Soooo This is the Situation

Daily Stats

Distance: 0

Time: 0

Elevation: 0

Speed: 0

Accumulated Distance: 340 kms

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Daily Disasters

1. Should have stayed in Hanoi

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Yesterday (Friday 10/Jan/2025) I made a whistle-stop trip to Hanoi. That in itself was successful and I completed my desired business with positive results.

As I was successful I jumped onto the bus back to Sa Pa. I then tried to book the same hotel as before, it was full so I had to find another one. Grrrrrrr.

Then I joined a SEA cycling Info group. I posed a question about a visa at the Taichang border crossing into Laos. I had anticipated an evisa or Visa on arrival (VoA) would do, unfortunately it is a paper visa only. The only place I can get this is at the Laos 🇱🇦 embassy in Hanoi. So I now have to schlep back to Hanoi on Sunday/Monday (another two 6 hour bus rides) then a long wait at the embassy to get the visa. I’m frustrated, to say the least. But it just shows what a bit more research could have avoided. It’s my own f’ing fault. I have booked what seems like a fancy hotel in Hanoi because it’s 🇻🇳 VND648 000 and it sort of is fancy but this astronomical large number works out to be a smidg over £20, so pretty damn reasonable for a hotel in a capital city.

I am regularly getting confused with the large denominations. As Simon and Sheryl (my brother and his partner) will attest to after a Christmas board game mental disaster I have very little ability at mental arithmetic.  I believe at one point I may have given a £20 tip for my £4 haircut 🤦. I do use a currency converter app but when buying stuff it’s not always convenient to get it out.  Then sometimes you find yourself negotiating over 20pence which is 🇻🇳 VND6195.

Also it seems, I have seen or I read somewhere, in SEA (South East Asia) there is a respectful way of handing over money and or goods.

Which as you can see looks pretty disrespectful in comparison. I am endeavouring to clean up my ways and be a bit more respectful and organised. It’s a slow process.

It’s pretty miserable weather here at 2000meters. Rainy, damp, sodden feet, the views are obliterated by mist, the cablecar up to Fansipan peak has been cancelled due to the weather. I am just hanging around in Starbucks (only place with decaf).