Shit Happens ... Good or Bad! (Day 155 to Day 173)

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Blog Without Photos!

All right! So this is how it goes. I've been robbed in the night train from Hanoi to Hue. While I was sleeping in this tremendous calore with my small backpack right beside my face, I didn't wake up when someone took it, brought it into the bathroom and took his time to take whatever he wanted. Among the stolen items, my camera!!

It is one thing to get robbed, it is another to spend three days to go from one lazy and corrupted police station to another to finally being told that they didn't want to write a police report for me. I don't know why and it was a bit frustrating. I needed a report for my insurance but after talking with someone from my insurance company, they said they will probably compensate me ... when I get back.

Why didn't I wake up? At that time and from Yuanshuo to Hue, I didn't feel really good. They had this heatwave that made everyone feel a bit uncomfortable, even the locals. The normal average day here is like our heatwaves back home. Theirs are just not fun! Anyway, you add this to the fact that I was already very tired and a bit confused. In fact, I thought I was ill and had to return home. So this is why I didn't wake up. I was just dead on my bed. You let your guards down a few seconds and BANG!

Why do I know he took my bag outside the cabin? A few days later, I decided to relax and recuperate on a lonely beach in Mui Ne, south Vietnam. On the first night, I received a call from a Visa representative telling me that someone is trying to fraud my credit card. So they had to cancel it. A credit card when traveling is one of the best tool you can have (hostel/train/flight bookings, emergencies, etc). Anyway, so that's how I know he took my bag somewhere else to go through my stuff. (He could have left me a few cigarettes the lousy bastard!)

My camera is replaceable but not 1) some great photos I took with it from Hong Kong to Hanoi, and going through Halong Bay and Yangshuo. For example, the short clip of me diving from the 3rd deck of our ferry into Halong Bay. Or a really great photo of an old french-speaking Vietnamese in Hanoi who was selling tea at his small and rustic tea stall and with whom I sit and spoke for several hours. And 2) some photos I could have taken. How many time did I tell myself "If I had my camera...". This country is really photogenic. I've seen a lot of nice things and the people there were great with me. Even if the policemen were stupid and even if I got robbed, I can't put them all in the same basket. The country is beautiful and the Vietnamese the best people there is out there . Among Asian countries, they are among the ones who I appreciated the most.

And on the positive side, I still have my passport, my cards and I feel really good again!! And I think this had to happen. Because first of all, it woke me up and secondly, it is part of MY adventures. It makes my trip what it is and without it, it wouldn't be the same. Also, it was a sign that told me to relax. So I went to Mui Ne, drank coconuts and ate oysters with Vietnamese. It was simple, easy but grand at the same time.

Anyway! I'm still traveling, loving it and I don't know how but happier than ever. Yes! I don't know how many people told me that I'm always smiling and this why they come talk to me. I think this smile disappeared these past few years and came back during my trip. Without looking for it, I'm always with a bunch of people. Places change, faces change too but the vibe is always gooood. So I think this trip is working out, I'm becoming the younger version (mentally) of me and it feels great! It was one of the main goal of this round the world trip ... but I'm not done yet!

So after a two day trip in the Halong Bay that I won't ever forget, some of the heaviest weather I experienced in Hanoi, three days of running after my tail in Hue but unbelievably having one of my best night out with some people I met, three days of pure chilling at Mui Ne, a disappointing Italy draw against NZ while I was in Ho Chi Minh City, a short stop in Kuala Lumpur and some qualily time with some really good old friends in Singapour, I'm ready for what I think will be the most exciting part of it all : One month roadtripping Australia, two or three weeks with my best friend in Indonesia and one month discovering the old Inca Empire...

With no photos, I don't expect people to like this blog but I guess I would give some news nonetheless.

Take care to all of you and I can't wait to a have a few drinks with you guys on some of the best terraces there is ... which is in Montreal of course!

Aussi un gros merci a Ferbot! Revivre dans le luxe le temps de quelques jours m'a vraiment fait du bien ... et que dire de la homemade poutine pour la St-Jean...

Nikolas xx

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Comments

[Biffo]

Tough shite
First thing the French suck, Sorry about the camera, but you could be still working on Staten Island... nooooooooooooo. Sound like your having the trip of your life..... Good luck