Vietnamese coffee is potent stuff, and at the moment it is this factor that I am relying on to keep myself from sleeping on this lazy Sunday afternoon in Ho Chi Minh city, well as lazy as this place gets. Sunday's just like any other day, just without the crush hour. Tonight I catch the over night train from here to Nha Trang, leaving at 11pm, I need to keep myself going until then.
I have spent the last couple of days in recovery mode. It doesn't take long of being off your food and drink for just a general feeling of unwell to take hold, so yesterday I set about trying to get control of everything again.
I wandered around the bars and shops, looking for a familiar type breakfast, options included continental, Irish, Vietnamese but no English. The closest I got to that was an American breakfast and a coffee, which I dutifully took my time and finished. it wasn't easy, but I had to start getting some food back into my body.
As I left the music being played in the bar was "yellow" by cold play, a tune that invoked memories that although I don't wish forgotten, could do with maybe staying suppressed for a little while longer.
Making my way through the park toward the market area with the intention of getting a couple more easydri t-shirts for the rest of my trip, I was approached in the by a mother with her daughter who asked if it was ok if the young girl practiced her English on me, to which I replied "of course". She was shy at first, but soon was rattling off the abc song and other questions for me. Her mother said she likes to speak English and I think that showed. Some English words that other Vietnamese would find tricky ( I.e sauce" is usually pronounced back as "shaw" ) the young girl would pronounce back clearly and without fault almost every time.
Soon what had started out as a conversation between 3 had turned into small sermon as more young students came over, keen to ask questions and further their understanding of the foreigner sat amongst them. I answered their questions the best I could, showed them pictures on my camera that I had taken so far on my travels and tried to repeat their names back to them. It was great to be engaged on a personal level and we sat there in conversation for a good hour or so before I made my excuses and left them. Cheap t-shirts don't buy themselves you know, although I wish they did. Trying to navigate through the narrow ailes in the market place soon turns into something resembling a scene from an apocalyptic zombie movie, with arms reaching out to grab you while voices mumble from the sides to try and draw your attention. I think my leg may have got infected. I'll stay quarantined for now. Don't want to have to be subjected to the double tap if I can get away with it.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LDJedaxA2eU&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DLDJedaxA2eU
So back to today, and after seeing the splendour of the central post office in action, and being slightly confused over all the posed for wedding photo's outside the notre dame church that lay opposite and was closed, Kirsty departed to begin her journey back home and rachel and I visited the local botanical gardens and zoo. Think Bristol zoo, but bigger, with a nicer feel and plenty of animals and space to enjoy. People go there for picnics and to relax the day away, but then it costs 12000 dong to gain entry, which is just over half a dollar.
We got asked for signatures and photographs which is really quite a bizarre experience. Not sure why exactly but again, I was happy to go along with it, slightly mimicking the peace sign that seems to be par for the course in photos being taken in this part of the world. If you see me on an advertising board selling diet coke you know that my image and signature have been obtained using questionable tactics.
Tenuous link to coke.
I have come to the conclusion that I must look like some sort or sleazy drug fiend. Its not right to be offered so many massages, followed by someone asking, "taxi, marijuana" barely pausing between forcing the 2 words past their lips. It took me a while to work out what was on offer here. Somethings are just random combinations that don't quite work.
Taxis and marijuana
Sunglasses and zippos
James and blogging.
Vietnamese Coffee and coconut smoothies.
Actually, that last one works pretty well, but you may just have to take my word on that one.
smooth and bitter....
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