25/02/2012 by Russell.

Yen Tu? its a temple high on a hill, two cable car journeys and then 2 hour hike to the top.  It was a cold and misty day, but the scale of the numbers of people left me and Tom astonished, motorbikes as far as the eye could see, coach loads….people, like Chesterfield on a day trip to Wembley - yes Johnstones Paint Trophy final in 2 weeks.

Madness, it surely was.  It is this time of year many Vietnamese visit temples far and wide, some having more noteriety than others. Yeng Tu is such a destination. Thousands upon thousands of Vietnamese visit these sites in the new year.  They worship and hope good fortune and health are theirs for the year ahead.  The clamber up the steep rocks to reach the temple, carrying their offerings to the buddha, their new clothes (paper ones) for their ancestors to burn, they wash their faces after having touched a budha, hoping it rubs good fortune into their skin, no water is used.

They rub money onto the budha and the ‘gong’ or drum to receive good fortune.  The scramble as you can see is push -shove-  your way through, and in fact for many, it is just isn’t possible to get anywhere near, just on the mass of people alone.

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18/02/2012 by Russell.

What do you do on a cold February weekend? have a day trip to Bangkok of course!

My visa had expired, so I was boarded on to a plane to get me outta Vietnam to come back again to be a legal alien.

I had a visa extension, which apparently couldn’t be extended without a fine, which my employer declined to pay, so I was packed off to Bangkok for a day.

Finished school, sped off for the last bus to Hanoi at 5pm, arrived by 7pm, hunted down a hotel, the usual one was fully booked so had to pay $14 for a night on a 4th floor.  Up at dawn, chauffer to the airport and that’s where my troubles began…

First, as I knew the visa had run out so she refused to give me a boarding pass, until I had been to customs and paid a fine, 20 minutes later 1,250,000 VND had been parted from my wallet - approx $70.

Off to Bangkok with only about 30 people on my flight - yes 30 people on a 200 seater plane.

Arriving in Bangkok is a doddle, no visa for EU citizens…until you see the mass of people trying to enter the country, it took just short of an hour to get through passport control (eat yer heart out Heathrow - you are a model of efficiency), so that was my next delay.

After gaining entry, I had decided to visit the MBK shopping Mall - shops (inc Boots) and markets and there is a whole floor dedicated to Mobiles (like being in the Harlequin centre, Watford and it only sells mobiles and electronics bits..) Only to get there I missed a train by a whisker, another delay of 30 minutes.

Arriving at the Mall, it was how I had remembered from previous visits, I went to Boots for a toothbrush, 5th floor for a new t shirt and some boxers (they don’t make them big enough in VN) - not that I am fat - lol!

Very tempted to get an iPhone for half the UK price - in hindsight I am glad I didn’t. Sticking with my BBerry.

My highlight of the day was certainly eating a Burger King at the airport…

However, onto the flight and into VN, and a new visa upon arrival for $25 for 3 months.

Very tired and watched a snowy Stoke City play Sunderland  play on my tv until ZZZZZ’s beckoned.  A grand day out (Wallace would have said)

I thought my troubles were over…it was just the beginning

Sunday afternoon I managed to get a game of football, I had played earlier in the week, and all was well no hamstrings, groins etc.  Only on Sunday, I did my knee again, it was very much like the injury in 2009, it never really went away, so I have now offered to hang up my boots at the age of 53.  Or have I?  I was laid in bed for 2 days, couldn’t walk and had a witch doctor.  She used acupuncture and marajuana.  Acupuncture into the damaged ligaments (I think cruciate ligaments) and made a huge roll up from marajuana leaves and some powder and lit it.  She used i to put heat into my wound.

That was anothe $25 for two days treatment, back on my feet Tuesday to teach Wednesday……then the final nail into my woes is 1 Rectory Drive, a burst pipe, just as I was going to exchange…insurance invalid because the property has been empty for 60 days..ho hum…then 3 days later the ceiling collapsed.

Thank goodness for Enid and her resolve to help me out, goodness what her partner must think, but perhaps typically summed up by her mother when she went to the house with Enid, she always did have a dry way with words..she said “Its come to something when you have to help out an ex boyfriend” I can just picture her saying that to Enids partner, I can imagine he didn’t laugh…

The house is drying out, and needs a ceiling repaired..wait for more news…

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