You find me in air-conditioned bliss in Hanoi, Vietnam, where I have ventured into a post-conference brave new world.
In case you haven't been following guidinggoestohk.blogspot.com, I have been part of the UK delegation to the WAGGGS World Conference in Hong Kong, which has been an empowering and fantastic experience. The delegation has now parted their various ways. Read the aforementioned blog for the full story.
Where am I now? Hanoi, Vietnam, with my dear friend Jo, who has come all the way from Bangkok to travel through Vietnam with me! I have put almost no thought whatsoever into this part of the trip, being somewhat consumed by the preparation for the World Conference, so I am gently adjustng to being somewhere else, which is completely different to Hong Kong, despite being just a centimetre away on the map. Thanks to Jo for sorting everything out and apologies for my ongoing uselessness. That said, I have booked the next hotel, although I didn't read the reviews. Jo did.
I was stumped when I arrived at the airport gate in Hong Kong with 5 minutes to spare, only to find that I had to get on a bus! 'I thought we were flying', I said to an airport staff person, who failed to laugh. I couldn't believe that having epitomised that bloke in that film 'The Terminal' for more than a week, I was almost late for my flight.
In the queue for the flight, I bumped into the infamous Hilary, former Girlguiding UK staff member, who remembered my name because she has a horse called Helen. On arrival in Hanoi, she very kindly organised for me to have a lift into the city, with her friends Liann and John who live here. They have lived here for 5 days, having moved from Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday, as one does.
Immediately, I was transported into a chaotic world of mopeds, motorbikes with riders who had masks over their mouths, but no helmet; the taxi bashed into numerous things in the road, which chipped against the chassis. A bus, on the wrong side of the road, came towards us at speed and I feared this was the end.
By the grace of God, it wasn't.
On arrival at the hotel, which Jo had booked, I was met with a sumptuous glass of watermelon juice to welcome me, then a smiling Jo, whom I have not seen since Christmas.
I fear I have left a pile of clothes in a drawer in the airport hotel at Hong Kong, because I am a numpty. I have e-mailed the hotel in the hope that they haven't thrown them out. This morning was all a bit of a blur.
Just as I was starting to become fluent in Cantonese, I have now shifted country and my Cantonese is redundant. However, 'gammon' is 'hello', which is a good start. Watch this space.
We ventured out for sumptuous local food and beer, dodgy the billions of screeching mopeds and uncontrolled bicycles. Groups sat sipping tea on tiny stools on every corner; the wares of sports shops, hardware and food tumbled out of the shops and onto the pavements. We inadvertently walked through a stall selling a million perplexing shoes.
It is a novelty to be going to bed on the same day that I woke up. This has not yet happened this week. So, stay with me blog-wise and I'll write more soon.
Goodnight.
Now were those guiding clothes or travelling clothes?
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