To the young man in Train Car # 10 Seat 3. I am writing this en route to our destination of Hue, traveling from Hanoi. You and I will by in this tiny train car with limited air flow for the remainder of day, fourteen hours in total. I’m writing this instead of napping because there is no way in hell I can drown out the noise. You see, you are snoring. Snoring is not the correct word for the horrendous sounds coming out you. It’s a growling, snorting sort of sound I can only compare to a very loud boar or warthog. I mean no offence, but I really didn’t know any human was capable of this sound. Most often I can block out others snoring by turning up my music or throwing a pillow over my head. Nothing is working. The very thought of being trapped in this train car listening to you for another ten hours is thoroughly frightening. If you don’t shut up I will slap you. And I’m not one for violence or extreme measures. So please, allow me the quiet I so rightfully deserve. I paid for this train ticket because I thought it would be more comfortable then a bus. Thank you.
I flew into Hanoi in fog and mist. It was evening, and the winding streets of the Old Quarter were alive with flickering lights and plenty of stalls selling sizzling fried pork and beef and fried critters I dare not eat. Everyone was out, sitting at tables in front of storefronts, smoking a cigarette or chatting amiably together. The city streets are packed with motorbikes. They whirl by you at every second. I narrowly missed a few but the glide right by you, effortlessly, as I moving through water. I think Hanoi is incredible, full of this old Asia energy and pho stalls and the air smells like incense and fish. Also…you can eat snake and dog here. I’m thoroughly not for it, tales and scales aren’t among my food preferences. Tomorrow morning I am going on a boat trip to Halong Bay. It’s said a dragon swam through the waters and created these huge rock formations that protrude from the waters surface. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. I paid for a deal where I can go swimming and kayaking in the caves as well.
Last night I finally gathered energy to go for a walk around the lake. I found it by chance, the Old Quarter is a labyrinth of winding streets. It’s easy to get lost and found again within minutes. The lake was serene, with two old buildings lit up on islands. People were all out walking, couples hand in hand, children pedaling bikes a short distance in front of their parents. On one corner of the lake there was a massive crowd of middle aged locals doing some sort of Richard Simmons rendition of exercise, flailing their arms from side to side and kicking their legs up and down, all to some funky sounding music. I almost joined in, I haven’t done yoga in days and the movement might have been nice. But I walked on. Some polite yet persistent high school students wanting to practice their English stopped me. In a few minutes I’m going to try and hit some museums, including the Temple of Literature, it sounds amazing.
I was biking back into Luang Prapang after getting a small countryside tour and stopped at a small monastery for a rest from the midday heat. So far most temples I’ve visited a monk or two will come out and chat with you. This day was no exception. I wound up offering to teach a small English lesson the following day. Thus today I biked back out at 9:00. It was really my first time teaching English so I was slightly daunted but it got easier over time. I stayed until around 11:45 and they fed me a wonderful lunch or sticky rice, vegatables, eggplant dip, and noodle soup. I’ve been running into a lot of opportunities to teach yoga and English out here. I’m convinced after a year in Seattle I’ll be back here doing a little of both!
Just landed in Luang Prabang, Laos after taking a two-day slow boat ride on the Mekong River from the Thailand/Laos border. A great way to relax after the fun of Songkran in Chiang Mai! Even caught the tail end of Pi Mai in Luang Prabang! Best of both worlds!
I walked into a tattoo place on the main walking street of Pai and found all this guys designs are just so incredible! This is an addition to a pre-existing tattoo.
alwaysthewanderer 