mickan in world

After two good, lazy and rainy (!) days in Hanoi I am on the road again. Or literally speaking; I am thuroughfully avoided the road. After careful consideration I decided I would skip the 24-hour busride from hell (as the lonely planet so poetically expressed it) and take the 45 min flight from Hanoi to Vientien instead. I got a good deal and I am glad I decided to take it. Very glad.

The days in Hanoi were spent well. Making preparations for Laos and walking around, hanging out with Andrew and drinking a bit too much cheap beer. On Andrews recomendation we checked into Vietnam's only hostel. A very good choice, eventhough the Italian senora who slept in the bed next to mine snored like half the Viet Minh and wanted me to help her put on her far to small body (you know, like a crossing between a modern corsette and a bathingsuit) in the morning. But she was nice anyway.
The hostel had a kitchen and after a lucky coincident we managed to come across some flour and baking soda and we had a blast baking scones and making American pancakes. Mmm.. something that you don't eat with sticks, it has been some time. Also made me a bit sentimental, scones taste like Sunday mornings with my dad (degen var heeelt perfekt!) and afternoons of studying geografy and history with Naomi. That is a taste I miss.

Tuesday we went to the best corner in the hole of Hanoi. The Bia Hoi corner. Bia Hoi is a freshly brewed beer, every place makes their own, it is crazy cheap (2000 dong/ glas, 1 kr, 10 cent) and everybody is sitting around on plastic chairs drinking it. It is very important which colour your chair is; because the colour determens which "bar" you are bying from. Everything is quite a bit confusing, since everybody wants to by eachother beer (just because you can) but then you can't because his chair is blue and yours is red. After a while this gets very amusing.
At 12 o'clock sharp the bars close, meaning if you don't move; your chair will. Usually they try and persue the reluctant guests by screaming "Boli! Boli! Boli!", which with a little imagination translates into "Police! Police! Police!".
We were a bunch of people, who unlike Cinderella, preferred to stay out a little later than 12 o'clock so we went to a really nice bar/club (don't ask me what it was called or where it was) and had a blast. A really nice night.

Yesterday the hostel had a barbeque and we all gathered in the roof top bar for Happy Hour beers and my first hamburger since I don't know when (actually I do now when, it was on New Years day with Bengan and Bea, hung over at McDonald's). We had a good time and I spent the night hanging out with Andrew and two Swedes from Akersberga. Turned in pretty early though, had to be up at 4.30 to get the bus to the airport.

So as February turns into March that marks the end of my Vietnamese adventures and the begining of my Lao ones. So far Laos is poor, dry, relaxed and disturbingly hot. But  I have only been here a couple of hours. I did find time to make my way to the National Museum though which was quite an experience, you really can tell this is a communist country. Hello propaganda! But very interessting indeed.

I called home today too. I miss my mum and my dad. I guess I am really tired from sleeping only five hours (I seriously do not function without sleep) but I am a bit down today. Tomorrow begins the new adventure and I am a bit nerveuse, what if I suck as an English teacher!?
I guess I will feel better tomorrow after some sleep and some food.

Love you guys and miss you to pieces!