We are sold on Vietnam!
From our guest blogger, MoZiLLa in Vietnam…
We are currently in Hoi An and not staying where I said we would be! We are at the Phuong Nam Hotel, very happy with it – my mind did a swoop when I walked into our bedroom in this hotel as it so reminded me of The English Patient and other movies of that genre – the dark wood furniture, the cool white walls, the sliding dark wood windows and on. The bathroom is big and more than adequate. Truly adorable staff.
Just back from a loooooonnnnng walk. As we strolled past a teeny tiny shop this afternoon I asked Blake if he was going to be brave and get his hair cut as the hair below his regular hairline at the back of his neck was challenging Tarzan with the need for a ‘tidy-up’. He agreed he needed to keep his eyes open and voila, I turned him around and before you could say much he was in the chair and is now looking most dapper indeed. Very short and sharp. I took a few pics to try to capture the tiny-ness of this shop and chose NOT to think about the cleanliness level of the comb and other utensils used on Blake – I doubt they were ever cleaned but wouldn’t it be wonderful if I was wrong?
While Blake was being relieved of his follicles a young woman showed up with another child – 2 already in the shop watching! – and asked me if I would like a massage. Have you EVER known me to say ‘No’ to a massage? And again, before I could blink I was prone in the only other archaic steel chair. Now this woman had the hands of a fighter! I kept thinking about the Clint Eastwood movie with Hilary Swank. Hilary had nothing on this lady. She beat me up from scalp to shoulders and halfway down my arms, covered my face in Nivea cream I think, shook and pulled my hair, slapped my face and chin, clunked my forehead and scalp with a block of wood it felt like but was probably her hands, slopped a wet towel from a bucket in the corner of the shop onto my face to wash off the cream, poured some delightful liquid into my hair, sat me up and started to comb my hair as it was of course standing straight out….. but I had to draw the line there as I just couldn’t quite have that comb in my hair!! We paid, gave our thanks, grinned and waved and …… felt like a million dollars. Blake was now cuter than ever with his new haircut and all that abuse on me was GREAT! and
my neck and shoulders actually felt a little better 🙂
We had dinner at some marvelous local place where we learned we really like Vietnamese Wonton soup. A nice little dog kept watch just a few feet away, wild motorbike drivers sped by a few feet away from our table, twilight slipped into night. We drank Lager beer and ended the meal with sweet milk/sugar coffee – mmmmm. Wandered ‘home’ hand in hand just loving every ambience-filled moment….. and not just me, Blake is equally as thrilled with it all as I am.
And Hanoi – this gets repetitious but that too was such a good time. We walked for hours and hours, ‘did’ the markets, nearly expired from lack of liquid in the middle of the market and I figured Blake would end up a pneumonia victim as he had 100% drenched his shirt and I had visions of him somehow catching a chill….. now think Maureen, how is that possible?….. the heat and the humidity were so high! but nevertheless I was watching out for my boy…… walked around the big lake in the Old Quarter of Hanoi, ate dinner at …. Bobby Chin’s…. correct name?…. a ‘must do’ of Sandi’s – excellent food and service. The following day was THE Halong Bay trip – Pammie, I so wanted it to be the way you described it! But alas, it was a day for pouring rain. Nevertheless, off we went, met some super people, braved getting soaked, chose our poor luncheon victims at the fish farm and had a truly delectable meal on board the cruise boat and didn’t die on the highways of Hanoi to Halong Bay where painted lines and driving-on-the-correct-side-of-the-highway is laughable. All in all an experience and fun. As we were being driven to the airport this morning Blake exclaimed, "Isn’t the architecture exquisite"? And it is as the French influence is prevalent – a yellow mustard colour is a favourite for the buildings, black grills, handsome doorways and frequently the structure is only one room wide and rises for 3 or 4 floors – it takes getting used to as it looks odd to see these buildings often standing on its own.
Blake here – have I told you how many times Mo has told me how much she likes the humid weather?! I am greasing her fingers as we speak so she can type at super speeds. Aside from that, this weather is so wonderful for my skin!!!! My hair is spurting through it to the point that three barbers had to work shifts just to trim the hair on my ears alone 🙂 Mo is threatening to buy more clothes, the lessons and Beatitudes from the Retreat are wearing thin at this point and rather than clothe the poor Mo has decided charity begins at home. Please start the Prayer Chain tomorrow!!!!
…… NO COMMENT FROM MO AT THIS POINT AS I AM THE ONE TYPING AS HE DICTATES!!! Blake again: sorry about that little diatribe! Tomorrow I start my job at the Pizza parlour in town so that I can finance Mo’s upcoming shopping expedition. Must run now – it’s my turn to drive taxi and I have to learn how to operate the horn, the lights and the accelerator simultaneously. It would really confuse things if any of the vehicles had brakes!
Regards to all, Blake…. HE IS SOOOO CHEEKY. Never believe anything he says 🙂
Much love to all, M xox
