On the road again...... LOVE....snoring nude....hotel clusterfuck......Toan..... and back HOME ... weak......but Karma strikes again

In my house in my village:

5:30.....the unfriendly voice of the alarm clock gets me out of bed

6:45

Nhat drops by....

Somehow I survive the 90 minute taxi ride to the airport and the UIH-SGN flight ...

13:00

I check into HomeAway early....they got my room ready early.....Thank God......because I am exhausted.....the walk from the 152 bus stop at the end really wore me out.....

14:00

I've bought hand juice (the thing I forgot), wine, cigs (the other thing I forgot), and bibimbap and coffee chocolate .....

time to relax..... I made it to Sai Gon ;-)

17:45

I just ordered the usual food at Parkhaus......walking here my legs and arms are shaking and I've been SO SLUGGISH all afternoon..... watching Princess Margaret die on Netflix......I hope it's lack of food and not what she had......never know....

4:15

I wake up just before the church bells ring at 4:20 ;-)

still weak

I eat the rest of the Schnitzel and talk to Eda

go buy more Cialis.......police and lots of female gossipers next to a blue tarp on Bui Vien next to my pharmacy ..... OH !!! ....there is an elbow sticking out...... Dead person on the ground and the Western tourists are sipping their coffees just across the street.....surreal

I start packing......

12:00

The new receptionist wants to CHECK my room before I leave......he doesn't know yet WHO I am......fruity Levi rolls his eyes at that.....a darling he is....

a nice Grab driver in a tiny car....Phap wishes me a good journey and says he'll meet me at 7 pm in Bien Hoa...

in the Grap taxi.....we just passed a LARGE gasoline tanker truck .....in bright BIG red letters it says CAM LUA (Fire forbidden) on the side of the tank.....

The tanker truck is going FAST......The driver's window is open.. he is driving with only his right hand....and his left hand is leisurely hanging out the window....with a burning cigarette....

... I give the Grab driver 400k instead of the charged 332k....oh what the fuck....it's friggin Christmas ....AND  ....I can do that 100,000 times more before I have to sell the house....  (in retrospect that sounds FOOLISH)

13:15

and I get room 205 again ...I love this hotel...... and I message Phap....

Phap arrives in the evening as promised

4:45

I'm having my first smoke....and then he's getting up and dresses .....not tam gio....but nam gio.... he's leaving early ?!

I feel bad for having to rub one out while holding it.... but the horniness was almost unbearable....

7:30

Breakfast ....the usual.....carry it into the room...

still weak....too much traveling !

I talk to Chantal....and she tells me about Conrad and Mika in a kidnapping danger township in the middle of nowhere South Africa and Mika running off and the police returning him...... OMFG....

Eda calls.....she is in NV.... and I can tell by her voice that she is STRESSED...... stupid Christmas present exchanges (or NOT) with the White Trash crowd in her house (a $400 T-shirt for the uncle????)

Randy is an idiot and his girlfriend is the biggest gold digger I've ever heard of...

11:00

I don't want to....but it needs to be done...... by foot to LotteMart...... I have 20k ready just in case someone offers me a ride..... a Grab rider does ....but only 40 meters from Lottemart....I decline gracefully .....

Buy baguette, coffee, cheese, grapes, 4 bottles of wine......basics covered.....I'm too exhausted by the loud Christmas music and the bright lights to buy a Zippo....  hopefully in Saigon.....Choi deserves one... (?)

I'm wobbly and my shirt is drenched in sweat when I return to my room.....

eat, sink laundry, drink wine, organize tomorrow's departure....start getting organized for my GST return.....finish watching the movie Vantage Point.... calisthenics

13:15

Now that I've written all that down, I realize why I feel so exhausted.  I've done a lot.....

nap

14:00

slight bellyache .....but a stinky dump relieves it..... 3 eggs for breakfast are too much !

15:00

Idiot me....for tomorrow in Sai Gon......I booked a room at the SUNNY Guesthouse....NOT the FUNNY Guesthouse.....good thing the two are not far apart.....

15:15

I take my first look in the mirror at the itchy spot on my back.....YUK.....don't like it.....What the fuck is it?

I buy a ticket home for Tuesday......and ask My to meet me at the airport.....

16:20

No arrival yet.....time to nap.....

5 minutes later Phap arrives

He get's off violently....

and falls asleep while watching soccer....

18:45

He is snoring..... it's too early for me....

morning...... as usual I am awake and he is asleep....

