A Tip for Buying from Tourist Shops overseas.

Always remember as the buyer you have a lot of price negotiating power in the tourist shops in Asia. The power to walk away.

It is important not to lose this position of power. Although very hard to lose the advantage, it is possible to lose it. For example someone in my tour group lost the advantage by merely dropping a lid in a shop. It's harder to negotiate when a part of the product is strewn over the floor and you're standing next to a "you break, you buy" sign.

Meanwhile, totally unrelated, I bought a Tea set. Managed to get 20% off.

Gonna take you on a ride on a Viet Night Train

I sitting up watching time slide by on what is now a night train to Nha Trang. We're due in about 1am .

I skipped the Chicken'n'Rice. Didn't know the vintage. And I've seen bigger pigeons. So sandwich dinner followed by Tolberone.

We've only got one small issue. When do we get off! Stations are barely signed. Oh, and the tour guide gets motion sickness on Trains at night. Fun fun fun!

Delayed in Da Nang on the Way to Nha Trang

Forget Sleepless in Seattle. I have a new movie concept. Delayed in Da Nang! Of course playing the role of me in the blockbuster will be Bruce Willis! Trademark the saying "Oy zoy oy motherf3r... !"

Oy zoy oy basically means OMG. The spelling is not like that. Just the sound. It's as close to a swear word as we've learnt. Which suggests just how much Vietnamese we've learnt.

Our train onto Nha Trang was supposed to be at 11. Arriving in time to get some dinner and go out for a drink.

So much for that idea. A 4 hour delay meant the train didn't arrive until after 1am.  In time only to find 2 rats chasing each other around the train carpark whilst waiting for a cab to the hotel. Can't fix it. Just roll with it!

After a short sleep it was straight onto our highlight tour of the trip. A boat ride to one of the island villages off the coast, and then lunch and snorkeling.
 

Of course by day 2 of Nha Trang the tour group had found it's own favourite bar. The Sailing Club.

Hoi An... Looking is Free!

Sin chow! The one word we've mastered. Spelling not included!

Hoi An is great. Best stop so far. Ancient Town is great for food and walking. And then when you're tired of that there's a leisurely 4km ride to the beach. All flat, no hills and very little wind. Just have to deal with the humidity. This is 5 shirts a day country!

Shop vendors are aggressive. But as they say looking free! I just make sure I'm comfortable with what I buy! Decision was made. No cheap tailored suit. I could of. But reality was I just don't use enough. And you need time to explore options.

Importantly I have completed the much anticipated cooking school here in Hoi An. Spring Rolls, Green Papaya salad, Caramel Eggplants in a Clay Pot, Fish in a Banana Leaf, and Chicken and Sweet Soup. I have the tips in my head. For how long I'm not sure.

Which ever Hue you look at it

Hue. A city in the middle of Vietnam.

Was once the capital. So yes indeed we're talking Grand Palaces and kingdoms. I guess having seen Cambodia and Thailand I was better prepared on what to expect.

 

The history is focused in Hue. Alas the tourists are not. Not when there is a bar called Browneyes.

A big night was had by a few of us.

My $1 fortune teller knows all!

According to my $1 old lady fortune teller I will be meeting a 32 year old girl next year. Possibly a doctor.

I will be having 2 kids. 1 of each. The boy first. 

Also confirmed my mum and dad love me very much. I will be living until I'm 85-87 and own a big place by 45. In 7 years.

I also need to forget about the 27 year old girl I met when I was younger. I had better warn you. You're marrying another boy. I must let go. You're having a boy!

I am a frozen rotisserie chicken on a train!

The train ride to Hue has been interesting. We're in first class with some other fancier tours. They're paying a lot more I'm told.

I took a top bunk in the cabin. It's quite chilly up here next to the air-conditioning unit. With such a narrow bed I need to lift before rotating. All just to ensure an even rotisserie freeze.

Time on the train has past without worry thanks to the copious amounts of cheap alcohol flowing. Needless to say the older Australian and English couples in the tour group have been trailblazers buying up big in preparation of the journey. We can only hope this experience and atmosphere can be repeated on our next great train rides.

Soon it'll be time for breakfast. But I don't know what our trolley lady is offering. She'll tell us something is chicken, and we'll just question in which life that was? Disturbing looking chicken dishes indeed.

But still we must have words with our cart lady! She stopped her service so early last night. We were out of ice. Jamison's on the rocks just isn't the same! Don't know if the cabin next door will ask for ice this morning to dilute, or just top up.

The train trip was a welcome end to my time in Hanoi. The days before had included a trip to Halong Bay. Sure it was a second time around. But every minute was worth it. The limestone cliffs of the islands are surreal. I even got roped into doing some pottery art during a side tour along the way.

