Wednesday, March 7, 2007

Update - Day 55-59

Sorry to have left everyone hanging. We have been so busy since Singapore, that I have not had time to really even be in the hotel room. We saw several temples in Thailand, and went to the Great Palace. It belongs to the king, and is where real Anna taught the kings children.

We visited the Vietcong Tunnels and the Mekong River here in the south of Vietnam. We fly out to Hanoi this morning. I will do my best to update with pictures as soon as I can.

Vietnam has been wonderful! I got my hair washed and styled at a local salon, as well as a pedicure with flowers painted on each toenail. The shop belongs to a friend of our tour guide, Rose. She took me and Susan there, with one of us riding on her moped, and one of us hiring a moped taxi. It was the most fun I have had on the trip. It was by no means a fancy salon, in fact, I noticed geckos crawling on the wall, and the water they used on my hair was about the color of beer. I had a face massage while they were washing my hair, and it wasn't the relaxing kind. It was more like a get the blood flowing massage. It actually felt like she was slapping me. Once they were finished washing my hair, two girls attended to drying/styling it, and two other girls attended my feet. Susan and I laughed through the entire experience. (Susan is the wife of a business associate that works for the family I am traveling with.)

Rose also took us to the Saigon market, which was so much fun. You can literally get anything at this market. Loads of fun purses and shoes. I bought a pair of knock off Prada and Gucci sunglasses for a sum total of $9. The part of the market where they sell clothes was a little unnerving because people would grab me by the arm trying to drag me into their little shop area. It was interesting to see everything they had, but I really hate being done that way. I finally got up the gumption to tell people not to touch me. It may seem rude, but I really do not like strangers to touch me, much less drag me around like a child.

Nonetheless, Vietnam has been a fun experience so far. I am anxious to see how the north is different. I promise I will post pictures, but I haven't even downloaded any to my computer since Singapore.

5 comments:

Su said...

I am totally jealous that you have flowers painted on each toenail! Also, I am so with you on the no-touching thing.

Lisa said...

So how did your hair feel after all that? Sticky? Silky smooth? Grungy? I heard that beer makes the hair shine, are you sure it was not, in fact, beer? Is your hairy shiny? Well, it sounds like fun anyway, especially the mopeds! Can't wait to see pictures!

Anonymous said...

I read your blog and pictured Bugs Bunny giving you the massage. You know...in the cartoon where he gives Elmer Fudd a cut and pats the top of Elmer's head with his ears--it's set to a famous opera piece The Barber of something--it has slipped my mind right now. Does ANYONE know what I am talking about?

Anyway, I thought of bunny ears slapping you to get the blood flowing. And flowers on the toes--how fun is that?! Hope you took pictures of that!

tim rush said...

I'm guessing Barber of Seville, but no, I don't know what you're talking about. (I really do, but don't want to admit it. Shhh.)

I'm cracking up that you're in Vietnam and Susan is jealous cause you got flowers on your toes. Ha! Suzy is too funny.

Enjoy the 54th parallel. (Anyone know how to spell that?)

Anonymous said...

Welcome to my shop,
Let me cut your mop,
Let me shave your crop,
Dain-ti-ly,
Dain-ti-ly...

Ah, the Rabbit Of Seville. You know that was the only Bugs Bunny cartoon where Bugs had five fingers?

Ooops...sorry, slipping into cartoon geekiness there.

That beer hair style/massage/pedicure sounds interesting...I would have laughed too but only because I'm so ticklish I can't bear anyone touching my feet :D