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  • Day 25

    Day 25 - Beer Corner

    March 4, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌫 20 °C

    I am covered in bites. I have no idea what's bitten me or when but they're all over me. Tiger reckons a flea got into my clothes. They're not too itchy but it's a bit grim to think about.

    Anyway, an underwhelming breakfast at the hotel and on to the bus to the boat. A delayed started as a hotel staff member ran down to say there was a towel missing from one of of the rooms a group of young hungover guys were staying in and one had left 'pants and 2 pens' so we had to sort all that out. Eventually we got going and were back on the little boat. The morning was all about sailing through Ha Long Bay to shore again. It was beautiful and relaxing, we were sad to leave. 4 hours on the bus back (via a rest stop which also sold some interesting statues) we arrived in Hanoi.

    We're staying at a different place from when we left Hanoi (the old place smelt of damp). We were welcomed by some good ol' towel sculptures which is always a good sign. Both of us were ravenous though so after a quick pharmacy visit for anti-histamines (whoo) we went to Chops for massive burgers and loads of sides. Sadly we were sitting next to the most irritating American girl I've even encountered who kept asking what we were eating and generally loving the sound of her own voice. At least the burgers were amazing!

    As I've dragged Matt to so many cookery places I thought it only fair to watch the football with him. Lucky for me there was a random band playing traditional music outside so I could check that out. Post-football we kept walking and found another band doing rock covers in the street. A random older lady was going for it dancing in front of them loving life. Then we headed to Beer Corner. A street corner where there's hundreds of small stools outside bars and you just sit and drink beer. Inventive name then for it. I have no idea how they manage the bills as the stools aren't fixed and are just plonked wherever you want and they had one guy with a wad of money and tickets managing the whole operation. Apparently if the police come along everyone has to move as having outdoor seating isn't allowed here and the businesses have to pack the stools away for 5 minutes until they go. Luckily that didn't happen, though there was a guy walking up and down with a megaphone singing 'Hello, hello, hello' to the what sounded like the tune of Auld Land Syne. I don't think he was a law enforcer.
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