I might have been wrong..

Hanoi isn't that baaaaaaaaaad.. I think I might have had a really bad first impression because I was so tired (reading back on my last post, that was a proper ramble) and just not in the mood, so I just found myself developing a grudge. Truth is, last couple of days have been really nice.

Yesterday I wandered around the Old Quarter when it was actually still quite light, and then met up with Jen and Helen in the late afternoon. We started chatting and didn't really stop.. We suddenly realised it was 9 o'clock so we got some supper, carried on chatting, realised it was about midnight, walked back to their hotel, carried on chatting, realised it was 1 so called it a day and I went home on the back of a xe om (say - om. Literally translates as motorbike hug). As we rode along the street, the driver offered me "cheap woman?"

"Erm... no, no thank you"

"No it's ok, she's very cheap"

"Noooo, I don't want a cheap woman"

"Go on"

"No."

So he stopped the bike, hailed his friend and they chatted in Vietnamese and I was told to get off the bike and get on the other one. The other driver then started taking me down mysterious streets that I did not at all recognise - possibly because of everywhere being shut - the place literally transforms by night when it's all empty, it's surreal. The driver then turned down a little alleyway "Uh ohhhhhh" I thought to myself. Even moreso when the bike stops, the driver says "ok, ok, we here."

I said "No, this is wrong! Wrong place!"

Drama drama drama. I'm very tired, he's evidently quite tired, we start getting really cross with each other because he wants to charge me even more to get me home, he thinks he has taken me home, etc etc etc. I then realise we're just antagonising each other and say "ok, ok, ok", lowering my voice. "Let's go back to the main road" (a lot of gesturing involved) "Let's go back to the main road and look at my map, see where we are."

We push the bike back together, start looking at the streetnames, we worked it out together, turned out he read my address wrong and he turned too early. We hop back on, he takes me up to the door and we part with a pat on each other's back and he says "Good luck to you sir, good luck to you" "And to you!" and to bed.

Got to bed, but the day wasn't over and I was up even later as a battle in the skies commenced as a belligerent mosquito entered my no-fly zone. I picked up a pretty hefty guide to SE Asia and entered ninja mode. The mozzie landed on my nose so I thwacked it good and hard, unfortunately missing the insect. I then lost sight of it and sat back down on my bed, taking a defensive stance. I didn't see or hear it for a while so I got up to see if it was resting somewhere. It was. I'd sat on it. Somehow it was still alive after fourteen stone of Fred bore down upon its head, but I just scraped it off and settled down.

Another lovely day with Helen and Jen today. Ended a little early, but we are quite tired and have an early start tomorrow for a daytrip around Ha Long Bay. Should be lovely, I'm glad I've bitten the bullet and booked a ticket! I couldn't not do it, really..

It has helped finalise my plans, though. As a result, this could be my last entry for a while. When I get back from Ha Long Bay, I shall be packing my bag to leave on Wednesday morning for Mai Chau. It's quite rural, with terraced rice paddies, mountains and some lovely villages. I plan to stay in a traditional stilt house quite cheaply and then hire a motorbike so I can enjoy the national parks that surround me, and I will probably be there for five days. I've been given a lot of food for thought today and yesterday, and feel I could have a good session of philosophising when I'm surrounded by what should be some pretty inspiring landscapes. I imagine I will be there for 4 or 5 days.

It is after those four or five days that I really am starting to run out of time before having to be back in Saigon to finish my dental work, and sadly it looks like I will not have time for Laos. It doesn't get me down though, when I think about it. A large part of travelling for me is about meeting people and making friends of similar mindsets, and if I am to sacrifice a journey through Laos to spend time connecting further with people then I think it is alright. Especially now there is such a family tie to this magnificent nation, I am certain to return, at which time I can explore the countries that surround it. I will endeavour to get to Cambodia, however. What the best method shall be is yet to be seen, I shall have to do some research, but I may even return to Hanoi to fly to Saigon to then get a bus to Siem Reap. Flying straight there is horrendously expensive..

You might have seen my mention of a broken toe on facebook. Well, not much to it except that I broke my toe. It was dark, the pavement was sticking up in one place and I kicked it pretty hard. If only this was the UK, I could get a couple of grand out of it and fund my postgrad when the time comes! Alas...

Photo-wise today, it's a rather nice lake in the corner of the Old Quarter, called Hoan Kiem Lake. It has a temple on an island in the middle and a rather shy turtle population lurking around somewhere inside. Lit rather prettily at night, and plays host to many couples and the odd exercise class, too. There's also a bit of Hanoi and of course the Mausoleum - inside that building is Ho Chi Minh, mummified. I got to thinking how extraordinary it is that one man could have so much commemoration of his life, what with a mausoleum with an armed ceremonial guard 24/7, lots of money spent on mummy maintenance, but then you come to think of what he actually achieved. Born in 1890, he lived a long long time, and so was already 55 when he booted out the Japanese from Vietnam, then 64 when he got rid of the French and in doing so laid down an infrastructure that would massively help the Vietcong secure victory against the US. Yes, there's a huge amount more to what he did, or perhaps one could say what he ignored of Giap's command of the military, but history will inevitably remember this man as the one who secured Vietnam's independance against the odds.

So that's the educated part of today done with, now Fred is going to veg for the remainder of the evening.