Jill's Birthday today. I knew there was a reason we bought those pearls in Halong Bay. Richard and Jenny showed up with some beautiful yellow roses, and the hotel also came up with some red roses. How sweet is that!
Off to organise plane flights south to Hue and a trip to the Perfume Pagoda. We're also looking for new accommodation. This hotel is lovely, but we thought we would look for something cheaper for a few days from tomorrow. Found one that Jennie had seen in the Lonely Planet. It was down a little lane, a nice clean and tidy Lane, with people selling along the edges. Apparently, this Hotel has several sites so we ended up being taken to another building, the office down yet another alleyway. The desk girl, Tham, was busy making breakfast for a young couple who had just got in from Cambodia, at the same time as she was dealing with us. She made them eggs, tea, and bought them bread (those great French baguetts being sold on the street corners). She offered us some mango while we were waiting (sent out another girl to buy that). Eventually, we were booked in for tomorrow. Next stop off to an ATM to get millions of dong for plane tickets (A$75 each to Hua and we think that includes transfers.
Then, off to the Water Puppet theatre to meet 'Hello Hanoi' just before lunch. 'Hello Hanoi' are a group of students who offer to be guides to Hanoi tourists. The only thing they want in return is the ability to practise their English. What a service! The Water Puppet theatre was chosen as an easy meeting point and it was there we met Tung (who has just finished school in Singapore and wants to go to college in the US) and his friend Tam (a 16-year-old who goes to a school for gifted students). They are going to show us the Museum of Ethnology this afternoon. Tam only goes to school in the mornings, and another group goes in the afternoon, hence her availability to spend time with tourists at this time of day. She took us (by Cyclo, which was a lot of fun - A$2 a person) to a famous Char Ca restaurant. (Cha Ca being a Hanoi specialty of fried fish cooked at the table over a brazier, with shallots, fennel, plus a few secret ingredients. You eat this over bun (round rice noodles with fish sauce, shrimp sauce, peanuts and coriander). Delicious.
From here we went by taxi made a taxi is a good to the Museum of etymology I think around $10 a bit less on the way out back it's longer so we have to go a different way one way street I think. This museum was fascinating as they were displays showing all the different minority groups in outside for scale houses they also had visiting display from the time after the American war when they were very severe rationally coupons etc 300 grams of meat for months something like subsidity.
Back to our hotel in time to catch a taxi to Ms arches. Yes okay Thomas A little book in Australia she was. Massages with great tuning on I went by taxi now that we know how cheap taxis are and how easy it is if the hotel or is one for you. The Vietnamese girls are small I can do a good strong massage and mine could tell that I need my sinus is worked on when we go back we all hit it out for dinner at stake at the Stop Cafe the most amazing variety of Vietnamese food it was actually rather nice to have western style for a change although we did have names