There are competing titles for the above oeuvre of photography:

Xmas Eve (hint: it's a double entendre ;-)

Ihr Kinderlein kommet !

But the one I like best is:

Self portrait with snoring Nude/Dude

9:15 he leaves..... I want to give him 1 million for a present for Duc....he asks for 2 million..... LOL.....no worries....

Tony Diemert sends me one of those electronic Xmas cards.....Blech.....but as soon as I hear Smetana's Vlatava, I get tears in my eyes....... and I'm happy....

11:15

Again, I drank too much...... I miss feeling and touching him next to me.....but I do have stuff to do....

12:00 I grab a Grab taxi

13:10   Sunny Guest House.....she is very friendly and makes me walk up to the 3rd floor (NO elevator) to show me my room.....  a family room with two giant bed and NO balcony.......I flip out at her......she even dares to ask me to cancel my booking.....so she can save the commission..... I reply "If you do that I will leave you the worst review ever".....which I will do anyway.....this shit has to stop........

I try Liberty hotel......he shows me a room.....the guy who is supposed to be cleaning the room is sleeping on the bed..... the earliest I could have the room would be 3pm...it's 13:30 now.....I don't think so...

I start walking towards Gemini Saigon, because Booking.com says they have lots of rooms.....but then I stop myself.....I don't reward liars by going back....

I need to breathe and think..... there is a fancy bar with outside tables......No one comes to take my order.....so I open my bottle of wine.....and my laptop..... when I leave after 20 minutes, I see the waiting staff inside.....typical floosy idiot......

I've decided on 3Beans......they do have a balcony room....and it's ready....it's on the 6th floor and they don't have an elevator......and the owner is GREEDY.....and the room lousy.....she takes 500k when it should be 250k.....khong quan trong....I have a room and a bed to lay on...

15:30

time to get stuff done.....bank machine....success.... CircleK....Toblerone and soup (no fork) and gummy bears.....next Parkhaus....the usual....I take half home.....

Nhat calls and asks me when I'm coming back.....I know the right people...

the DUMB girl at HomeAWay again....she doesn't understand ANYTHING.....

I buy wine and cigs.......and later..... YES, putting a cardboard take-away container on top of a steaming water kettle heats the contents nicely ;-)

lots of messages with Monkey and Toan (he will take the bus tonight) and Phap (he will go gift shopping with Duc tonight)   

I sent the "self portrait with snoring Nude" to Seamus and to Marion......Marion LOVES it !   which makes me happy..... gotta get away from those crusty Brits....

19:00

What else to do.... I don't want to do stairs again ....

watch Netflix and at 23:00 sleep

5:00

coffee, wine, smoke

nap more 

8:00   Good sleep, nice mattress...

8:30 Call Eda.....talk for an hour.....she's becoming neurotic.....found the fuse for the evil outside lights....and now she wants to install a surveillance camera.....(ONE ! , which doesn't do squat....and she will be staring at her phone the whole time...)

Phuong posts a suggestive video 

Yet another naked Xmas Card ;-)

 and sends me a Merry Xmas message....

Down the stairs, talk to Levi, buy lip balm, tooth brushes, and some food (disgusting sandwich) and up the friggin stairs again.....

10:30

worn out... tipsy...... 

nap

shower water is not hot.....a cat wash will have to do...

12:30 I leave and hand the key to the cute laundry guy who is cleaning a room....

My room is not ready.....I leave 100k for Levi to hurry things up with the nice woman....and go eat some Sushi...... I bought 2 lottery tickets and I tip the sushi server with it....  "chuc may man", I say

Talk to Levi.....and show him the 'self portrait with Nude'...... when I tell him that Phap is married to a woman he almost loses it....I am living a much wilder life than the young ones ;-)

13:00

Finally In the HomeAway room....

veg out....drink wine, watch Netflix, write emails and messages...

nap

16:30

Toan will show up around 19:00

easy..... which is also what I will take it like....

19:00

Here Toan is..... a glass of wine

19:30

Parkhaus......Toan's chicken tastes like sawdust.... too bad....

we talk....and he tells me I should try public washroom cruising....LMFAO.....

20:30

Back at the hotel, more drinking and talking.....it's fun, but there is a slight abrasive edge to him today..... he's not happy....

22:30

He goes home and I go to bed at 23:00

4:00

There is funny music outside......Yup, another funeral.... much more modest than the last one...... the guys in the white uniforms double as band and coffin carriers.... this is how early they start their day....I'm sure they have many more bookings today.....

