Women pop
out of alleyways to start the day with their tai chi. Motorcycles glide to a
halt the women pointing to their choice of vegetables for the day before roaring
up the street - skilfully avoiding traders wearing the traditional no la,
conical hats carrying huge baskets full of melons or jackfruit strung from a
shoulder pole . Below us a young woman butchers and weighs pork and beef. Shops
begin to roll up their shutters to reveal rolls of materials, zips, cottons and
yawning owners.
Figures hunch over small cooking fires brought alive by the
gentle flapping of a handful of small leaves. People arrive on foot and
motorbike to sit on small plastic stools to eat steaming bowls of chicken noodle
soup served from large bubbling cauldrons.
For us though a quiet relaxing day
was on the cards, starting with breakfast at the air conditioned, Little Charm
Hotel, two doors down from us. Cheese omelettes, French baguette and coffee.
Coffee was a little tricky – brown or black? Mmmm?. We later found out that
brown was coffee with condensed milk. I finally succeeded in ordering black
coffee with cold milk… not ice… not egg…just coffee with cold milk!
While we were at the hotel, we booked in a tour of Halong Bay. Something we
wanted to do years ago when we visited but ran out of time. This time also looks
unlikely as the roads are still flooded but we’ll see what happens.
A quick
relax on the verandah where we are entertained by the ever-changing street life.
Gradually tourists mingle with the locals, leaping in alarm as a bike, bus or
car beeps its way down the narrow street.
Then it’s time for a massage and
facial. Glancing from our front door we see six spas, all with young girls
calling out an eager ‘welcome’ but whose eyes drift back to their mobile phones
the moment we say, ‘no thank you!’ We choose the one directly across the road
and it is FANTASTIC! An hour later we feel refreshed and ready to explore!
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