In the midst of the Tet holiday, it's been quiet in my neighbourhood. Luckily we've been having unseasonably good weather, with blue skies and low humidity. Yesterday felt like the weekend although it was only Tuesday. Lily and I met up with Gretchen, who I met at my Zumba class last week, in Phu My Hung and we celebrated pancake day by ordering some delicious mango pancakes for a late breakfast. The tranquillity of sitting outside in the sunshine, enjoying our treats and listening to a Beatles playlist was only broken by a boy racer noisily ripping up and down the street, obviously at as much of a loss of something to do as we were.
 |
| Pancake day, Southeast Asia style |
 |
| Lily, me and Gretchen |
We really struggled to think of what to do next as most businesses are still closed, and so ended up going straight for lunch afterwards. Lily and I passed a pleasant afternoon having a massage at the only place we could find that was open, then taking a long stroll home, stopping off at the local mall for some window-shopping. Our day culminated in me giving Lily a cycling lesson around the park and a few drinks at an expat bar in Phu My Hung where we were entertained by a middle aged man telling us drunkenly that 'everyone's the same, it's all about peace and love', and so on. It was a nice day and as much as could be expected from such a quiet time of the year.
 |
| Me over the Saigon River, Phu My Hung |
 |
| Lily, Tet flower decorations at the Crescent Mall |
Today Lily and I joined a Sinh Cafe tour on a day trip to the Mekong Delta. I have done this tour three times now and it followed the same structure as ever: multiple stops for retail opportunities interspersed with boat trips. Today it was particularly crowded and our tour guide was in fact leading two bus loads of people- around eighty in all. Surely this was to do with Tet, and the poor fellow did a good job of keeping his flock of sheep herded, but even so it was not a good situation. I enjoyed myself though, appreciating the nice scenery and warm weather.
 |
| Pretty lotus flower |
 |
| Making rice paper by steaming |
 |
| The reality of much of the tour! |
 |
| Lily in full tourist mode |
 |
| Our scary-looking but tasty Elephant Ear fish at lunchtime |
 |
| The tour guide with honey bees. "Take picture quickly, I'm tired! I will drop it and run!" |
 |
| The perfect pet for children |
 |
| The brave girl is totally at ease |
 |
| Afternoon nap |
 |
| This little girl helps her mum earn tourist money |
No comments:
Post a Comment
Leave a comment or ask me a question