5:30

Chantal is with Tamil in Victoria.... Good for her..... Mika & Conrad will return tomorrow....

6:00

I miss Phap

Back to sleep....but NO.....I putter and pack and watch more Netflix

I phone Chantal.....she's with Tamil on Vancouver Island, so she decided to go after all.....good for her..... Tamil shouts something and I secretly cringe at her voice

8:05

I start walking to the bus stop......the orange bus starts moving after the first cigarette.... it actually has 4 passengers on this trip.... a new record.....

Eda calls back while I'm on the bus......she went to the movie theatre to watch 'Hunger Games'.....really?

HUGE lineup at the VietJet check-in counters....Good thing BayDep already sent me a boarding pass....I have another smoke and then take my two backpacks through security, including a 550ml bottle of Nivea and a corkscrew..... try that in the uncivilized world !

9:45

A beer and a ham and cheese sandwich later.....tiredness hits me..... 30 mins+ to riding the stupid shuttle bus again....

14:15

I'm HOME....still shaking from too many stupid people and driving 1.5 hours on an imperfect road....

2 glasses of wine later and I feel slightly better

Nhat walks by and we shake and smile 

15:00

Still a bit weak and I think I should eat something...but what..... then I see Yen return....with a big green plastic bag.....containing 2 pizza boxes.....HOLY SHIT.....I forgot that I asked her to bring me 2 .....and JUST at the right time ...... Cam On Nghiep Chuong

17:15

Phap FINALLY sends something...... and he's communicating....... he won't have time in two weeks to travel to Tuy Hoa....... we'll meet in Bien Hoa in 3 weeks.... and some other sweet words......and I realize how much my immediate happiness depends on him...... nhung ma anh ay luon that bai !!!.....

We'll see ....

17:30

I visit Choi to let him know that I'm back and that we're still anh em..... but I can tell that he's otherwise occupied, so I leave after one cigarette....but Hoa (the darling wife) gives me a bowl of fried tiny shrimps....and Choi insists that I take it home..... I donate it to Yen and company..... I would just feed the cat with it....

18:45

Nhat drops by.....and tells me that he missed me while I was gone.....

I set fire to my pile and the stupid hotel pile.....still here after a looong time....

19:30

and set fire to it again.....but the high tide is wetting it from below.....Idiots !

19:45

I have a confirmation for HomeAway in 15 days.....and Ha Trinh is booked.....I explore Cambodia options....ah well....not something I have to do tonight......

20:15

Monkey says it is not cold..... ah well....he probably is wearing a WARM hoodie.....

20:30

ready to end this day.....and trip..... and see what happens tomorrow.....

On the road again.... Saigon ...2 LOVE birthdays ....Toan .....Clusterfuck return to home

Thursday .... 6:00

OUCH .... getting old

6:30 Nhat shows up

9:30 My, the taxi guy (that even rhymes ;-)

14:30 I arrive at Home Away in Sai Gon

19:30 Levi is leaving....because Long wants to put a CircleK into the lobby....WTF?

19:45 DEAD tired.....

 1 am..... awake again.....super horny...but I keep it in for tonight....

somewhere in here is a Friday and Saturday.....but it's a blur of love and happiness ....because it is MY birthday.....and at Midnight it becomes HIS birthday ;-)

Sunday

9:15 Phap leaves and while my love battery will hold some charge for a while, I already feel it draining

But then Joanna calls.....and I talk to Eda.....and I feel much better again ;-)

12:00

I order the Grab taxi....but it's not showing up.... I finally find him on the main road....he's parked and fixing his engine.....

13:00

I arrive....and they tell me my room is not ready yet.....WTF?  What did I bribe Levi for?....WORSE....

18:30

23:30 Toan leaves.....

sleep

sweat a lot...

6:00

OUCH.... getting old ;-)

7:45

Andrea calls..... she forgot my birthday.....apologizes way too long about it and then chews my ear off about her weird 'wealth management' issues......

No call from Eda..... I don't call her because she wanted to be with her friends.....

Eat some more chicken Schnitzel .....  It's expensive at 290k (12 Euros), but for me it is dinner, breakfast and lunch..... that's 4 Euros each meal ;-)

12:00

Buy more wine & cigs

14:00

I walk over to the bank.....I want 2000 us$ and 120trieu (5000$).......they can give me the US$ but say they have NO vietnamese money left..... OMFG....... and I'm STUPID enough not to take as much as I can in US$...

14:30

another news item.....developers built these mega cities....and they don't sell.....guess who lent them the money..... oh oh...

