is just fourth in terms of the number of motorcycles in the world, coming just behind India, China and Indonesia, it remains an icon every tourists remembers next to their famous conical hats. 
in the Philippines, closest comparison might be the city of Dumaguete. though the number of motorcycles are not as many as that in Ho Chi Minh, motorcycle there dominates the roads. mostly with less parts and accessories making the motorcycle look skeletal. purpose was to make the motorbikes as light as possible.
in Ho Chi Minh, the motorbikes can function like tricycles in the rest of the Southeast Asian nation. it can carry long steel bars, big food baskets and don't be surprised, even refrigerators. the rule seems there seems to be "it can carry anything as long as you can balance it".
after days of crossing these streets, one realizes that these bikes actually adds charm to the city.this is Ho Chi Minh.
24 comments:
Dyan ba yung Saigon Opera house? may napanood kasi akong Amazing Race Asia season 3 dyan sila sa city na yan nagpunta sa ho chi minh.
Anung lente pare gamit mo? UWA ba? telephoto? thanks! ganda kasi ng kuha.
haven't seen as many bikes as the ones i've been in hanoi!
>mokong, yes. im posting a photo of the Vietnam opera house in the coming post. it's beautiful by night.
gamit ko wide angle lens 14-42mm. pero balak ko ring bumili ng UWA.
>a-musings, ive never been to hanoi but as they would say there are indeed more motorbikes in ho chi minh than in hanoi.
Playing patentero with motorbikes in Vietnam is one unforgettable part of the visit. In many Philippine provinces too, dumarami na ang paggamit ng mga ganyan.
It is scary to cross their roads. Nice photos.
yan talaga unang pumapasok sa isip k----pag sinabi ng teacher ko dati na Vietnam, bikes at motorbikes ang pumapasok sa isip ko with matching riders in salakot ang not helmets. hahaha
Great post and pics! I didn't know motorcycle city na pala ang Dumaguete until now. Thanks for the info! :)
mura lang siguro motor dyan. parang gusto ko tuloy bumili ngayon ng motorsiklo. :)
funny how when i hear of motorbikes on the streets - i think of vietnam. now i realized it's only the 4th on the list.
i wouldn't cross the street at all, would hail a taxi and have it make a u turn :D
kapag sinabing vietnam, isip ko agad motorbikes, kaya d pa din ako makapunta ng Vietnam hanggang ngaun dahil d ko maisip kung pano ako tatawid ng kaldsada! hihi
naalala ko bigla yung nagbike tayo sa samal. bagay na bagay ka pala jan dong kasi u like bikes.
How many motorbikes! It's really amazing, unimaginable in our streets. Beautiful images.
Para nga syang sa Dumaguete. I miss biking! Pwede na ulit because it's now cold in here again.
wow, ganon. dami ko nalaman dito.. maganda rule yun ha, you can stop but never turn back.. with all the number of bikes, dapat talaga maging strict sila..
but even with less motorcycle dapat siguro implement din, sana. sana. :)
ang galing, ang ganda ng mga pics mo dong. i was exploring your blog and i was really amazed sa lahat ng mga kuha mo. buti ka pa at nakapunta ka na sa tambobong, tondol, dasol, ako nga na taga pangasinan eh di pa nakakapunta dun. hehe..but i like to travel pero sa tabi tabi lang. yun lang kasi kaya ko. i like taking pictures as well pero gamit lang ang isang cellphone. sana magawa ko rin ang ginagawa mo in the future...umiskapo, magtravel at magtake ng pictures...the reason why i really like your blog is that you were like "the me that never was"...ang lalim nun ah...hehe...nice blog
Motorcycle must be cheap over there
What an amazing place. I feel overwhelmed by the number of people when I take in these photos. Still, they are beautiful. So very beautiful.
u posted this topic of bikes in a new angle. interesting. well written actually if u dont mind my saying so :)
i might b worried n might resort to turning back in that kind of situation ... full of bike traffic
Maybe we need more moterbikes and less cars in Manila !
i wanna go back to jeepney city lol
I agree, Sa dumaguete uso yung motorbikes as their means of transportation. Astig tingnan lalo na kapag babae. Kung motorbikes ang magiging means of transportation sa Pinas, kelangan ko na siguro maovercome ang fear ko sa motor.
Aba pati refrigerator keri ng motornike sa vietnam ah.
Wow, I really like this Vietnam series Dong... Very informative...
It's one of the places I'd like to go to...
Haven't seen an entry for Ha Long Bay... napuntahan mo ba to?
And if you don't mind, how long was your stay in Vietnam and ano ang range ng budget considerations for a trip such as this?
Thanks!
di ko kaya drive dyna
mainit ulo ko sa mga scooters, eh
hehe
at eto na nga yung mga deadly motorbikes na tinweet ng speechwriter ni pnoy haha!! :D
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