War on Scissors

Back home to Bangkok, and Al-Qaida notches up another small victory as my forgetful wife surrenders yet another pair of nail scissors to the security screeners.

Escaping the Masses

Homestay

We head North into the hill forests. Our desire to get away from it all is somewhat thwarted by the difficulty of escaping the dreaded 'guided tour'. In Vietnam, it seems someone (the communist government?) is determined to restrict tourism to pre-ordained itineraries. We escape the system on a rented motorbike, and have a beautiful time exploring the more remote parts of the highlands. Although when the road disappears in a major landslide, we are held up for a few hours...

Bird Flew

Enjoying the Ride

I’m always confused by the animal rights brigade in the UK. British animals are incredibly well treated compared to many countries in the world. Just check out these motorbiking ducks. Or is it just that British animals are somehow more important than foreign animals?

This Season, I Will Be Mostly Wearing...

Vietnam is famous for its cheap clothes, and so whilst here I stock up on a new wardrobe. I blow over £30, which is a lot for someone who’s clothing budget has averaged £10 a year over the last decade.

A Bit Hanoi-ing

Noisy

It may be pleasantly cooler, but Hanoi is remarkably noisier. You’d have thought that bustling Bangkok would prepare you for any city, but Hanoi is deafening. The locals appear to believe that constant use of the horn is the epitome of careful driving, and with a motorcycle density of 10 per metre of road, one soon develops a strong desire to leave. Which is a pity, because Hanoi’s Old Quarter is an attractive place; it’s architecture and cafés being some of the few worthwhile legacies of the wholly dubious French colonial project.

It's Getting Hot in Here

It’s approaching the peak hot season here in Thailand. Come mid-April, the locals will be cooling off in the great Songkran waterfight. We decide to escape over the holidays, and I look up the climate charts of all destinations flown to by budget airlines out of BKK. Determining the coolest to be Hanoi in Vietnam, I book tickets online and we’re off...

Death Bed

There was something that puzzled me when we first arrived in our house. It's a furnished house, but the only brand new items were the mattresses. And rather than being on the beds, they were propped against a wall, still in their manufacturer's wrappings.
Didn't really think about it any further until chatting with a Thai friend this morning. Turns out the ever-suspicious Thais have a particular aversion to pre-owned mattresses. You see, the thing is, someone could have died in the bed, at which point their ghost inhabits the mattress. If you then rashly sleep on it, they could give you a big hug. Or something.
By the way, if you're looking for a cheap second-hand mattress...