same same but...
Travelling around a foreign country with your sisters is different to travelling on your own. For one thing you can't just say things and have them accepted, like "I know exactly where we are and we just need to go down there, hang a right, do a quick shimmy and we're there". Ok it’s true, in reality it was a quick swerve and a hard left but... we got there and though ‘technically’ wrong I was clearly right.......
Directions aside Jane, Rachel and I had a great time in Vietnam and in just 6 days we managed to explore Hanoi, Halong Bay and Sapa and not regress to being teenagers again and kill each other, pretty good going I’d say.
Now whether due to bravery or stupidity is up to interpretation but I’ll generally try just about anything, however... fear very nearly got the better of me in the markets of Sapa in North West Vietnam. The challenge I faced was having four days stubble forcibly removed from my face by a sinewy old local wielding a cut throat razor. In itself not that serious but complicate the job with my sisters trying to make me laugh and my face carrying considerably more flesh to cut up than his usual local customers and my nerves and skin barely survived.
Other highlights of the week were the (unintentionally) hilariously funny water puppets in Hanoi, kayaking through the caves and around the islands of Halong Bay, raucous cross country night trains, serene literary retreats, haggling for wellies and ponchos before slipping and sliding down the rice terraces of Sapa (with our great guide Gom), and meeting Uncle Ho himself with a visit to his Mausoleum.
Although the girls weren’t especially keen to “go local” - out was the 10p per pint bia hoi drank on the pavement, in was the cab. sav. in slick French colonial restaurant - I did manage to get them on the back of a scooter to fly around the streets of Hanoi’s old town. I also had my first go at three on a bike (the infamous Honda Dream not some smutty euphemism before you start), it actually felt surprisingly safe and the only time I felt at all ill-at-ease was when we were about 100 yards from our destination and the driver decided it was time to put his glasses on!
My only other recent excitement came from the 7s final at the Hong Kong Stadium Sean and I played in. Running out onto the pitch with my name printed on the giant screen felt very cool, being killed 19-0 by a younger faster team was less good. On the bright side after the match we were asked to help make an advert for next years HK7s and yours truly was picked for the star role, come January tune into Pearl TV to see me strutting my stuff, could this be the break I’ve ……....no, didn’t think so.
And that’s it, Jane is now home and I've packed Rachel off to visit Macau so all it leaves me to say is have a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.
Jonathan
Directions aside Jane, Rachel and I had a great time in Vietnam and in just 6 days we managed to explore Hanoi, Halong Bay and Sapa and not regress to being teenagers again and kill each other, pretty good going I’d say.
Now whether due to bravery or stupidity is up to interpretation but I’ll generally try just about anything, however... fear very nearly got the better of me in the markets of Sapa in North West Vietnam. The challenge I faced was having four days stubble forcibly removed from my face by a sinewy old local wielding a cut throat razor. In itself not that serious but complicate the job with my sisters trying to make me laugh and my face carrying considerably more flesh to cut up than his usual local customers and my nerves and skin barely survived.
Other highlights of the week were the (unintentionally) hilariously funny water puppets in Hanoi, kayaking through the caves and around the islands of Halong Bay, raucous cross country night trains, serene literary retreats, haggling for wellies and ponchos before slipping and sliding down the rice terraces of Sapa (with our great guide Gom), and meeting Uncle Ho himself with a visit to his Mausoleum.
Although the girls weren’t especially keen to “go local” - out was the 10p per pint bia hoi drank on the pavement, in was the cab. sav. in slick French colonial restaurant - I did manage to get them on the back of a scooter to fly around the streets of Hanoi’s old town. I also had my first go at three on a bike (the infamous Honda Dream not some smutty euphemism before you start), it actually felt surprisingly safe and the only time I felt at all ill-at-ease was when we were about 100 yards from our destination and the driver decided it was time to put his glasses on!
My only other recent excitement came from the 7s final at the Hong Kong Stadium Sean and I played in. Running out onto the pitch with my name printed on the giant screen felt very cool, being killed 19-0 by a younger faster team was less good. On the bright side after the match we were asked to help make an advert for next years HK7s and yours truly was picked for the star role, come January tune into Pearl TV to see me strutting my stuff, could this be the break I’ve ……....no, didn’t think so.
And that’s it, Jane is now home and I've packed Rachel off to visit Macau so all it leaves me to say is have a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.
Jonathan
posted by JP at 6:30 pm
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