Tuesday 12 June
After breakfast ( buffet style - tepid fried eggs in a warming cupboard, fruit juice, melons and bananas, ham, freshly made toast, butter and jam, and coffee or black tea) we once again brave the motor scooters and motorbikes to return to our hostel. We book a 3 day, 2 night tour to Halong bay, which is by the sea, and will involve sleeping on a junk, kayaking and cycling, as well as viewing beautiful scenery which forms part of yet another UNESCO World Heritage Site. Also, most importantly, going to Halong Bay will mean getting away from Hanoi's traffic.
We're both shattered and sleep for a couple of hours, emerging at about 3 pm, to walk to a local lake which is a beauty spot in Hanoi. Reg says I'm tetchyand miserable; I think I'm just tired, and at this point in time I'm unimpressed with walking to the lake in a temperature of 37º c, dripping with sweat and dodging motorscooters which seem bent on running us over, especially when we are forced to walk in the kerb because the pavements are littered with motorbikes too.
We arrive at the Lake, and while we are enjoying a cold drink, a young man manages to talk Reg into having his sandals polished for $1 (about 60p.) He gives Reg a pair of too-small flipflops to wear while he takes the sandals away to polish. Ten minutes pass, and Reg suddenly says:
"I think that man has disappeared with my sandals. What an idiot I am!"
I look up from my kindle - I have to confess that the thought that anyone would want to steal Reg's sandals hasn't crossed my mind; but I have to admit the fellow has been gone for some time. We both start to feel ready bad, remembering that we were scam victims in China. We will have to go and search for new sandals for Reg straight away - and he'll have to go in barefeet, as the flipflops he was given are far too small.
We're considering what to do, when suddenly the man re-appears with Reg's sandals, beautifully polished. I guess the $1 is worth more to the man than Reg's sandals after all. We breathe a sigh of relief, and our trust in human nature is restored once more ,,, though a more wary trust, perhaps.
Reg murmers with delight about his reconditioned sandals, as we search for an eating place which the hostel recommended to us. We can't find it and end up in a restaurant which has a good menu, but doesn't deliver the goods; the food isn't what we asked for and isn't very nice. We complain but the staff seem not to understand; getting nice food is one of the main difficulties we've encountered from time to time while travelling.
On the way back to the hostel, we spot what looks like a modern hairdressers, and Reg persuades me to go in and book an appointment for tomorrow morning - he knows I'm desperate for a haircut, especially in this searing heat. One of the staff in the salon can speak a little English and an appointment is made for 10 am tomorrow.
Back at the hostel, the air-conditioning in our room is a luscious escape from the outside temperature, which doesn't seem to have decreased much at all, even though it's now dark. I jump into the shower, am asleep by 9.00 pm, and don't wake up until 7 the next morning.
After breakfast ( buffet style - tepid fried eggs in a warming cupboard, fruit juice, melons and bananas, ham, freshly made toast, butter and jam, and coffee or black tea) we once again brave the motor scooters and motorbikes to return to our hostel. We book a 3 day, 2 night tour to Halong bay, which is by the sea, and will involve sleeping on a junk, kayaking and cycling, as well as viewing beautiful scenery which forms part of yet another UNESCO World Heritage Site. Also, most importantly, going to Halong Bay will mean getting away from Hanoi's traffic.
We're both shattered and sleep for a couple of hours, emerging at about 3 pm, to walk to a local lake which is a beauty spot in Hanoi. Reg says I'm tetchyand miserable; I think I'm just tired, and at this point in time I'm unimpressed with walking to the lake in a temperature of 37º c, dripping with sweat and dodging motorscooters which seem bent on running us over, especially when we are forced to walk in the kerb because the pavements are littered with motorbikes too.
We arrive at the Lake, and while we are enjoying a cold drink, a young man manages to talk Reg into having his sandals polished for $1 (about 60p.) He gives Reg a pair of too-small flipflops to wear while he takes the sandals away to polish. Ten minutes pass, and Reg suddenly says:
"I think that man has disappeared with my sandals. What an idiot I am!"
I look up from my kindle - I have to confess that the thought that anyone would want to steal Reg's sandals hasn't crossed my mind; but I have to admit the fellow has been gone for some time. We both start to feel ready bad, remembering that we were scam victims in China. We will have to go and search for new sandals for Reg straight away - and he'll have to go in barefeet, as the flipflops he was given are far too small.
We're considering what to do, when suddenly the man re-appears with Reg's sandals, beautifully polished. I guess the $1 is worth more to the man than Reg's sandals after all. We breathe a sigh of relief, and our trust in human nature is restored once more ,,, though a more wary trust, perhaps.
Reg murmers with delight about his reconditioned sandals, as we search for an eating place which the hostel recommended to us. We can't find it and end up in a restaurant which has a good menu, but doesn't deliver the goods; the food isn't what we asked for and isn't very nice. We complain but the staff seem not to understand; getting nice food is one of the main difficulties we've encountered from time to time while travelling.
On the way back to the hostel, we spot what looks like a modern hairdressers, and Reg persuades me to go in and book an appointment for tomorrow morning - he knows I'm desperate for a haircut, especially in this searing heat. One of the staff in the salon can speak a little English and an appointment is made for 10 am tomorrow.
Back at the hostel, the air-conditioning in our room is a luscious escape from the outside temperature, which doesn't seem to have decreased much at all, even though it's now dark. I jump into the shower, am asleep by 9.00 pm, and don't wake up until 7 the next morning.
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