Driving...the Vietnamese Way

Driving in Vietnam is a little differrent from at home. I haven't done any myself, but I've been studying the ways of the Vietnamese driver closely. They drive on the 'right' side of the road here and basically that means which ever side of the road they are driving on at any given moment, is the 'right' side. We've travelled in a few transit buses now and its an un-nerving experience to say the least. Most of the road traffic are mopeds, with the odd car and massive lorry to make up the numbers. The roads are also full of bicycles, women pushing mobile ovens (see above) and basically anything that you can fit on a set of wheels, even the occasional water buffalo (not seen on wheels yet). The trick it seems is to honk your horn at anything that vaguely gets close to you, to honk if you are over-taking (on either side) and to really honk if someone isn't getting out of your way fast enough! Honking is also used to attract attention, genrally by taxi's and mopeds who would like to give you a ride in their death-trap for cash. I learnt alot on our way to Halong bay and back about their driving rules. I learn't for example that once you have over-taken your chosen victim, why not stay on the other side of the road? Then just before a bus coming your way obliterates you, move back onto your side of the road, it's so obvious. My favourite one though, is that old classic, over-taking on a blind hill. Brilliant. There's nothing like coasting over the brow of a hill to find a lorry heading in your direction, or a moped, or nothing, that's the 'fun' part :) That's why we mainly take the train :) I'm looking forward to sampling the driving of other South East Asian countrys soon.