24/4 - I had an early night, so was up and off out on the bike early doors. I headed for Nui Sam, Sam mountain, a few kilometres out of town. It is more like Sam Molehill, but I still didn't walk up it. It is very picturesque and am told the Cambodian border can be seen from up there, but I almost, or may have, cycled over it yesterday, so I don't need to see it now and just cycled around the bottom for a while. I cycled through several villages. They seem busy, but lazy and very friendly. A good mix. In one village there was a wedding being setup and the marquee had been setup over one lane of the road. I'm not sure I'd like to be in the marquee after sunset, it had better be well lit. I passed a school, where all the kids were lined up in the yard with a teacher giving instructions to the slow beat of a drum and they all stretched to the beat. Afterwards they all ran around wildly picking up leaves. It didn't take long for the yard to be clear, even with the of shouting and waving to the mad dog on a bike at the gate. The kids in the primary schools all wear the same uniform, white shirt, blue bottoms and a read scarf and it all looks very neat too. In secondary, the girls wear the national dress, trousers and a long fitted dress, split to the waist and the material is silky. They look exceptionally smart. THere must be some knack to keeping them clean.
I pulled over for a break in some shade and a bloke walks out of a pork butchers, this sounds like the start of a joke, it wasn't for the pig, it had very recently been slaughtered and was still bleeding all over the road. The bloke threw it in a cage on the back of his motorbike and set off passed me. I was going to tell him it didn't need the cage, but thought better of it.
I did another U turn, I am an expert at them now and set off back. I passed a lass with a barrow selling, guess what, water melons, so guess what, U turn and I bought one, about 30p, not so big as yesterdays and this lass had a knife. I was trying to explain about cutting it up, when an older lady walked over and butchered it for me. I think she told me to call in her place down the road, there was a lot of laughter and gesticulating, so I hot footed it down the road, as she still had the knife in her hand. I meandered back until I spotted a shady spot to sit and get stuck into the water melon. A few old fellas cycled past, they always have a quip and a smile as they pass. That seems to be general in Vietnam, the old fellas are characters.
I think the schools must do some shift system, as there is an older set of kids heading for the school I saw. I will have to check it out. With half the melon devoured, I set of and hit the hill back into Nui Sam. I was struggling a bit and a big lad came out of a cafe to cheer me on, then he came out and gave me a push, just like in the Tour de France, only I am faster. It was easy after his push. There are kids all over on push bikes now, so it could well be shift change. I passed one lad, he was stood still, then he caught me up and told me the bike stand had dropped down, it was when I did a leap of the kerb, about a foot high, bit of an Evil Knevil. We carried on side by side having a broken chat, then he veered off as he was home, so I battered on alone, passed a wagon train of buffalo. I kid you not. Back into town for a kip, I'm playing it the local way, up early, a kip and then back out buzzing around, but when I woke up I didn't feel like buzzing. I dragged myself out for a look around the indoor market. It is a womans place really, but outside was interesting, lots of fish, dried, smoked, pickled, the only kind not there was stuffed. There are scores of types of fruit too. Guess what??? I bought nowt. I cycled around a bit, then settled on a bench in a plaza to watch a local food stall and try to work out what to get. It is exercise time again. Here they are playing a game like hacky sack football, only using what looks like a spring loaded rufty tufty cross between a shuttlecock and an arrow. They have a laugh and get a sweat on doing it. Some are very skillful with it.
A young lad, 13, came over to sit and chat. He's a proper jack the lad. I doubt he goes to school, but his English isn't bad. I tried to enlist him to help me know what was going on at the food stall, but his English wasn't that good. THen I tried to get him and his mate to come and have some food at the stall with me, but he wasn't up for it. I think he was after fags. He disappeared a few minutes later, came back and flashed a big smile at me and a 1000 dong note, 8p. He disappeared again and came back with a lighted tab. I gave him the grumpy old man charade of "you are killing yourself". The lad sat opposite found my acting funny and copied me, having a chuckle. Jack the lad fetched me some fruit over to try. I've been going to buy some, but I am glad I never, unlike the Murphys they were very bitter. He insisted I try another and they grew on me a bit, but only a bit. Even he twisted his face when he ate them. I hadn't built up enough knowledge or courage to attack the food stall, so we parted, him to smoke himself to death and me to drink myself to the same place. I had a beer back at the hotel after a nosh and a chat with a smashing little lass, who gave me the low down on the food stalls. I would have been alright with my knowledge. The most popular drink I saw and was going to try, turns out to be soya milk and ice. THat was a lucky escape, but it is so popular, I may have to try it to see why. The little lass is really friendly. She is a shrimp and has a cheeky face. She is practicing her English and educating me to Vietnamese. She worked in Saigon for 5 years, but is very happy to be back in Chau Doc. Saigon seems to be the favoured name over Ho Chi Minh city.
