I'm leaving on a jet plane

Dear Marmite

Today is the big hiccup in my plans. My overland trip needs a little help. Tonight I am flying to Turkey. Where did it all go wrong? I will point fingers at Russia. To get into Russia, you have to get a visa within 30 days of entering the country. I promise myself I will be doing the Trans Siberian rail trip but this will have to be another time, sadly.

So ends my time travelling through East Asia. I think I have said this before. The trip has been so varied that it is a blur and I am glad I have written these letters to you so I can remind myself of all the things that I have done along the way.

Yesterday, Jeremy told me off for trying to read Vietmanese writing out loud purely because it sounded funny. Then I caught him doing the same. A clear case of the pot calling the kettle black, me thinks!

An illustration of a local story to rival the bawdiness of Chaucer

Ly, Le, (later) Le, Ngo, Nguyen and Tao Son are all dynasty names that stretch back a thousand years with periodic interventions from the Chinese. Those names alone could be part of a comedy routine.  The North Imperial Palace in Hanoi was built the same way as the Forbidden City in Beijing. It is called the Citadel and was partly rebuilt in a European style to please the French and possibly irritate the locals.

A paper bag tree in the grounds of the Citadel

On site is Bunker D67. It was the operational command the war against America and the rhetoric leaves you in no doubt how the glorious, heroic forces of their army vanguished the terrible, not very clever, Americans. Ironically, forty years on the US dollar is king and history has been swept aside. It seems all is forgiven.

As it was my last night with Diane and Jeremy we went posh - even though I was wearing my boots still dusted with Lao soil. ( I tucked these under the table lest I got turfed out for scruffiness.) The Metropole is the equivalent of Raffles in Singapore. There we supped mulled wine at the Bamboo Bar by the pool - quite elegantly, actually despite the boots.

There are rather a lot of paradoxes. Firstly, my overland trip needs a flight, secondly Vietnam has totally forgiven the Americans, thirdly scruffs can dine out in posh places and as I age, I can grow old disgracefully. The Citadel says, "Vietmanese Old People 60 and above" can get in cheaper to see the site. British Old People can't!

Me taking silly pictures just because...

So Marms, you and I are officially Old Folks... That is indisputable.

I  am off very soon - along Pho Hang Bong to Pho Hang Gai for starters - Ciao

Love

A