Vietnam - Day 5 and 6

No, not two days rolled into one, but I will be gone tomorrow, 8 December, on a boat in Halong Bay so no communiques from me on the 6th day of my adventure.

Working backwards:  tonight, local cafe, ate there earlier in the week and I liked the place because the cafe is close, clean, seats about 30 so not big but bigger than a lot of local places here.  (Most seat about 6 and some of those are on small plastic stools.  Bad for my knees.)  And they have a nice selection of whiskeys, of which I opt for the cheapest, my friend Johnny the Red.  Jack of the Daniels is another ten cents more expensive, so I go for the cheap guy.  But tonight I had one of the best pasta dishes I have ever had in a restaurant.  Simple, simple, simple.  Farfalle with shrimp, capers, a touch of tomato and parsley and cream.  I cannot tell you how perfect it was.  The tomato basically colored the sauce, but I think the chef probably boiled the shells as well and a little pink came of that.  Capers, I was worried about but they were just a little hint in your mouth, like something was going on but you weren't sure what. The wait person apologized because she thought it was taking too long but it was because the chef was cooking the pasta to order. It was perfect.  You know how those shapes can be off a little, too tough in the middle, too done on the edges.  Not this one.  He nailed it.  And the shrimp were sweet and perfect, the cream sauce had a little hot spice to it but wasn't too creamy nor too spicy.  All in all, perfect.  I would go back there tomorrow and eat it again.

And the music was a Pandora sort of thing but while I was there I got Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan doing "Girl from the North Country," one of my favorites.  And John Prine with "The Great Compromise" and Lucinda Williams with "Lake Charles" which always brings tears to my eyes.  "Did an angel whisper in your ear and hold you close and take away your fear in those long, last moments."

So, a shot of JW Red, two (two!) glasses of a good french chardonnay and a great pasta, sitting in the window, thinking, listening, watching and eating and drinking.  It doesn't get a lot better than that.   

Backing up a bit, it was a good day. Out early to walk the lake, back for another delicious breakfast, finished reading "Gone, Baby, Gone" by Dennis Lehane, an excellent read.  Yes, the movie was really good but Lehane is a story telling master, so the read was totally captivating.  Then out again. I did the Tom Evans thing, looked up what was happening this weekend in Hanoi and found a couple of art galleries with new art, visited them, saw one museum, passed on the other because of the crowds. Sat on a bench near the lake for a while and the Chatty Postcard Guy found me!  zut alors!  He popped onto my bench and started talking.... as if our conversation from three days ago had never stopped.  Asked me what I had seen, nodded in approval, lied to me that the only time I could see this particular place was today, today only and he had a motorcycle, he could take me!  What luck!  Sadly, I declined.  But he is such a good salesman that I bought another pack of post cards (I know, I know, don't judge me) and a book that I actually have wanted to read so all was well.  He got some money, I got some stuff.  And he was so sweet..... he says "Ok, now that I have some money, let me buy you lunch. I know a good place."  I declined. I knew it would be a great soup place, sitting on those tiny chairs, street food, but I had just had breakfast so I said no.  But if this guy had a chance, he could sell cars to camels, I swear. Come on, you know me, I buy nothing.  But I bought from this guy.  He liked me, he liked my little history tidbits, he said, as he left "It is good that you are here. I like that you came here to see Vietnam by yourself. I think you would be a good friend and I hope you are here tomorrow."  When I replied something like "yeah, so you can sell me something else?" he just smiled and said "Goodbye, my friend."  Sweet.

Tomorrow I am leaving this hotel and this computer early in the morning for a trip up to Halong Bay and a night on a boat. It should be lovely. I will be out of computer contact for a while so don't worry. I will be back. Thank you all for reading this far. 

Cheers.