My Own Balcony

I woke at eight thirty, that’s some fourteen hours sleep except for the hour or so when I woke at midnight, the last couple of months of travelling has caught up to me and now hopefully, I have caught up on it.

I pace the room after my shower, do I stay one more night and take my time to find a place I really want to stay at or do I roll the dice and lug the backpack around “Ma May” and “Hang Bac” hoping to stumble upon it?

Of course I rolled the dice, I checkout and grab a cab to “Ma May” and wander through a few hotels asking room prices. I switched off my internal thinking navigator and just followed my instinct which led me to “Thuy Nga”, just off “Hang Bac”. 

A little man who does not look unlike Mr Miyagi from “Karate Kid” writes down $12USD and hands me some keys. I walk the four flights of stairs with the backpack on to check out the room and it’s perfect. 

Cheap, clean, double bed (and a single for my computer work), air-con (though I don't think I'll be needing it to cool the room), wifi, TV, fridge, a very tiny bathroom (but it’s just me) and finally – my own balcony over looking the mayhem below and the roof tops of The Old Quarter in Hanoi. 

I don't know, you tell me, do they do this deliberately?

First thing I do is head around the corner to “Café De Paris” for a full English breakfast, they make great coffee. After this I return to my room to chill, I’m not heading out into the middle of Hanoi to wander the streets for my first day, I’m going to settle in slowly. 

Thank goodness they've finally fixed that pot hole at the corner on my street!

After a movie I head to my favourite restaurant that overlooks the lake, I thought they must’ve refurbished and changed the menu (oh no Nick, no more crab spring rolls!) but as I was leaving I realised I got out of the elevator on the wrong floor and had Korean, at least I know where I’m going for dinner now (next floor up). 

The zipper on my two day old Lao “hoodie” has broken so I need to find a new one, I wander the markets for a while but don’t find anything I like so I retreat to my room once again. I will have to buy damn shoes also, the weather is a noticeable steady nineteen degrees and over cast, it’s not really cold but it’s jeans and a jacket weather.

Again I fall asleep watching a movie late afternoon and wake up in the dark but it’s only seven tonight. I head down to the “City View Café” for dinner and order the crab spring rolls. Maybe we built them up too much Nick but they’re not as good as I remember them last year. I also had the pork fillets in mustard cream sauce with mash and a couple of vodkas.  

Then I wandered the night markets looking for a new jacket, it’s so hard to find something that isn’t tagged with Addidas or Nike or D&G, I hate wearing brands. Anyway I wander the streets for a while then head back to my room to pass out to a movie, I can’t believe how tired I have been.