Hanoi has been changing a lot.

Hanoi had changed a bit since my last visit 3 years ago. Not all the changes are great. My favourite ice cream shop from years ago, Fannys, gone. It meant I needed a new place. So off I was exploring my options. An inspiring shop window display led me into a cafe called Paris Gateaux! Supplier of my energy through the goodness of cakes and a mocha frappe. Not cheap by local standards. But this was no noodle soup.

I was able to see everybody's "Uncle Ho" during my stay in Hanoi this time. Ho Chi Minh in the flesh. He was sleeping. Or well that is what they tell the local kids in school groups.

Interestingly my guide said all the kids that go to the Museleum were the lucky ones. They must have good marks. It's hard to fathom going to see an embalmed old guy as a reward. I on the other hand thought it lucky to wait only 40 minutes to shuffle in.

The grounds around the tomb were quite immaculate, and the historical old house of Ho Chi Minh was humbling. As you can see from the photo school kids were everywhere.

Must admit some of the stories sounded quite slanted. For example I was told that after he died during the war his body was carried each night to the mountains. An egg cup with water would be placed on top of the coffin to make sure the body was stable. Don't know about that! Roads even now aren't flash. But the victors write the history. So this is how story will be remembered. 

Meanwhile I don't know whether there is wedding season, but gees there were a heap. I did learn that one of the delicacies they eat at a wedding is everybody's loyal hound. It's not normally a regular cut of meat. Saved for special occasions.

I found some the below in the markets. Alas someone had bought the head earlier. There is no mistaking this poor puppy will no longer be wagging it's little tale ever again.

Still at least I know to I avoid the buffet if ever invited to a wedding in Vietnam.

Hanoi is still a crazy place. What is just a jumble of electirical wires to us, is normal to them.

Having visited twice now I feel like I'm now onto level 5 of the 1980's game "Frogger". I am pretty good at crossing roads.

The photo of the traffic scene below. We crossed straight after taking the photo. There is no such thing as waiting for the "Green Man" to cross. He was wiped out on the footpath by scooters long ago.

Although normally vey safe considering noone gets any speed up I witnessed 3 accidents in one day. Heck sometimes the top speed the scooters get is on the footpath.

It's good for the back!

I have officially encountered the hardest bed ever!

In our Cat Ba Island hotel. Whoa it's no pillow. From the Chuck Norris school of bed making.

Weight benches in gyms have more cushioning.

Drug Companies making it easier

As an elite athlete hidden in a average body (tricked you all hey) I need to be careful to avoid the issue of Drugs in Sport. 

Sure i could just avoid sport. But the drugs companies are making it easier to avoid any breaches.

Their method make the supplements sound too tasty to try. 

My thoughts are if you're caught with Baby Sheep's Placenta, or your breathe smells like you sucked on a Red Kangaroo, then I don't want to play sport against you. 

Less than 24hrs to lift off

Friends.... Family... I'm back to blogging my holidays tomorrow 16th March 2012.

There are no guarantees that I'll be getting injured, mugged, or lost. However I will try still to make my posts interesting enough to read. If it's not interesting it'll at least be photos of food, and places that you're not.

This trip will be including a 14 Day Intrepid Tour called Vietnam Adventure. It's a "Basix Tour". So it's the bare essentials of a tour. I pay for food and extra side events etc. Hotels will not be the Ritz. But I never expect that when I travel. I just hope they have a mattress which isn't rock hard. In Vietnam that's no guarantee.

For readers of my previous trips please note there is a bit of overlap in Halong Bay and Hanoi. After that though all will be new to me.

The biggest risk will of course be transit. I've decided this year to use all discount airlines with connecting flights! Oh joy. Realisation that these guys aren't always the most reliable has started to set in. So please place your bets now.

Betting Market
1. Chad Stuck at Gold Coast - Sat 9:30am - Scoot Airlines to Singapore
3 to 1 Favorite
For: Work Colleague recently had his flight not get off the ground for 10hr delay.
Against: Start of Trip, and Gold Coast isn't a big airport. So usual to have delays for congestion.

2. Chad Stuck in Kuala Lumpur - Sat 8pm - AirAsia to Kuala Lumpur
10 to 1 Outsider
For: KLCC airport. Notorious for passport entry delays. Late flight from Gold Coast could stuff 5hr transit allowed. Change of Terminals required.
Against: Singapore. One of the best airports in the world. Have backup plan of bus from Singapore available.

3. Chad Stuck in Kuala Lumpur - Sun 6:15am - AirAsia to Hanoi
7 to 1 mid level chance
For: KLCC Airport. 6:15am flight to Hanoi. It's 1 of only 2 flights a day.
Against: First Flights in morning. Less chance of plane being unavailable or delayed from a connection.