Post from Tim:
I'm not quite thrilled with Hanoi. The people seem distant and the noise level is crazy. Nevertheless, I know I'm going to miss it when I'm gone.It is the buzz of the Old Quarter that keeps my head spinning with interest. It was built in the 13th century for foot traffic. The narrow streets now support a huge network of motorcycles, bicycles, cyclos, pedestrians, trucks, and vendors. There are very few streetlights or stop signs here, so people just fly into the intersections, mix around, and spit out where they want to be. It has no rules, yet works perfectly.
The streets were named for what they sold, so that Hang Hahn sold onions, Hang Huong sold incense, Hang Ca sold fish, and Thuoc Bac sold herbal medicine. Only a few of the names are appropriate nowadays, such as Lo Ren, the blacksmith's street, where welding equipment and hammers spill out into the street with wrought iron furniture and clanging.
I never grow tired of seeing what the women vendors have to offer as they amble down the congested streets carrying their traveling stores. Each woman shoulders a heavy wooden bar with a basket hanging from each side. The baskets could be carrying bananas, caged chickens and ducks, raw meat, a neatly arranged array of vegetables, seasonal fruits, or fried dough. It could even be huge bouquets of cut flowers or piles of bricks. With each of their steps, the bars bend under the weight. I'm amazed that their small frames can support so much.
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