A Christening: Arriving, Adamant friends, apparent Absolution, Amen

The ride South from Quy Nhon is FABULOUS as usual...... 

.... even though more and more construction equipment is tearing up the pristine landscape to create 'luxury' holiday resorts that no one really wants.

                                                                      Concrete ruins in the making ;-)

I take the picturesque detour along the inlet. Always nice ;-)

xe moto cua toi ;-)

Rolling into the yard, I see a strange but yet VERY familiar face BEAMING at me.  I haven't seen that face in 8 months !
Holy Fuck, its PHAP, and is he ever happy to see me. 
What a strange country that makes me feel so good.

The Evangelical community has arrived in force. 

 Food is being prepared, tents have been erected, and young women dressed in pseudo-Pilgrim costumes play presumably religious songs on guitar.  NOT my scene at all, but I will bite my tongue and let the congregation have fun.

But first I head to the beach:

Opi in action

NO celebration in Vietnam takes place without large quantities of fabulous food.  And that takes its toll, LOL.

While they sleep, M prepares for his 2nd Christening ....

... and the tables are RESET for the NEXT meal, LOL.

Nice touch:  the Viet flag on the table

13:30
....the hour approaches ....

Apparently I am also tasked with taking pictures of the event...... Stress ;-)

Here we go ..... religious fervour in action.....

If a priest puts his hand on your shoulder .....

....you're in for something odd!

All of a sudden, M&T vanish from my viewfinder.  I am will to swear the priest put his foot behind that of M and pushed him back, LOL.

"Hallelujah !", the pastor shouts.  Another sinner saved !

Ti/n does a fabulous Master of Ceremonies!

fabulous guests ;-)

Phap & Tu\ng

Not all that happy....

By 15:30 I've given up taking photos, but the preacher keeps going.... once a minute I hear a very Loud Hallelujah from my room.   

16:00

Muoi and a whole table of Vietnamese men WATCH me when I access the trunk of my scooter. 
Getting 2 bottles of white wine out of the compartment, I exclaim Nuoc Ep Tao (apple juice) and the whole table bursts out laughing.







MORE food

Sunburn-RED, NOT drunk RED ;-)

Someone is taking pictures of Ti/n on the beach.  LOL.  Tin is James Bond !

ten toi la Bond.  James Bond !

 I guess he spotted me taking pictures of him being photographed ;-)

17:30
Dinner has been concluded abruptly.   Toi say and I still catch Phap before he heads back home.   We exchange email & phone numbers so I can visit him in Tuy Hoa when on my upcoming trip to Saigon.  

20:00 
No naps today.  Time to pass out ;-)