24/03/2024 - DaNang-a-Rang

 It's fair to say that I have enjoyed being back in DaNang again. It's a place that I have been through several times in the past and with each visit it somehow feels like it has improved in some way or another, but it's sometimes a little difficult to put a finger on exactly why that is. 

Things started off a little bit ropey. My hotel is not located exactly where I thought it was, an error on my part when checking the on-line map at the time of booking. This error led to a slight disorientation with me initially thinking that I had been dropped ay a different part of DaNang, and that drastic changes had happened over the preceding 5 since I was last here. Things started to fall into place mentally once I checked my current location on a map once again and realised that instead of being slightly north the Dragon bridge over the river, I was in fact slightly south. 

Fate though was smiling again. Right opposite where I was staying there was a pharmacy that I was able to score a months worth of medications, enough to get through to the end of the trip without fear of running short. I thought the price that I had paid in Thailand was reasonable enough at about £100 for 2 months worth. In Vietnam however, the equivelent cost by volume worked out to be around a 1/5th of the price when worked out like for like.

Almost everywhere I walk here changes are in progress or are already subtly different. Buildings have been knocked down or constricted, cafes have moved or changed but are more numerous now than they ever were, and some of the shops are more recognisable western brands, noticeable especially in the city's main mall. Lights at traffic junctions are now widespread and pedestrian crossings are accompanied by green or red men indicators to assist in crossing the highways without being sideswiped. A green man does not necessarily mean that it is not fully safe to cross the road without care however. It's more a suggestion that now might be a good time to take a punt and go for it, as with a bit of luck might be stopping in one of the directions. It's a bit like frogger, but with no water and double the traffic to get past. There are also additional bikes in-between the cars, lorries and vans and just the one life available with no extra credits.

Maybe.

I have walked a lot more again since arriving here too, something that was not easy to do so much over the last few weeks thanks to both oppressive heat and humidity. Traffic and walking paths not being necessarily conducive to being able to navigate anywhere safely or easily also played their part. With the exception of the middle of the day here, it feels more comfortable to be out and about and putting some steps under my belt. There is often a cooler breeze to blunt the edge off of the 30 degrees temperature, but whilst I am still sweating somewhat after walking for long enough around the edge of the river, it's not pouring out of me to the same degree that it has done in some of the places that I have been to. 

I had hoped that my body might adjust to the temperatures over my time here, but I am now resigned to the fact that it isn't going to be so easy. I never used to perspire much when I was younger, but in my mid to late teens it was something that would frequently manifest on nights out, in over hot pubs or clubs that had poor or no air-conditioning. Dancing was always a no go activity. I had put this down bodily changes due age and growing up, but I think that I mat have conflated this fact with diabetes being diagnosed at 15 years old. There is a condition called hyperhidrosis which can be prevalent in diabetics due to the underlying hormone imbalance. It doesn't make it any easier to deal with knowing this. There are tablets that may be able to control it to a certain degree, but they would need to be taken at regular 4-6 hour intervals as I understand it, plus there would be the risk of other side effect and complications I am sure.  At some point I guess you just have to say that enough is enough, but I will make some enquiries at some point to see if there is anything available that might help a little.  

With that said I have a month now before my flight back will drag me back to the UK and I plan to make the most of that time if I can. Thoughts at the moment are to travel from here to Hanoi and then head back to Thailand whilst also doing a bit of groundwork to help when the time comes to re-enter the job market in one way or another. 

Suddenly the remaining time here seems to be running down ever quicker. This is frustrating in a lot of ways as I never really managed to get myself going in a way that I would have liked to have done, or perhaps tried hard enough to find a route that might have enabled me to stay away from UK for longer whilst generating an income to both thrive and survive on. 

Time and tide though. Time and tide.