I contemplate going back to the bank to take as much money in US$ as possible....

16:00 

I've applied for my new Cambodian visa.....this time the payment worked..... one of the few successes today..

17:30

I almost cry my eyes out when Georgie on Young Sheldon tells his parents that he got a girl pregnant.... and that she wants to keep it ....to get the husband......I cry for Phap.

Then 17:50

Phap writes: Wish a happy evening in Vinh Hoa, Love....... OMFG....he never listens

18:00

I'm back at the ParkHaus to drown my sorrows in a Jaegerschnitzel and Caesar Salad....

They are still drumming in the park.....maybe I should make a video of it after eating....

Some stupid white-skinned skinny fake girl Korean band......and the Viet kids are loving it....it's the end of the world as I know it....

23:00

Finally pass out drunk..... I miss him

4:45

Shit..... wide awake..... might as well get ready....

8:10

Levi in his gayest tone:  OOOH....you're leaving already ?

I have to run for 10 meters waving, but I do catch the 109 bus......I'll be early at the airport....

9:00

Trying to check in......and I'm told that I'm on the 15:10 flight  ....WTF???

Turns out they cancelled the 10:45 flight........ OH GREAT...... if someone had TOLD me, I could have stayed in my room, I could have gone to the bank, and I wouldn't have to spend at least 6 lousy hours at Tan Son Nhat .....I start sweating and am about to collapse with frustration....

11:50

At least the bank machine worked....I contacted My that the flight is MUCH later.....I had a nap on the benches....2 beers and way too many cigarettes...I will be a wreck tonight.....especially since the new flight probably will be delayed....

13:30

After another nap, I'm back for another Ham&Cheese sandwich and a 333.  I am weak and shaking..... I eat the sandwich to prevent fainting from exhaustion.  I am too old for this shit.... I feel like crying....wishing Phap would be here to calm me ...or the Monkey....

Nhat calls and asks when I will be back.... no idea, but it will be dark already and I will barely be able to walk.....

13:45

less than one hour until the SCHEDULED boarding time.....  

I finally get home at 19:00.......after an exhausting 11 hour journey.....and it's pitch dark and raining....and I only have 1.5 bottles of wine left...... ah well I might have to finish the Gin .....

but no, there is a break in the rain and I go get some wine..... My Vietnamese is so obviously flawed by my exhaustion, the store woman looks at me funny....

Home...chickens and snakes..... kind Hoa ...Gunnar and the Villa Villekulla/Kunterbunt

 I wake up and it is not dark outside.....let's call it 5:15

It is the longest day of the year...

..summer solstice !

there are messages from Kealy, Marion, Fabian....

6:15

Choi shows up for coffee.....we move inside because it is TOO sunny outside.....

7:00

I talk to Eda..... she's TIRED..... "talk tomorrow"

8:00

Nhat shows up for a chat

9:50

Quang shows up......again he mentions that a friend of him in Saigon can get me a SIX months visa..... I ask Quang whether Tina knows about this...... he waves the idea off the table...... OMFG....THEY can NOT make friends here.....

Choi comes back...there is loud bickering on the construction site again....I talk to Lisa.....they're threatening to play Karaoke forever and shout "no one will sleep tonight".... I just laugh.....

13:00

Buy some Wine and milk and Coke from Linh

nap

eat an anchovy omelet with capers !?!

14:15

do dishes..... again.... I need a wife or a cleaning lady ....

15:00

Screw it....I walk over to the hotel and talk to the interesting looking guy...... Warren, English carpenter, nice, but not enough to keep my interest.... I leave after half an hour....

16:00

People keep showing up....

Monkey

Khai

Nhat

2 chickens, 2 snakes.... we have fabulous fun until 22:00

NEED to pass out .....

5:00

OUCH...everything HURTS..I really NEED to stop these nightly drinking sessions....

thinking about Phap.... I miss his oh so GENTLE demeanor..

5:30

What now?

Kai is still sleeping in the hotel hammock ....

6:15

too tipsy already.... don't like it.....

6:30

I have tears in my eyes...... realizing how lucky I have been...... (emotional Drunk ;-)

I've always wanted to make my house into the Villa Kunterbunt... (in SPIRIT, not ARCHITECTURE)

VILLA VILLEKULLA

.. then a guy walks over from the hotel ..... older than I.....his name is Gunnar Nehls

We talk.....He tells me that he is one of only 8 professional engravers in the world who still know how to engrave the metal printing plates for currency notes (bills) by hand.....Nowadays it is all done by computer 

I tell him the story about me trying to create my own Villa Villekulla..... 

