Welcome 2014

After an ear plugged sleep on a foam matress covered with a waste of space duvet I woke feeling remarkably OK and burst into the day with technology, laundry and then off for a walk.

I passed a dressmaker with a jacket in the window thtabI thought would work with the outfit i ahve made for the wedding and go and check out costs to ahve one made.  She wanted to charge stupid amounts so I walked off intending leaving my fabric at the hotel and taking off again.  On rteurning to the hotel i find the kids ready to take off to get laundry done so I retrieve the balance of mine and take that too.  1kilo for 35,000dong. $1.80. Ha ha why did. I waste my energy washing this morning.

We go to a dressmaker Matt has already used and he orders a 3piece suit.  I order a jacket amd Amy a dress.  Sum total $220 including Matts cashmere fabric, my silk lining and Amys silk dress.  Joke. She wants to put wrinkles in Amy's dress. We explain that it is gathers she wants, not wrinkles.  I tell her that wrinkles are what I have on my face.  She tells me that my skin is beautiful not like Asian skin.  Brownie points big time.

Further along we go to the local market where they have in addition to the usual yum food and tourist junk, a dozen tailors stalls.  Crazy.  Here I order a chinese style dress with long sleeves to hopefully keep me warm in the colder days that are yet to come.  $30.  Amazing.

We wander more and end up at Thuan Y, for an amazing meal chilli lemon grass chicken, (too tasty to describe but needed some good bread to mop up the juices) beef with water spinach, (which was delicately flavoured with some aromatics and heaps of garlic)  rice and hoian special wontons; wonton wrappers fried and heaped with shrimp, pineapple, capsicum, chilli and much yumminess.  All washed down with the new favourite beer; 333 or ba,ba,ba in Vietnamese.  Yum balls.

Of course coffee is needed and we wander over the bridge, check out some of the side roads where Matt buys a coolie hat, and we go for coffee.  

                                   

Realising it was happy hour for 2 for one massages we of course have to indulge and go and wait at the massage place.  Suddenly a bang and a few seconds later  everyone rushes to the door.  In the river a digger had been sitting on a barge dredging the river bed.  The bang was the barge splitting in two, throwing the digger and driver into the river.  As I ran to see I got a glimpse of the poor digger driver hauling himself out of the water and onto a long boat nearby that the digger had now attached itself to.  Really lucky guy, he could have easily been crushed or drowned.

                                 

You could just see the blue digger poking out of the water.  We wait to see what will happen next and so does everyone else.  Nothing.  The day carries on...

Eventualy it is time for the FOOT massage.  We are led upstairs where we lie on massage beds and get great full leg massages (in contrast to the LEG massages of yesterday which just did up to the knees).  Crazy good and crazy cheap.  Have to come back tomorrow and try something else.

Wandering back to the hotel we see a huge crane coming along to rescue the digger.  We watched for a while and saw the long boat break free but left when the workers decided to re-think their strategy as the lifting crane was starting to topple.  

                               

On the way back to the hotel we stop on the sidewalk for a bowl of Caolau, sort of soupy with noodles, broth, lettuce, slices of divine sliced roast pork and some crispy stuff that may have been pork crackling, or it couldhave  been something else.  Whatever, it was yum, although the square noodles could not convince me to eat them.

                                  

We people watch for a bit, checkout the locals and I spy a shop with bamboo clothing on the way back and make a note to self that I must return tomorrow.

                                 

  

After a wee rest and a breather we set off walking again, aimlessly wandering, peacefully watching people and the sights.  So very pretty and relaxing, no stress, just serene.  We stop at a street stall along the river front and OMG the best beef wrapped in betel leaves.  I have to have more of this before Imleave.  Tender soft beef wrapped in betel leaf with delicate seasoning that sends little ripples through your mouth with each bite. Deeeeevine.  The water spinach with garlic was pretty good too and getting  some greens in to me was great.

                                

We do a bit of a wander and watch the people, thousands out to enjoy the night, not as cool as it has been and still as, barely a ripple on the water.  Over the bridge we wander along a night market and buy a couple of bits before we go to our favourite coffee shop.  My fondant was microwaved and soggy but with a nice flavour but the coffee superb.  We sat for a while to kill time and then felt we had to move in an dlet others use our seat.  I couldn't resist the last big scoff of the year and got an ice cream to eat on the street.  Salted caramel and very very good.

We notice the cranes have gone and are told that the one in the water has been retrieved.  No sign of the barge but there are a couple of bamboo poles sticking out if the water.  The lanterns are everywhere, lit up and so so pretty.  Thenladies are out selling the floating candles, lowering them into the water so they could float downstream and create a mess further along.

  

   

                                                                 

Exploring further along we come across a cafe which has great Trip advisor recommendations so decide on a cocktail.  My Mojito seemed to be lacking any form of oomph, so either they forgot the booze or I have become immune, still it kills some time and with 15 minutes to 2014 we head off to join thiusands milling around town.  So so beautiful with search lights playing patterns on the night sky, lanterns everywhere.  Candles floating down the river and boats on the water waiting......

We try to guess what wil happen at midnight.  My guess was nothing.  The other option was fireworks. Midnight strikes and yes there were fireworks for about 10 seconds and so small they could barely be seen.  We do the kissy thing and start back to the hotel.  Things are already starting to get messy with over indulged tourists everywhere and some were gross.  I hate being a westerner at times like this.  Why do we go all around the world to drink ourselves stupid, breach everyones ideas of modesty, right and wrong and think its OK.  I dont think it is OK any more than I think it is right for anyone to come to my country and breach our etiquette.

I'm glad we ate heading home to tuck up for our first sleep of 2014.  We see some new sights and I think that I would like more time to explore out of the central area. We see rats skittle across the road into the drains.  We see the river level nearly as high as the road and understand how tides and storms can create tidal surges that decimate towns like this I so like the place.  As we walk I turn on my phone and play Boccelli; surreal walking down narrow lanes in Vietnam, listening to Italian opera.

2014 is here and the hotel bed beckons for thrpe first time this year.  Happy New Year everyone.  I hope it brings us all peace, health and happiness.