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Published: January 8th 2006
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Do you ever stand back from yourself and think: 'I just don't know how you get around without an aide?'
When I woke up it was still dark and I couldn't read my watch well enough, so I took my ear plugs out to see better.
This is our third day in Hanoi and I think I've turned down the offer of a motorcycle 215468894 times, Cyclo 5687932168 times, fried doughnutty things 126+65958 times, and photocopied books 5+98623549 times. It's like that here.
I have a couple of concerns though:
1.) What's with all the flipping beeping? You get that a lot in other places, but here there just seems to be no purpose AT ALL. The thing is, you'll have a small stretch of road, with about 50 motorbikes on it, maybe a sedan, and a van, AND THEY"RE ALL BEEPING THEIR HORNS AT THE SAME TIME. Not because they're all about to have an accident , although that's not to be ruled out given the driving technique, and not because there's some idiot doing something completely stupid, because nearly everybody is.
They just seem to do it to announce their presence! Well here's my
question: If everyone's announcing their presence at the same time, just who do you think is listening to you?
2.) We're not gimps. Maybe we look stupid, but we're not. Some bloke just tried to sell Stuart a pound coin for 50,000 Dong. That's about double the exchange rate, and this was after he explained he wasn't going back to England any time soon, and had no use for the coin.
You can't blame people for trying to make money, and most of the time I really enjoy the back and forth that goes along with someone trying to get a bit more out of you, and we're happy to give people extra if we can. Insulting people's intelligence is just not the way to go about it though. We've had a bit of that, but mostly it's in good humour.
Like the ladies selling fruit from their bamboo basket /stick contraptions the other day. We told them we didn't want any banana's, so the next thing you know they're getting all excited about putting their bamboo stcks on our shoulders and taking photos of us.
Then they charged me 50000 Dong, and Stuart 3 USD,
for the privilege of having photos of ourselves taken, with our own camera. You've gotta laugh.
Other than that, it's a really fascinating city. We've seen some sights, but mostly I love just watching what goes on, although it can be difficult because if you stop in the street for more than 5 seconds, someone tries to shove you in their cyclo.
This morning we visited Ho Chi Minh. That's actually how they look at it; there was a sign saying: 'All those wishing to visit with the president must leave bags..yadda yadda yadda.'
The security was interesting. First of all we got pulled out of line and questioned about where we came from. I'm guessing it was because we were the only westerners there, and Australia was apparently an okay answer. Then you have to leave your bags at one office, and take your money, camera and phone with you. Then you have to scan all the stuff you've taken, and let a particularly terse women rummage through all your personal papers. Then finally you have to leave the camera and phone at another office before you go in for your 'visit'. I also got told
off by a guard for having my hand in my pocket. Sheesh, talk about school excursion!
You just go through and pass by the casket in procession, without stopping, but there were a couple of excitable types that had to be moved on. Uncle Ho groupies, Stuart called them.
Is it just me or is it a bit strange to be selling busts of 'Uncle Ho' along side Power Rangers toys at the gift shop?
We finally let a cyclo driver ride us around to the Mausoleum and then to the Temple of Literature. It was a good trip, but it can be a bit hairy when you're on the wrong side of the road. Thenyou look around and watch where other people are driving, and there doesn't seem to BE a right side of the road.
It's really cold here. About the same temperature as London when we left. Fortunately we bought a fleece each with us, but I'm wishing I bought the whole bloody sheep now. Actually today I got so cold I bought one of those cool padded velvet jackets with the silk lining. Seems really extravagent on a travelling budget, but it
was really good value actually and we decided I would've kicked myself when I got home if I didn't get it.
Jeez, I wish I could stop feeling guilty over every bloody thing.
Food's good here. Kind of akin to Chinese, with Five Spice and that sort of thing.
Did I mention that Stuart's on a one man mission to deplete the squid stocks of Asia? He's eating it at every opportunity. Even in places where we are NOWHERE near the sea. He's had it everyway possible I think. One night he was even walking around a market nibbling on dried pieces of it.
I just had my first bowl of Pho since we got here. I wasn't really looking forward to it, because the only time I've had it before was at home, and it was a dank, grey bowl of old dishwater. This was miles better though. It's basically broth, with asian veggies, noodles, and slivers of beef. Just the ticket when you're fingers have gone numb with the cold.
Tomorrow we're going on a fancy pants overnight trip to Halong Bay. We intended to go on a trip that involved a fair bit of swimming, and some kayaking (because we're so good at it, aaaahhahahahhahaha). It's a bit cold really for all that, so we're going out and staying on a junk for the night and just playing at being the sort of people who go on cruises.
Ta ra (is that what people who cruise say?)
xxxxxxxxxxxx
P.S We just got back from dinner, which unfortunately was our first really bad meal. No drama, but Jim needed to go to a bar to wash the grit out of his mouth afterwards. Anyway, we were sitting there with our beer, and Stuart looked at my new jacket and said, 'You just need some opium to complete the effect.' So I said, 'Wait on, let's see what I can find.' Then I thrust my hands into the pockets, and thought, 'Hmm, there IS something in here.'
It was a rat pellet.
There was a rat living in my jacket before me.
Good night.
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dear verity, please call dad asap- documents re your storage [10 . 01 . 06 ]