He stares at me with a strange look......and says "Wait a minute".....and goes to his room.... and comes back and gives me money....

Money for which he engraved the printing plates by hand...... 

.....I still have that 20 Kronor bill... And YES, that is Astrid Lindgren (and Pippi Longstockings who lived in the Villa Villakulla ;-)

and Gunnar engraved the plate !

.. and now my house has become just what I intended it to become..... a place for NICE people to congregate and laugh.....

I need to ENJOY every moment .......The Monkey will go to university in September; Khai will quit his job in October..... the summer (not of 69) of 23 is ending soon

Sleep.....

7:00

I email Phapie with love....

Khai and Warren (the latter returning the Nivea ;-)

8:30

Phap replied...... ;-)

LOTS of people drop by..... it's a good life....

Hoa from Blue Dragon replies..... and it's a NICE & KIND email.....

Chào anh Chris,

Wow anh đang được ở biển Phú Yên. Thích quá! Biển Phú Yên đẹp lắm. Em rất thích.

Thank you so much for your additional 'egg' of kindness. I hope that young man will have great results at the exam and pursue his dream in university. He is really fortunate to get to know you and receive your kind support, just like the kids at Blue Dragon. I'm happy for him, and grateful to you, Chris!

Chúc anh một mùa hè tuyệt vời và hẹn gặp anh ở Hà Nội.

Best wishes,

Hoa

18:15

doc sach?

Nope....Monkey shows up again .....

21:00

Istanbul...Taskin.... for 4 days... COLD.... Clothes ... Raki ... VIETTEL ...SICK & WEAK... Raki ...Hills.... Kebab...

I'm in a plane flying from Sai Gon to Istanbul 

A nice modern plane.....43B is in the last row....no room for a seat at the window....I sleep a lot..

Day I

5:25 AM

endless taxiing of the plane and endless walking through that new Ataturk airport

The female immigration officer is snippy....no idea why....

I entered the airport in Sai Gon at 31 degrees Celsius......I come out of Ataturk airport at -1 degree Celsius..... in shorts and sandals..... 'nough said?

Taxis are waiting and the drivers are freezing..... 400 TL about 30 US to get me to my hotel at the golden Horn......

It only has 5 rooms, so Taskin gave me the security codes to get into the building and my room before....

7:00

I'm in the hotel......I call Eda.....but it's already 21:00 over there

8:00

I actually make it up the steep hill to Migros Jet... when I get there, I am SO HUNGRY (exhausted?) that I can't decide what to buy and buy too much..... 650 TL    that is only cad 46, but I bought them at the airport for a loss of 25% at the exchange place....  so even 60CAD is cheap for 2 bottles of wine, a big block of cheese, ham, yogurt, hummus, cherry jam, and the most amazing fresh bread....

And I eat a bit of all of it.... I better watch out that I don't get fat here very quickly.... but then I will be walking hills.....

10:00

Jet lag is hitting hard.....the Rose and that good food don't help either... Taskin said, that he'd be busy until 10:30..... try to stay awake....

I can't sign into my Royal bank account......not even with VPN ....OMFG....I hope they don't screw up too badly, otherwise I'll be cashless....

My MC website also asks me to verify my identity....but at least I can do it.....

I call the RBC assistance center ....and get to talk to an AI that is dumber than Homer Simpson......Well Done Royal Bank of Canada !

I can log in but can't see the accounts or make payments..... OMFG, what a nightmare.....maybe that is why the card did not work at the airport..... ?!

Let's hope this fixes itself..... otherwise I'd be REALLY SCREWED......lots of money in the bank but no way to get to it.....

10:30

Taskin arrives....200 Euros for 5 nights and he says that he doesn't really want to take my money... all his guests are repeat guests and the hotel is full....

11:00

Good thing I checked again....... it's 1:00 in Canada and online banking works again..... I can finally relax..... 

now I just need a message from Phapie....

12:00

too wired to sleep and too drunk and cold to go out yet.....

There is something peaceful about this room and its view.... not even the noise of the ocean to distract one.... I finally download the cell pictures of the last month or two into the laptop....

bite the bullet

walk down to Halic......with help I buy another Istanbulkart (those two stupid girls said that I'd have to buy it in the supermarket but the station overseer and others helped me with the machine) and I take the Metro to Taksim square ..... exchange another us$300 into TL .... I find a second location of Deni's and get a pair of jeans (size 31?) and 3 pairs of socks.....

