Walk out the hotel and down a steep track to the main road and you encounter the traffic.
The traffic is chaotic at best, thousands of small motorbikes, some with three people on them. There is a traffic cop directing things in the early evening. The first time we saw him he was reprimanding someone knocked off his bike for not having a helmet. On another occasion where a couple were knocked off, the car owner stopped to check they could walk and get back on before he drove off, unconcerned. End of story about insurance or compensation.
The steep track from the hotel proved a bit of an obstacle when a motorbike approached the first evening we went out for supper, and Carol tripped over the remnant of a cement speed hump to avoid the bike, grazing both knees. So after this it was swim with care!
Here are a few of the bikes zipping along the main road - Not many wear helmets. None of the children. Note the fantastic electrical wiring.
Bikes are used to transport everything, passengers on bike taxis, all sorts of things on side car constructions, and this truck is unloading ice into bags - they just shovel it into bags - and then onto the bikes to be taken to the bars and hotels...yes the guy checking the road is clear is carrying a couple of bags of ice in front of his knees, as well as his paperwork in his left hand. He'll probably be talking on his mobile phone on the way with his other hand.
Ok this is the nice hotel we are staying at, with the view from our balcony.
Some of the best food we have tasted so far has been sold off the street, often from motorbikes like these - thanks Sarah for the tip. We usually eat out, the food is just as good in tiny roadside restaurants as in the hotel, and cheaper, and often have some food in our hands from the bike sellers. I honestly think their food tastes even better than the restaurants. Tip - green curry mild, yellow hot, red very hot. Most also quite sweet. All pretty yummy.
No comments:
Post a Comment