here's a quickie from hanoi

• i'm in hanoi and have been for a day and a half or so and have been wandering the streets since then. I literally mean wandering. it is impossible to navigate here! the small streets aren't labeled on the map and the big streets aren't labeled on the streets, ah! one word: motos. i've never seen so many in my life ever! there are 8 million ppl in this city and 7 million motos to carry them all around and that's a fact. luckily this means that there is no need to look both ways before crossing the street (in fact its best not to) bc you can be sure that 30 motos from each direction are headed straight for you. this activity (crossing the street that is) is a total leap of faith-- look down or straight ahead, walk at a steady even pace and hope that the drivers are competent enough to steer around little old you. so far they have been-phew! time for some pho!