I'm already exhausted in the store and stop shopping even though they have amazing stuff

then I realize how far it is to walk home

I stumble along.... still make the detour to Migros Jet for more wine and turkey breast....

I get home .... nothing from Phap...

I wolf down food...(exhaustion and Kummeressen)..bad idea !....let's hope I don't have to pay for it....

14:30

OMG... I LOVE it.....24 hours ago I had BARELY left Home Away in Sai Gon.... and was slowly making my way to the airport..... then I managed the wait in Saigon, an intercontinental 11 hour flight, the new airport, the currency exchange, the taxi ride, the self-checking in, met with Taskin, did sink laundry, got myself an Istanbulkart, took the Metro, bought clothes, WALKED A LOT, went food shopping TWICE....

Not bad, especially considering that I walked 3.8 km today and some of it UPHILL....

15:15

NAP

16:30

I get woken by semi-rhythmic banging from above..... damned !....

But better be awake while the sun is still out to get into the rhythm....

17:30

There is a Phap message....he says that I look beautiful

and that he wants to hug me to keep me warm.....the day is saved.

I want to EAT and EAT ....but that's just the exhaustion calling for remedy.... have to STAY HUNGRY ...

18:00

it's 22:00 in Vietnam.... I have several reasons to be tired ;-)

The sinking sun is hitting the back wall of the apartment.... I have to turn the heat off because it's boiling in here ....

19:00

It's 23:00 in Vietnam....and I'm fighting to get another hour out of it.....  hopefully being exhausted I won't be wide awake at 1am....

The setting sun reflects off the Halic waters..... no wonder it's called The Golden Horn 

19:30

The sun is gone and it's COLD out there again

Finish calisthenics (oh no....I forgot the push-ups..ah well)

19:45

I have my second glass of tea (with a jam cherry inside) made from the same tea bag....and I'm getting a second wind.... ... hopefully not too much of one....

Another yogurt and a bit of bread with hummus..... I think all that goes well...

21:15

try to pass out .....

nap

22:30

awake and hungry again....

Today was gorgeous sun and cold.....starting tomorrow, it will go up to 11 and then even 17 but there is a higher chance of RAIN ....YUK....

sleep

4:15 ....8:15 at home.... 

Day II

March 31..... today would have been Mara's 81st birthday.

5:00 ....19:00 in Vancouver

call Eda.....we switch to video so she can see the inside of my fridge ....

I eat bread and baloney instead of the planned yogurt.... I'm going to get fat....it has started already :-(

6:00

Research..... It seems the Rheinhotel Anker in Remagen no longer exists.... damn it.... the good and/or cheap hotels and restaurants always die first.... because the cattle doesn't recognize their value and rather goes to the fancy flashy rip-off places.... SAD

nap

7:15

I eat the rest of the bread !.... 

7:40

I walk down to the Halic Bridge.....there is the old guy with the glass case on wheels... inflation really shows it's head now..... last time it was 5 TL for 3 or 4 buns.....now it is 20TL for 3..... but then that is only 1 USD.

when I bring them home, I realize that they are made from a kind of croissant dough....and that I should be REALLY careful eating them....  but they are SO GOOD, both with hummus and with cherry jam. I have to force myself to stop eating...

It is a strange sight after spending so much time in Vietnam...... trees without leaves..... it's an interesting sight.....but one I can live without....

8:00

Migros Jet is open..... and yesterday at this time I was walking there....but I still have everything...so that can wait.....NOT a good idea to buy more food now ;-)

8:30

OK.....I have a full-blown cold.....the amount of snot coming out of my nose is amazing.... 

9:45

Walk up to Migros Jet....3 bottles of wine, more bread, turkey, hummus.....No deodorant there.... 801 TL ... CAD 56....NOT bad !

on the way back: I finally remember that Istanbul is a CAT city 

I eat more....ts ts ts .....but the stuff tastes SO Fucking GOOD !

10:15

A lovey message to Phap

10:45

An email to Beverly in Georgia 

Where is Taskin? He always says that he has to do his work first..... but I don't like having to adjust my plans to whenever he decides to knock on the door.

11:00

I feel deflated.... not only jetlag but I do have a COLD.....my nose is running constantly....

A message from Choi..... everything ok? what are you doing?

When I answer right away he video calls..  and asks what time is it?  smart cookie didn't want to call in the middle of the night..... seeing his and Hang's face and the beach makes me happy....

