The Thrill of Uber Moto
A year ago almost to the day, I hopped on the back of an Uber Moto for the first time and had one of the most thrilling joyrides I've ever experienced! Forget skydiving, or bungee jumping, just spend $1 and take an Uber Moto and your adrenaline will be through the roof!
Ho Chi Minh City is home to roughly ~8 million people, and there are ~7.5 millions motos. It's how most people get around. To a westerner like me, it just seems like total chaos. Madness!
They get so close to each other.
They drive on the wrong side of the road.
They drive on the sidewalks. They dart out in front of oncoming traffic. The rules of the road seem like merely suggestions.
But, there is a fascinating harmony about it all. It's the norm for them and it just kinda works.
Except for the half a dozen accidents I saw during my month I was there. The accidents weren't bad, thankfully. But, they bump n grind a bit.
Hanoi
It reminds me of India, although not quite as chaotic. For me, nothing will ever top that! The traffic is unreal. SOOO many vehicles on the road. Bikes, motos, cars, rickshaws, trucks, cattle, monkeys, etc.
4 or 5 family members on one moto. Dozens hanging out of rickshaws. Monkeys and cows crossing the roads and everyone just swerves around like it's no big deal.
I saw a mother with two small children, probably ages 2 and 4, smack dab in the middle of a busy rotary. All 3 begging for money. I couldn't believe the 2 year old was just right there! A little sad actually.
This was a different girl:
The other strikingly different thing about the traffic in India is the incessant beeping. They are not beeping to be jerks. It's how they communicate. Beeping is just someone saying, "Hey, I'm on your right."
India is by far the most incredibly culturally rich travel country I've been to!
The traffic in Vietnam seems tame compared to India. But, it is still thrilling!
Check out the video of my first Uber Moto experience. My heart was pounding!
These next two snaps are from Hanoi, long exposure shots from the top of the hotel I was staying at. You can see the crazy traffic madness:
Wonder if UBER Moto would ever happen in the U.S.? Probably not.
Guess that means I need to go back to Vietnam for my next adrenaline fix. Hmmm...