Off to bed to forget all the Vietnamese she has taught me. I am hopeless.
I pulled over for a break in some shade and a bloke walks out of a pork butchers, this sounds like the start of a joke, it wasn't for the pig, it had very recently been slaughtered and was still bleeding all over the road. The bloke threw it in a cage on the back of his motorbike and set off passed me. I was going to tell him it didn't need the cage, but thought better of it.
I did another U turn, I am an expert at them now and set off back. I passed a lass with a barrow selling, guess what, water melons, so guess what, U turn and I bought one, about 30p, not so big as yesterdays and this lass had a knife. I was trying to explain about cutting it up, when an older lady walked over and butchered it for me. I think she told me to call in her place down the road, there was a lot of laughter and gesticulating, so I hot footed it down the road, as she still had the knife in her hand. I meandered back until I spotted a shady spot to sit and get stuck into the water melon. A few old fellas cycled past, they always have a quip and a smile as they pass. That seems to be general in Vietnam, the old fellas are characters.
I think the schools must do some shift system, as there is an older set of kids heading for the school I saw. I will have to check it out. With half the melon devoured, I set of and hit the hill back into Nui Sam. I was struggling a bit and a big lad came out of a cafe to cheer me on, then he came out and gave me a push, just like in the Tour de France, only I am faster. It was easy after his push. There are kids all over on push bikes now, so it could well be shift change. I passed one lad, he was stood still, then he caught me up and told me the bike stand had dropped down, it was when I did a leap of the kerb, about a foot high, bit of an Evil Knevil. We carried on side by side having a broken chat, then he veered off as he was home, so I battered on alone, passed a wagon train of buffalo. I kid you not. Back into town for a kip, I'm playing it the local way, up early, a kip and then back out buzzing around, but when I woke up I didn't feel like buzzing. I dragged myself out for a look around the indoor market. It is a womans place really, but outside was interesting, lots of fish, dried, smoked, pickled, the only kind not there was stuffed. There are scores of types of fruit too. Guess what??? I bought nowt. I cycled around a bit, then settled on a bench in a plaza to watch a local food stall and try to work out what to get. It is exercise time again. Here they are playing a game like hacky sack football, only using what looks like a spring loaded rufty tufty cross between a shuttlecock and an arrow. They have a laugh and get a sweat on doing it. Some are very skillful with it.
A young lad, 13, came over to sit and chat. He's a proper jack the lad. I doubt he goes to school, but his English isn't bad. I tried to enlist him to help me know what was going on at the food stall, but his English wasn't that good. THen I tried to get him and his mate to come and have some food at the stall with me, but he wasn't up for it. I think he was after fags. He disappeared a few minutes later, came back and flashed a big smile at me and a 1000 dong note, 8p. He disappeared again and came back with a lighted tab. I gave him the grumpy old man charade of "you are killing yourself". The lad sat opposite found my acting funny and copied me, having a chuckle. Jack the lad fetched me some fruit over to try. I've been going to buy some, but I am glad I never, unlike the Murphys they were very bitter. He insisted I try another and they grew on me a bit, but only a bit. Even he twisted his face when he ate them. I hadn't built up enough knowledge or courage to attack the food stall, so we parted, him to smoke himself to death and me to drink myself to the same place. I had a beer back at the hotel after a nosh and a chat with a smashing little lass, who gave me the low down on the food stalls. I would have been alright with my knowledge. The most popular drink I saw and was going to try, turns out to be soya milk and ice. THat was a lucky escape, but it is so popular, I may have to try it to see why. The little lass is really friendly. She is a shrimp and has a cheeky face. She is practicing her English and educating me to Vietnamese. She worked in Saigon for 5 years, but is very happy to be back in Chau Doc. Saigon seems to be the favoured name over Ho Chi Minh city.
Off to bed to forget all the Vietnamese she has taught me. I am hopeless.
1 comment:
I think this blog lark is possibly the best idea you have ever had. Didn't I suggest it to you? It becomes clear then.
It makes us miss you more than when you clear off and we never hear from you. And you are getting pretty good at giving us a good feeling for the places you are in.
The kids are doing well. Seth is zooming around now, so Millie loves being able to interact with him more. Millie's school is sorted (she will be at Kay's). Heidi is back at work one day a week until July, then back to her normal three long days.
Happy times.
Stay safe
Mick
Post a Comment