11:45

I'm about to have a nap....but then think....screw it....  I signal Taskin whether he has time for lunch.....YES is the immediate answer

10 mins, he says....he's a noon lunch kind of guy....but then he works all bloody day.....

Bi Balik restaurant..... Raki, fish, laughter....

Back on my balcony smoking..... some Turk in his early 30s with nice clothes asks for cigarettes.....but no, he is asking for money.... I'm drunk and give him 100 TL without thinking....that's 7 CAD...too much.... ah well...it doesn't hurt me ... and hopefully it makes his day....  but I'm a little angry at myself for not thinking when I'm drunk....

13:30

nap

14:45

I wake up and go straight for more puff pastry and tea with cherry .... wtf?

15:15

the Viet government stipulated a few days ago that all owners of cell phone numbers whose information doesn't match the national database and who don't go to one of the phone company offices in the next two weeks will be disconnected.....   that's probably why I got those two phone calls ......fucking bureaucrats ...... I hope Zalo will still work....

15:45

A cat wash with too much soap becomes a proper shower......finally....

18:00

No point napping.....I head out to buy shoe laces.....Taskin is still in his reception cubicle and says there is a store in the underground passage under the Metro tracks...... but at first I head to the fancy sneaker store just before Galata Bridge.....NO....no shoelaces....they tell me to go to a MALL.....

I find the TINY shoe store in the underground passage.....lo and behold.....laces for 20 TL ;-)  I'm pretty sure that they are too short for the high tops but they'll come in handy when the old ones rip....

18:45

I EAT MORE .....fuck....but that bread is SO YUMMY .... 

21:00

I Zalo Phap to remember his Gmail password and send me a message because I'm worried that if my phone number gets cancelled I will no longer be able to receive Zalo verification codes......

Stop worrying....I did everything I could....

22:00

But it bothers me to the point where I can't sleep..... well...also the fact that I haven't heard from him in over 24 hours....

sleep

Day III ???

4:00

OMG.....I am so stuffed up.... and my foot hurts from having walked in shoes (or was it the booze?)

at least all the food I ate yesterday comes out before I even have a coffee.....

I finish Lidia Poet on Netflix....it ends with a cliffhanger.....can't wait for the 2nd season ;-)

7:00

Eda calls back....HAPPY to hear her voice....

More food and wine..... still sneezing and sniffling :-(

8:00

time for another nap before I head to Taksim...

nap

9:00

HUNGRY again..... and it's cold in the apartment......Phap wrote..... his phone number is in danger too (he writes 'same same' as xem xem ;-)..... but of course no email..... ah well, I tried.... ...on the bright side "I miss Han very much. Han is everything. I love you".... OMFG..... gotta stop eating.... he might not like a wobbly white maggot coming back from Germany !

10:00

Taskin is still not there.....

Julian in Cambodia at first does not answer the phone....... but calls back.....and we talk for 40 minutes......

11:30

Take the Halic Metro to Taksim..... walk to COLIN's.....2 T-shirts (kind of feminine) ....they don't have a hoodie in my size.....I should have taken the small one to wear under the jacket.... but that's OK....then I buy 3 pairs of socks....1 US$ per pair.... can never have too many of them to wear inside the high-tops....

I walk back to Taksim, take the Metro back to Sishane..... 3 wine and 3 bread from Migros Jet....and walk back home...... OMG....those little green peppers are AMAZING with that cheese.....

I also bought a chocolate bar for $1.....too greasy.... but the sugar wants me to eat more..... NO !

13:00

Deflated.....

time for a nap.....

14:00

more cheese and peppers ;-).....a slight headache..... could it be the peppers?

The weather forecast:  North Vancouver 4C....that means it's -1C at my house.....

14:30

Worrying about where to stay over Easter.....

doze, sink laundry

15:30

still that slight headache.....

15:45

Relief...after checking Google Maps for Frankfurt.  There are no tobacco stores in Walldorf.....and one needs a German EC bank card to pull cigarettes out of a vending machine (to verify being over 18).....but there is a Kiosk with food and smokes almost right next to the hotel......KARMA ;-)

16:00

starting to plan my trip from Frankfurt to Karlsruhe ....

I set the alarm clock for 16:30

and doze off ;-)

16:30

coffee .....worn out....

I feed a slice of Hindi Fume to The Cat....same one who was there yesterday <pic> ;-)

17:00

Nothing from Taskin..... I have to stop drinking..... wish I had some teabags left....

