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February 28, 2005
A night and day in Hanoi
It's now Monday evening in Hanoi.
Last night we walked through the old quarter to the famous Cha Ca La Vong, where we had glorious fish stew prepared at our table over a hot charcoal stove.
Then we went to Minh's Jazz Club, and heard Minh, who teaches saxophone at the Hanoi Conservatory and a credible combo for a set. They sounded to me much like a Cornish combo - young, talented, enthusiastic, but not totally seasoned.
We then fell into bed, totally exhausted after 48 hours of minimal sleep - it felt amazingly good to be horizontal.
Ed and I woke up at 5:30 this morning and as soon as it got light we walked around the lake, watching people do their morning exercises, which ranged from stretching and tai chi to badminton and aerobics. The guidebook said that there are huge tortoises in the lake - in 1968 they pulled out one that weighed over 250 kilos and was more than two meters long!
We grabbed a quick breakfast at the hotel (Ed had baguette and jam, I had beef pho) and we met up with the gang to go find an ao dai for Marcia. We met with success, but that's a story to tell later.
We spent the rest of the day walking over the entire city, marvelling over the heavy motorscooter traffic, the shops, the people everywhere.
We had a great lunch at the Brother Restaurant with the whole crew, and then strolled over to see Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum and grounds. Ho wasn't open for viewing today (closed Mondays) but the monument was impressive in a Soviet brutalist kind of way.
Now we're off to dinner at the culinary school where they train homeless youth to be chefs... more later when we can!
Posted by oren at February 28, 2005 03:30 AM
Hi Oren, I'll be dropping by to check on your progress as your trip progresses. I know just how you feel right now.....it's day but your body is saying "I want to sleep"....just make sure someone is there to keep you from drowning in your soup! Is there any way to post pictures? Spokane seems pretty tame right now....glad you're having a good time. I just knew you'd find a jazz club.
Ta-ta, Ron
Posted by: Ron at February 28, 2005 07:27 AM
Your night and day in Hanoi sound great! I am looking forward to checking out your blogg every day to see how you guys are doing!!
Posted by: Larry at February 28, 2005 10:29 PM
So far and so good! Thanks for taking us along. Pigs on motorscooters, would love to see a picture of that. Cheers!
Posted by: Andrea at March 1, 2005 04:02 AM
The Essential Bakery now offers beef pho and saxaphone. It goes pretty good with their sticky buns. This global economy has a massive impact.
Glad all is well. We have rain! The plants are loving it. We all miss you.
I used to take dramamine for the nausea created by the waving seas of humanity. It never worked and I never got used to a bazillion trillion people everywhere.
Have a blast and go to bed earlier.... Your comments have been made at alike 3:30 AM. Must be Pacific Time. Or that Statue of Lenin in Freemont is trying to communicate via the Aurora troll with the socialist realist tombstone for Ho Chi Minh. Probably the same artist.
Posted by: Daniel Sloan at March 1, 2005 10:17 AM
OMYGOSH. What an adventure. Your vivid accounts of the cities, people, food, and the physical exhaustion really give me a deep appreciation for people "like you" who are willing to give to our fellow-humans across the great expanse of geography and culture. I know you'll never be the same. Thank you and blessings! Keep slathering the deet. Jan
Posted by: Jan at March 2, 2005 01:20 PM
OMYGOSH. What an adventure. Your vivid accounts of the cities, people, food, and the physical exhaustion really give me a deep appreciation for people "like you" who are willing to give to our fellow-humans across the great expanse of geography and culture. I know you'll never be the same. Thank you and blessings! Keep slathering the deet. Jan
Posted by: Jan at March 2, 2005 01:21 PM
You two are diplomatic corps material! Condi called me trying to find you this morning. I gave her your blog address. You should be hearing from her or Don or Dick pretty soon.
"Uneasy." Apply this euphemism in the proven, classic, diplomatic phrase, "Comrades, aggressive poverty and mosquito populations make me uneasy. Blessed are the balalaikas, for they shall be repeated endlessly until I am in my zone."
Asian travel is an eye opener ain't it? We have 70 degrees, blooming trees, blue sky, and no bugs. The Burke Gilman was excellent at noon today. Thinking of you. ROCK OUT. Turn it all up to 11.
Posted by: Daniel Sloan at March 3, 2005 04:01 PM
With any luck at all, in the near future local mosques will provide your team with karaoke 5 times per day. They take those sound systems very seriously. Certainly the minaret masterpieces are more important than sleep.
Hey! Use some Soviet or even USA technology to post some pictures so we can see the amazing country side, amazing roads, amazing hokey pokey dances, amazing water buffalo and amazing accommodations. Keep on having tons of fun for all of us.
Posted by: Daniel Sloan at March 4, 2005 08:58 AM
You must be way into the rural Vietnam interior. No blog posting for days. Travel safe coming home. We all miss you and can't wait to hear the adventure stories.
Way to go.
Posted by: Daniel Sloan at March 7, 2005 02:14 PM