Too Much to See - Too Little Time

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Sorry we have skipped a day of blogging - yesterday was a busy day and then there was a Miss Vietnam function at our resort and I couldn't get Rob to follow me to the computer room - he he! However I will try and update you with our movements of the past couple of day ( btw thanks for your comments - this sure beats postcards - hey??! ) Ok, yesterday we headed into the orphanage and the Assistant Director showed us around. Her English was very limited and she kept apologising but we got by. They were very appreciative of the food formula we had brought with us. They currently have 72 children and we won some friends - a little boy with Downs Syndrome who was delighted with the live view on my camera, another little girl teaching me hopscoth and Rob was charmed with the smile of a 6 month old girl. After the visit there we went in to old Hoi An town and visited the historic sights - this place is a photographers paradise and in one afternoon Rob & I almost took the whole quota of photos you all predicted we would take on this trip LOL!! We then rushed off for Rob's suit fitting. I even got measured up for some leather knee high boots and sandals custom made for my little fat feet and solid calves!! That was funny - they traced around my foot - measured to just under my knee then took circumference measurements at 2cm intervals - not very high tech but guess what?? I picked them up today exactly 24 hours later and they are perfect. The food here is amazing - very very yummy and very very cheap - we decided to try the local food even though western style food is available - it is not quite the same the menus - gets a little lost in translation. I have taken pics of Rob with his many delights and might have to do a scrapbook page titled "Rob Eating His Way Through Vietnam". The local kids here are funny, they are street hawkers selling postcards, whistles and tiger balm - it gets really annoying but has given us many laughs - they ask where your from and when you say Australia they answer back with "Gidday Mate - Hello Cobber" in accents better than yours and mine. If you buy something after paying they then ask if you have any "Aussie dollar for my collection" of course they want gold ones LOL. Today we had our own personal driver and tour guide pick us up at 6.30am ( before it got too hot! - 38oC yesterday ) and we went to "My Son" - 4th century old temples etc from the Cham Civilisation - there were originally over 70 but now only the ruins of 20 remain. Most were destroyed during the Vietnam War ( or as they say here the war against the Americans ). They were they highlight of our trip so far and again I think it was a 200+ photo day. When we arrived there was only 3 others there so we got to enjoy the visit peacefully and without people in our photos....the crowds were arriving as we left. We also saw some traditional dancing and costumes from the Cham era too...really enjoyed that. Our driver and guide were also very obliging and stopped when ever we want to take photos along the way of the 60km trip - so of course we got Buffalo in rice paddies, churches/pagodas and then they took us to a local farmers house where the lady of the house and I made rice cakes - I wasn't very good and she did lots of giggling but we got there in the end.
Well as you can see we have done lots over the past few days and I could blog all night, but we need to repack our cases with all our new goodies 'cos tomorrow we head to Hanoi.....stay tuned.....but before I log off can't let this entry be signed off without a few more scooter antics.....another thing we have noticed - and it is left hand drive in this country - is that there is a white centre line in the road but everyone drives up the middle and only keeps to their side of the road when there is oncoming traffic or to swerve from hitting someone - hard to describe but hilarous to see...well folks nighty night.
PS - we are having trouble uploading photos tonight but will add some asap

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