Getting Around Town in True Vietnamese Fashion

Before I arrived in Vietnam, I read all about how the main form of transportation is by way of motorbike (or more like off roading/dirt type bikes for those reading this in the US) and I thought it would be really cool to learn how to drive a bike during my time overseas. However, when I first arrived and observed the unsystematic and very unfamiliar traffic patterns, I thought that there was no way I was ever going to drive a bike here, especially in a major metropolitan city like Hanoi. At first, I was very hesitant to cross the street as a pedestrian, let alone attempt to control a moving vehicle!

Yet, upon arriving in Hue, a much smaller and more manageable city, especially traffic wise, I began to rethink my initial hesitations and concerns. I slowly got used to the traffic patterns here as well as being transported around on my friends' motorbikes as a passenger (don't worry Mom -- I always choose to ride with safe drivers:). And, after a few weeks in Hue, I decided to invest in an electric bike, as my work place is several miles from my home and much too far to cycle to during the hot, summer months!

Learning how to drive an electric bike for the first time made me reflect on my days as a fifteen year old, nearly eleven years ago, when I first began driving a car. I can remember being so unsure and hesitant behind the wheel of a car. In the same way, I was a little tentative as I practiced the first few times on my bike (again, Mom -- don't worry!; I practiced far away from other drivers) and provided my local friends here with some good laughs at my expense as I timidly drove about 10 miles an hour down the street. However, after LOTS of practice and a few weeks of driving, I am happy to say that I now feel very comfortable on the road, although I always drive much slower than the locals :)

My electric bike operates very much like the motorbikes here, except it runs on a battery and I have to charge it every 40 k or so. It is nice to not have to worry about the language barrier in the instance of getting gasoline every week for my bike, but we shall see how high our electricity bill is at the end of the month!




Yes, there are actually heart and doll graphics on my bike. Since one is not legally able to operate a true motorbike until he/she is eighteen, most of the people who drive electric bikes here are teenagers (or foreigners!), hence the teenage-like decorations.