The traffic in Vietnam's two largest cities, Hanoi and Saigon, is so hectic that most hotels and guesthouses actually provide instructions to foreign visitors on how to cross the street. The chaos is a combination of factors - the non-existence of lanes, the lack of rules (or perhaps enforcement) on speed, direction, passing, turning and traffic signals, and the fact that everyone on the road, with few exceptions, is driving a scooter. Thousands and thousands of scooters bob and weave around each other in all different directions, dodging street vendors, the occasional taxi, rickshaws (cyclos) and pedestrians. There are cross walks and "walk now" signs, but they seem to be for show only - both the cars and the people do what they want. So, if what you want is to cross the street, they offer this friendly advice:

Find locals and attach yourself to them, literally. Shadow them across the street at an uncomfortably close distance.
If no locals are around, it's up to you. Take a deep breath. Be brave.
Choose a crossing point - one spot is as good (a.k.a. bad) as the next, so just go for it.
Never look more than 5 feet in front of you, and never look behind. Immediacy is survival.
Walk slowly and at a steady pace. Resist the very strong urge to run and/or close your eyes.
Once you've made it to the other side, look before you celebrate... the sidewalk is also a road. And it's likely that there's a scooter coming your way.

The two cities bookended our time in Vietnam, starting with the capitol, Hanoi, and ending with Saigon, officially renamed Ho Chi Minh City to honor the much loved "Uncle Ho" after the war. They love him so much, in fact, that despite his wishes to be cremated, they had his body preserved and put on display for all to see. Once a year, he goes to Russia for a little work and then returns to Hanoi for the thousands of pilgrims and tourists who visit daily. We saw him the week he was back from his annual touch up and he was looking good.

Tradition meets modern, a common mix in Vietnam.

Aisles of pickled goodies at the Chinatown Market in Saigon.

Taking a much needed break from the chaos of Saigon.

Both cities can be overwhelming... Getting into Hanoi was an eye-opener, like "this is what an Asian city is." Bangkok has traffic, but there is a rhythm about it. It's settled into itself. It makes sense. Hanoi and Saigon do not. But, we liked both cities. The small cobblestone streets of Hanoi's old town have a certain charm, every street named after the thing it sells. Shoe street has nothing but shoes. Leather Street, nothing but leather. Silver street is full of shiny jewelry and trinkets. And so on. In Saigon, the streets are wider and the stores less segregated, but the energy is palpable and constant. The buzz, food and people watching made it one of our favorite places in Vietnam.

Street concert in Hanoi, scooter-room only.

Once you get over your fear of the scooters possibly running over you, it is incredible to sit back and watch a whole world unfold around you on two wheels. People do everything on their scooters. We saw a woman breast feeding, couples showing affection, friends having conversations across lanes of traffic while in motion. We saw entire families of four or five on one scooter. We saw people eating and drinking and sleeping. And we could not believe the things that these scooters hauled - trucks' worth of wooden planks, pigs, produce, boxes, crates, etc. All in the madness of traffic. If they made a reality show about life on scooters, we'd watch it.

We're slightly terrified to imagine a Chinese or Indian city, but for now, Hanoi and Saigon, with all of their non-stop energy and army of scooters is our picture of crazy Asia.