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Vietnam Transport

a sequel to similar posts re India, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos

 

 

You've just bought a fridge

And you want home delivery, right?

No problem

 

This is in the Old Quarter of Hanoi, where all manner of transport mingles rather gracefully

These two women employ a ganh--a sturdy but flexible wood slat...

 

 

 ...that is ubiquitous among Hanoi street vendors

 

 

In other human-powered transport, I saw this Hoi An woman pulling a load of bricks (imagine the weight!)

 

 

the long-handled two-wheel cart is a staple for moving goods

 

 

and can occasionally be seen behind a motorbike

 

 

and of course the old faithful, the bicycle, is everywhere

 

 

My favorite, though, was this Hoi An woman in the brown shirt

 

 

who runs a ferry service across to the island you see in the background

 

 

I didn't want to go to the island,

I just wanted to ride with her

 

 

so I did a round trip

 

 

The motorized alternative is this kind of ferry,

 

 

 

 

 

heavily laden with motorbikes

 

 

 

and a few pedestrians

 

I never got over my amazement at the loads carried by bi- and tricycles

 

but of course they overload the motorized versions, too

 

 

along with precarious balancing acts

 

 

Trailers are common in Vietnam

but not with the elegant trailer hitches seen in Cambodia

 

 

They do have some highly useful racks

 

 

but you're welcome to just load it on

 

 

 

Remember the auto rickshaw in India?

Used prominently as taxis

(also found in Peru, imported from India)

 

 

in Vietnam there are very few such vehicles

and they're downgraded to cargo transport

 

 

except occasionally

 

 

There are, however, many bicycle rickshaws

 

 

as in a number of other countries I've visited, Vietnam has interesting variations on self-powered vehicles for the handicapped

here, the steering wheel is also the pedal

 

This cargo jitney is simplicity itself

I've even seen them plying the public roads

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