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Published: February 22nd 2013
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Miniblog today, for several reasons - not too much to say and thinking about people at home - much love, wish I was with you all right now!
Last day here yesterday, self-indulgent reading, and have discovered 2 more advantages of a kindle: you can be reading any old rubbish and no-one can tell what and judge you for being a literary lightweight, and nationality-wise you are completely anonymous and therefore in some useful cases immune from being forced into a conversation you don't really, at that particular moment want. I was very near a yuppie supermummy on the beach, cross between Joyce Grenfell (showing my age....) and Miriam Stoppard, cute toddler but v v peace-shattering positive affirmation and nursery rhymes constantly until at last the poor child was worn out and needed a nap. Now as my nearest and dearest know, I absolutely love children, but grief - the parents can be most annoying, especailly the English-speaking ones as you can understand every word.
The hotel has mainly been great, and the beach beautiful, however a few minor niggles. Breakfast is from 6am (that is 6AM!!!!! - why?????) until 9am only. I made it every day, and it
is a lovely and relatively cool part of the day, but cmon, folks, not everyone was delighted by that. We are on holiday, after all. And free wifi is offered according to the hotel only in reception and the restaurant (both a challenge after dark, hence typos). I was v happy to find I could get a signal in my room too, although very on and off, and a great one on the beach, so they need to check this out and advertise differently or upgrade their routers just a tiny bit, as wifi in rooms is such a selling-point for most these days.
Last night I walked into town again, while it was still light, planning to go to the night market, shop, eat and get a motorbike taxi home. The first part worked. It was rush hour (no big deal here, unlike in Saigon) and I had 2 iced coffees and watched the traffic. Really! It is interesting. School kids in uniforms were on their way home, mainly on bikes, which have a second seat on the back for giving a friend a lift, not illegal here. Some, it has to be said, did not have the
seat but gave lifts anyway. They were very smiley and I said hello about a million times.
Then to the night market - soooooo relaxed compared to other countries, no hard sell, look if you like and browse without any bother at all. Some prices were marked, which means no haggling - fine by me, as they were very reasonable. Bought some things for my bbgrls Christmas stockings, as usual. Tried sugar cane drink - they push the sticks through a mangle a few times, then mix with water and kumquat juice - delicious, and a nice chat with American/Vietnamese couple while it was being made. 30p. And so to eat. It is all seafood/fish places where you choose and point and then they weigh and barbeque it, and you choose what you want to go with it. They write the price per kilo down but you need to be VERY CLEAR on the price of what you chose. I got 2 big big prawns, he wrote down 80 and I am too embarrassed to say what I ended up paying! Lesson leant!
Transport home! Feeling suitably confident after my success at negotiating for a motorbike the other
day, clutching d20,000 (60p) and the name of the hotel written on a piece of paper I walked down to the corner where they hang out. Only 2 - didn't much like the look of either - much discussion which led me to believe they had no idea where it was. Realised later I had a card from the hotel in my bag. Handy hint - this is a v good plan - they all can recognise it then from the address. Anyway, they seemed to work it out, the older guy held up 3 fingers, I waved the note, he shook his head, I walked off and he shouted after me. So far so good. Then he handed me the head gear. Not a helmet. Can only be described as a cardboard baseball cap with a strap. I handed it back saying no way, mate! I am flexible, but not to that extent. Walked off for real and ended up walking back (15 mins) and it was better than I thought. Street lights all the way and a constant stream of tourists, and what in the day looks like a scruffy row of shops and restaurants looks really pretty
at night all lit up.
So last night here, back to Saigon to Bui Vien, repack and pick up Beth, return to domestic terminal for flight to Hoi An at 8pm and hope our hotel pickup is there. Weather forecast is for rain, never cold but not easy in a place like this where the roads can flood or be a muddy mess, and you rely on being outside all the time.
More after the weekend.xxxx to girlies
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