Freejan

The alarm went off at 5am which was fortunate as the wake up call didn’t come until 5.30am. As people who know me already know i spend the first half hour trying to come to terms with wakefulness so i would have been late down for breakfast which started at 6.45. Needless to say it was 6 when i got down after leaving my case outside my room as instructed. The imperial had fabulous rooms but the breakfasts, for me, were not as good. But, today there were lychees with the fresh fruit so there was a flutter of excitement from me. I cause trouble each morning asking for a pot of tea instead of letting them fill up my cup all the time but hey it’s 5* so nobody argues! Thought i was doing well getting to the bus by 6.25 but when i handed in my room card they presented me with my pyjamas and alarm clock! Soo glad they go to check the rooms! It was pouring with rain for the hours’drive to the airport and i kept myself awake by counting the colours of the plastic coverall coats they wear here on their scooters/mopeds – the passenger is covered too but cannot see anything! The airport at Hue is an international airport but has no international flights! Until recently they had to drive cars out onto the runway to chase off the water buffalo. Cute eh? I treated myself to cup of Vuetnamese coffee – yes me drinking coffee – which i am getting very fond of. The flight was just over an hour to Saigon. We landed to bright sunshine and 30° at 9.30 in the morning. Not to let us catch breath we met our new guide Kqua not sure of spelling, and our first stop was the war remnants museum. I really know now why i protested about the Vietnam war. Some of the accounts and photographs were shocking and heartbreaking. We saw how the agent orange, used by the Americans to defoliate the forests – and i might add while their own men were there too, caused atrocious birth defects and it is still affecting children today. It took until 2001 for the Americans to acknowledge what they had done. One massacre was lead by who is now a senator in America – Bob Kerry. Unbelievable! One exhibition showed the work of war photographers from both sides and were very moving. Errol Flyn’s son was one such and he was killed. This all dampened our holuday spirit somewhat but we agreed it was a must to see. We moved on to see the spectacular post office with wooden telephone booths and beautiful benches and desks to address your parcel etc. I treated myself here to a jade bracelet and earrings for sale at the end of the post office on your way out. The Notre Dame Cathedral was across the road but we didn’t go in. By this time i couldn’t concentrate on a word K was saying and was relieved when he said ‘lunch’ and ‘beer garden’! I ordered a Tiger beer( being a tiger in chinese astronomy this seemed appropriate) and a chicken and salad sandwich. Lovely jubbly! At last we were taken to the Equadorial Hotel and given our rooms. I took my shoes off and laid on the bed for the next 3hours. I decided i should rouse myself so i went down to the spa and booked a foot xare treatment, then got some more Dongs from the atm. I then went swimming in the amazing pool here – 10 lengths better than nothing! Then my foot treatment – bliss! By this time realised i was not in a fit state to get ready to go out so i ordered myself , guess what? Yes spring rolls and french fries! The spring rolls had orange and chili dipping sauce! Amazing. A couple of lovely people from Aberdeen bought me some vodka and tonic last night so i am now enjoying one or two of them. It’s a 6.30am wake up call so gad better sign off! Night all. X

I am really tired tonight so this will be a shorter post. Last night i was kept awake by a party in a disco across the road – attended by David Beckham no less. He kept me awake until 1.15 and not in a good way! We had a relatively late departure from the Melia – 9.45, to go to the airport to fly at 12.20 to Danang which took just over an hour. Must mention the topiary around here. It is all down the middle of the road and along each side in places. Beautifully shaped little trees. Many people have bonsais on their verandas and if i was making a guess many are very old. We left Hanoi wuth a temperature of 22° and arrived in Danang with temperature of 31°. We were now being driven in a boring white bus with a new guide called Lan ( think that’s the right spelling) who is very nice. We set off along a beautiful coaatline and up and over the Cloudy mountain- there was a blue street sign on the way up saying ‘Foggy Street’!. The gods were withbus today and it was clear and sunny with amazing views. When we reached the top we got out of the bus and did a short climb up to some old bunkers which had been used by the Americans. This was the border between Danang and Hue. We had a brief stop for the happy rooms and a drink at a place right next a aw wonderfully photogenic lagoon. I took some arty farty photos before setting of for Hue which would take about another hour and a half. It was getting dark as we entered Hue which gad at one time been the capital of Vietnam. Our new hotel is the Imperial Hotel and is a rather grand colonial style place. Absolutely stunning! My ‘suite’is divided into a sitting room with sofa, chairs, desk and television, the bathroom with bath and large walk in shower with a little wooden box of ‘essentials’ wrapped in small red corrugated cardboard packets, and finally, my bedroom with amazing double bed, lamps, sofa and television. I am feeling guilty about the luxury of it all. Also feeling shattered and we have a 7am wake up call to go out at 8.30! I had food in a place called Les Garden. I had spring rolls, becoming an obsession here, followed by minced pork on lemongrass skewers, pwanut dip and salad and rice paper to wrap and eat them in. Delicious! Night all. X

Got up to rain today but still warm. We are at the end of the rainy season. We set off in the pink bus to the mausoleum and all followed Hieu, the pied piper, into the complex. The mausoleum was ... [Continue reading this entry]

I got up leisurely and had my yoghurt, fruit and granola breakfast wth tea made by putting the bag in the mug first- got them trained now! Tea seems to be a real problem here as they have no idea ... [Continue reading this entry]

This is taking me quite a while to catch up on so I will try to restrain myself from rabbiting on! The ducks are coming and going and I believe they are checking the place outand warning offany potential compettion. ... [Continue reading this entry]

I left pier 33 afte rthe trip and as only 2.30pm I got myself a bicycle rickshaw with 'James' along to piers 43/44. I was in need of refreshment so went into Castagnola's for a couple of vodka tonics with ... [Continue reading this entry]

The tour was well done, taking you stepby step around the prison giving you the prisoners and the guards views on life in there. I especially liked it that the real men were talking - perhaps as part of an ... [Continue reading this entry]

The temperature was 10 degrees with blue skies and and sunny when I arrived and I saw thisas a sign - I had brought too many warm clothes! There were quite a few people,young and old on Haight St as ... [Continue reading this entry]

What an exciting, wonderful time I had in Victoria with Sam (Jane's eldest) and Karin, his partner. I flew there on a sea plane and I had a ball on the trip over as the pilot, when I asked which ... [Continue reading this entry]

Clive, a smart drake arrived today and Evelyn was amused! Walter seems to have won the day and Clive has now left. Made a lemon meringue pie today and had my nails done. Going to try to start uploading some ... [Continue reading this entry]