Vietnam October 2008

Hanoi Journal

The rain fell for 30 hours and brought rivers down upon the people of Hanoi. For five days afterwards, the city was soaked, draining slowly and with reluctance, for the place is flat and near sea level. Our visit across town, a journey of some six miles, took about an hour and a half. Along the way we saw the people coping with the disruption with calm and measure.

The amazing thing is tho’ the rain came and came and fell with unrelenting passion, the people moved as they always do, tending their business with undaunted motion. At the hint of any precipitation the ponchos come out and the city turns into a moving Easter show, purples and greens and pink eggs on scooters.