It’s been some time since I cycled. I think today’s effort is best described in more relaxing terms – I rode a bike.

The thing is not so much that I’ve ridden again, it’s that I chose to do it in the country with the highest population density in South East Asia. The country where 59.4% of the population are children and I was sharing the road with about a quarter of them on their own self-propelled vehicles. Half were on mopeds with their parents. The remaining quarter, are the babies since I didn’t see any of them out and about. I’m not sure who looks after them since I think the grandparents were also out on their mopeds.

The real miracle is that there were no accidents. That said, I obviously couldn’t see behind me so perhaps I caused a few but I’m choosing to believe that if I didn’t see it, it didn’t happen.

People are overwhelmingly polite regardless of the vehicle they are manoeuvring through what is best described as organised chaos. Riding on the right was initially a challenge though since there are no lane markings, there is an inherent sense of freedom and flexibility to ride a little more daringly ie swerving onto the other side of the road to avoid a 23 moped / cycle pile up.

It’s all done in a very civilised way with no aggression, fists, fingers nor voices were raised as people avoided what or whomever happened to be in their path. People seem to randomly join the traffic from all directions yet it was done with clear signalling albeit from random areas of the road.

It was done with the miracle of the moped horn and bike bell. Rather than using it to signal displeasure or annoyance, they are honked or rung to signal that you’re there and are possibly passing by on, generally, the left.

The cacophony is unique to South East Asia in terms of it not signalling agression. The only other country outside this region with arguably more noise for the same purpose is India. It also goes long into the night making it difficult to sleep.

In contrast, Hoi An, Vietnam is a UNESCO Heritage Listed Town so the main area officially closes at 9.30pm. There’s even a person on a moped riding up the streets broadcasting this message as the time nears. When it hits, the message changes to say “bye bye” in various languages. Staying nearby ensures no residue noise as well as the obvious benefit of being near a picturesque area.

After my big evening out on the bike and an even bigger day diving, it’s time for a sleep.

I’ll be taking a bike out again tomorrow. Better check my bell works.

* Thanks to Queen for the title to this post.
** Hats off to one of my cycling buddies who hadn’t been on a bike for about 3/4 of her life and to my other cycling buddy who managed to fix the lock on my bike on multiple occasions.