Did Someone Say Beach?

Carting Around Hanoi
the gong
The Recreation
Running into the South China Sea We left Sa Pa and the overnight train was great (we shared the cabin this time with a Chinese couple - man and woman, which basically felt as if we were sleeping with them)! We got on, popped some ambien and passed out, waking up in Hanoi. Many of the same people we have seen were on our train...the German women we shared our "cabin" with on the way up, Michael from SF and the Italian couple and Birtish woman. Once we arrived back in Hanoi, we hung out at the Handspan office for a bit and tried to "freshen" up. We ordered a huge breakfast - enough fit for an army which is normal for us Americans, but so much for them...we each wanted three eggs, but they only had two eggs on the menu. It took us about 5 minutes with the entire restaurant listening to explain we wanted three orders of the two eggs. It was pretty funny. We met two guys, Paul and Joe, both from Australia and really great.

We had a pretty empty day in Hanoi, so we went to the Hanoi Hilton (Hoa Loa), which is not the hotel but a sarcastically named POW prison museum because of how they were treated. Most of what we saw was extremely disturbing. From there we went to the Temple of Literature (Van Mieu), which was the first university in Vietnam and viewed as very prestigious. I didn't think it was as brilliant as the temples I have seen in Bangkok, but it's definitely worthwhile and expansive.

Afterwards, we were dropped off near the West Lake (Ho Tay) where we stayed the first night. We sat on the river and had lunch and coffee. Our diet has consisted of white Vietnamese coffee (which uses a sweet condensed milk), some sort of shrimp fried rice dish, pho (a noodle soup with eggs and veggies and a meat of your choice if you so want it) and beer (Tiger or Halida).

Moving on, we took our flight with Joe (one of the aussies) to Hoi An. The cab ride on the way there was crazy. The usage of the horn is unbelievable and the driver started blasting club music with major bass over the speakers - a version of "keep me hanging on." The flight was quick - less than an hour to Hoi An from Hanoi. On the plane, I sparked up a conversation with the local guy sitting in between rach and I. We talked with him the whole way down. Most peole are nice and are as interested in you as you are in learning about them. I had to ask him why the two Vietnamese boys in front of me kept taking pictures of me with there camera phone...I let it go at first cuz I'm taking pictures of the people here, but after about five shots, I had to find out. Hung (the guy sitting next to me) said that they thought I was funny but then quickly said no no beautiful. So who knows...maybe it was a cover up, but it was pretty funny nonetheless - i got my picture of the two boys as we deboarded.

So now we are in Hoi An at the brilliant Victoria hotel (gorgeous and one of very few hotels that are on the beach here...away from town). The first night I went to into town while Rach stayed at the hotel to relax. I met up with Joe for dinner at this restaurnat in town and went out for drinks and played a game of pool. It was a fun night, the first time I've really gone out here and it seemed like it was the only place alive at midnight. Everything else was dead. I ran into Erin there (the Canadian girl we met in Tokyo on our flight to Hanoi). Rach and I were talking how amazing it is that we see the same people everywhere we go. It's crazy!.

Yesterday we spent the day on the beach and our pasty white asses got pretty burned. Neither of us had seen sun since last summer in the Hamptons. Nothing too bad, but enough to keep out of the sun to some degree today. The weather here is PERRRFECT (80ish breezy and SUNNY for once). We went for a walk along the beach in the morning and we got thai massages outside in a breezy hut on the beach...ahhh... and only 30 bucks for an hour. I have signed up for a facial for 30 bucks and will get my haircut and head massaged for 20...we are loving it here :) Some of the workers here told me I looked like "Hollywood" and Rach said that I was famous back in the states so they all wanted pictures...it was hysterical.

Dinner last night was great although I ate a hot pepper...pretty much a whole pepper and caused a rucus as I searched for beer, water, noodles, bread - anything to take the sting out!!! We've done a little shopping for artsy type stuff - photos (one of which we tried to reenact, which we will post on the blog later) and paintings but NO clothes...can you believe it - neither of us after having gone into the stores cared enough to get clothes made...I am shocked at myself :) Unfortunately, as we were walking off our dinner last night, we crossed the road and completely ranomly Rach stepped on something sharp...it turns out it was a little piece of wood (like a thick splinter). It went all the way through her sandal and a tiny bit of the rubber got pushed into her skin. It hurt like a bitch but she is totally fine. She spent an hour getting the rubber all out when we got home and went to sleep successful.

Tomorrow we are taking a tai chi class on the beach at 730 AM for 5 bucks. We've met very cool people here and I am about to go to a locals home to make pottery and see his home in the fishing viallage about 2KM outside of town. We are meeting up with my Aunt Shelia's best friend from childhood for lunch today, so that is pretty exciting. thats it for now...much love...and pics to come

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