Today started with a txt from Vodaphone saying they are shutting me down due to “excessive use” which is perfect now that I have sorted out with the manager to stay at the Blue River
So after breakfast I go next door to the Canadian Hotel for a “fin café sura da” my favourite drip iced coffee to get my heart started then get a ride on a bike to the Tax Centre - a shopping mall recommended because of their “western sized” clothing. I buy 2 pairs of pants and 2 shirts but I need to come back at 6pm after they adjust the pants so then I wander back to Ben Tanh Markets to find some shoes and a belt but I will have to buy the shoes when I go back to the Tax Centre because the markets only go up to size 38, apparently I’m a 44. I stop at a shop to buy a Vietnamese SIM card and finally I’m back on the grid! Back to the hotel to call and order my new bank cards and just as I get to speak to the person who is going to send them………..out of phone credit, Argh! So down the street to buy more credit and finally the cards are on their way. So time for lunch and a self indulgent massage which is sorely needed after the stress of the last few days then back to the hotel for a lay down while I wait for Huong to finish work.
I met her last year at Bar Pao where I was leaving my cheap travelling guitar for the second time just before leaving the country, she was a waitress and we chatted a little bit, swapped emails and have been conversing online over the last year - just a friend for those that asked. She came around about 4 and took me for a ride to some different shops she knew to buy shoes but in the end we had to go to the Tax Centre and get them there and picked up my pants and shirts – now I have an entire dorky outfit for school – what a square!
I find the traffic on the back of a bike exhilarating. On the back of Huongs bike I found it a little bit scary for the first time, she’s not what I would call a confident rider as we wobbled up the road, there was a couple of near miss head ons with a bus then a taxi but then when she answered her phone while riding……….wow! (unfortunately the call was her getting fired) On our way back from the shopping it started to rain, as it does at least once everyday, and I mean really rain. did I mention she wears glasses? now she's riding blind! We pulled over under cover for a while then we bought some plastic ponchos that appear on all bike riders within seconds of the first drops of rain and she dropped me back to my hotel, drenched but in one piece.
The temperature on the first couple of days was quite bearable – I even went out in jeans last night - but today it was really hot so the rain was nice……I am not looking forward to getting all dressed up in leather shoes, long pants and a long sleeve shirt (to hide my tattoos-can’t be seen at the school) tomorrow for the beginning of my 2 weeks volunteer/work experience teaching. Dorky and sweaty!
Being a decent sort of guy I called Marianne the German girl to let her know that I couldn’t catch up with her tonight but she was insistent and she is damn cute so I agreed to walk over to her Hotel and pick her up for dinner and a quick drink. Using google maps on the iPhone made it easy until I lost data coverage and it started sending me in circles………..then it started to rain again……drenched and lost I called her again and arranged to meet her outside the Yamaha shop at the roundabout, I waited undercover from the bucketing rain for half an hour but gave up and headed back to the Canadian for quick dinner and a beer before a shave and bed.
