6 weeks later...

'Xin Thao' Europe et al!

So, back from the lake & only slightly hot & bothered; drinking some cane-juice with passionfruit takes the edge off the day for sure. The lake in question is the one of the main ones in Hanoi city centre, reputed to still play host to seldom-seen turtles, which have been here at least as long as the city (1000 years).

Hanoi is a funny one; it's the real Asian city of cramped lanes, streets that specialise in selling one particular range of products; be it saucepans, handbags, sweets, lanterns or even wedding invitation cards! and like any Vietnamese town, has a million motorbikes on the move at any given minute. On the other hand it hasn't grabbed me in the way that Saigon did or some of the spots I've visited inbetween.

I got up early this morning (7.30am - are you impressed?) to get to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (a museum hosting the embalmed remains of Uncle Ho) which is somewhat of a mecca for the Vietnamese who revere him as the author of the country's reunification in 1975. The queues for here are known for being around the two hour mark, so an early start was called for. You'd think I had done adequate research, but I was to find out at 8 from some tourists staying in the same place as me that the museum is shut on Fridays! Doh, there went that plan. Bed beckoned as well as the ever-useful HBO channel; yes TV choice can be quite good in the better Vietnamese hotels.

Speaking of what's good, what's not so good is that there seems to be a 'block' on these blogspot.com websites outside of the two main cities (Saigon & Hanoi) - don't ask me how 'they' do it, but the evidence is there. It's also a rather handy excuse for why I've been one month inbetween posts. I guess these are the joys of living in a communist state. Surprisingly, police presence is close to negligible across the land and apart from the above example and having to hand in your passport at each hotel, the eyes of big brother are nigh on invisible.

So, what would the folks back home like to know, I ponder? It's hard, of course, to offer a coherent view of a country over a few paragraphs, so maybe instead a few snapshots will suffice...?

Daywear: most women go around their daily business dressed in floral pyjamas, in much the same way as housecoats were de rigeur for homemakers in the 40's. Some are more able to pull off this look than others.

Beer: 'Bia Hoi' is the best way to spend an evening in Vietnam. Translated as 'fresh beer' it is just that. Delivered from the local brewery, these kegs have a lifetime of a day max and so they sell it cheap on the roadside, customers trying to make themselves comfortable on doll-house sized plastic furniture inches from the ground. There's a great mix of locals & tourists and conversation flows as easily as the beer. Typically 3000 Dong a glass, that works out at about 8.5 glasses for a euro - happy nights indeed.

The people: Vietnam sometimes gets a bad rap as a place where the locals take advantage of tourist trade and capitalise on whatever service they're offering. It's true, the Vietnamese know how to make a buck and naive tourists can come a cropper as a result. After 6 weeks here I can confidently say that while the people involved in business are indeed canny operators, the tool needed is to be a savvy customer and know the price of a pound of bacon, so to speak. Generally whatever the first price proffered is will be ridiculous & you can often get the item for half that price, which is approaching it's 'Vietnamese street value'. Aside from those involved in business (which is the majority you come across) the people can be charming, inquisitive & quick to laugh.

FOOD: I gave a mixed review to food here before. That's changed. I'm really enjoying 90% of what I eat now. I'm just back from mountainous Sapa which has a temperate climate, which might influence the food quality, but without fail each dish was very yummy. IN one day i ventured into 2 new food territories. Namely, rabbit and later frog. I recommend the frog. Sorry Kermit lovers.

OK: it's time for the daily rendezvous at the Bia Hoi & while I'm sure I could wax on with nonsense for another bit, I feel a bit full, do you? I'm possibly able to write more before I leave Vietnam next week, when I aim to return to see the bits of Laos (Northern) that I missed before. In my experience, internet is a bit flakier in Laos. I hope that you find this interesting; as the cliche goes: if you like it tell others; if you don't tell me! I welcome all thoughts. Mailme, like!

PS: Thought for the day is from a book i'm reading at the moment called the Indochina Chronicles which recounts that "If you've tried everything and failed, try Hanoi". I'm sure no-one reading is in need of taking note of this!