17:10

Taskin signals....he says traffic sucks and the journey might take him 2 hours.....should have taken the ferry ... I feel bad for making him come out here just for dinner....

I walk down to the Halic Market to buy 2 packs of cigarettes and toilet paper (turns out to be kitchen towels) and cookies.....total:  CAD 7.05 ....OMFG ..... that would have been ~ 17+17+3+2 = $39 in Canada.....

I doze (nap) for 30 mins .....

18:30

He should be here in 30 mins.... poor guy in traffic .....

18:40

I hear the door downstairs....but no one is knocking....

I see the Slavic couple who live above me walking by with their daughter......YUP....they do look like elephants which explains the stomping above my head in the middle of the night.....

19:30

Taskin is in the building but he still has some work to do.....and he says he took the ferry, so the delay was not traffic related..... ..

but no....he had to buy Istanbulcards for two of his guests and is delivering them now.

He keeps asking me when I will come back....I reply "When Allah wills"..... Inshallah !

We head to Bi Balik again.... This time I'm having Koefte..<pic>...let's hope I won't regret it.....

21:05

I hug him good bye since I won't see him again before I leave.

23:00

time to try to sleep....

nap

00:00

I thought I recognized that particular sound....... that most dreaded ugly sound.....car tires on a wet road...  it's pouring outside.....

sleep

2:30

wide awake.....wtf?

I drink coffee...

3:15

Someone comes back to the hotel and stomps up the spiral staircase.....WTF?

back to bed....pressure relief....was just about time....

nap.....and I dream of Phap....

4:45

another coffee....

A poll.....action against climate change is only important to 33% of Germans....not important to 50% of Germans....they rest can't make up their minds..... fathomless ignorance and stupidity .... 

at 5:15 I was just standing on my balcony having a cigarette...because at the mini-mosque in front of me the muezzin was calling the muslims to prayer..... it is kind of a calming sing-song sound.... Then I heard fainter calls of other muezzin at other mosques coming from various directions..... magical ;-)

5:30

An email from Toan Le Duc (Mr. Bikini) wanting to know when I come back to VH ..... ;-)

5:45

Some guest comes home NOW? ....the steps sound slurry and DRUNK..... ah well....

6:00

I call Eda..... good to hear her voice.....her mother is still asking to see me; she found a translator.....NICE people ..... someone is knocking on the door downstairs.....what is it with all these drunk idiots ?

6:30

The puff pastry cart is not there !!!.....actually makes sense.....it is Sunday...not many commuters using the Metro today....too bad...I was looking forward to that treat...

I look at my blog..... my first time in Vietnam was in October 2015.....OMG....that was 7.5 years ago .... and I get tears in my eyes...... and realize how fucking lucky I was .... that despite puking 4 times within a week or 10 days, I persevered and pushed it through.....

7:45

I put too much turkey on the piece of bread..... might as well check.....YES, there is a different cat in front of my balcony .....and it gets fed ;-)

8:00

On Sunday, Migros Jet doesn't open until 9:00 .... Google seems to be conflicted whether the entrance to Galata tower is TL 175 or 350 .....

Zulema replied....I send a Happy Birthday message to Taskin ....

nap

9:15

Fuck....the numbness in my right foot has spread to my big toe joint .....

Taskin replies with a sweet message ;-)

armpit wash.... and start sink laundry.....

9:45

I walk up the hill all the way to Galata Tower.... no puff pastry there either......and Migros Jet doesn't have any fresh bread..... or maybe it was fresh, but I leave without bread and without wine.....STUPID !  And the Kiosk up on that road is closed too.....DAMN Sundays ....but at least I got some exercise ....

I walk back down to Tool Street ....Halic Market is JUST opening..... I buy the 4 remaining Marlboro Touch he has...36TL = CAD 2.50/pack.... so far not a lucky day.... on the way back I feel a sharp pain in my big toe joint...

Sink laundry is drying

I feel very full, but research restaurants nearby anyway...

The big wrinkles/welts under my eyes are gone today...... what happened?

11:30 time for a nap?

nap

12:30

my foot is really worrying me....it's sunny outside and I'm afraid to go out ....

My foot is worrying me, in particular the fact that now the big toe is affected.

13:15

Should I go to the Koefte fast food restaurant?  Or walk back up the hill to Galata?  Taksim is out for today with my foot....I'm going to take it easy ..... 

I want wine and bread anyway....

14:00

Looking at Istanbul gay escorts (I have to use VPN, of course ;-) gets me off for the second time today.....

14:30

Tipsy and Tired

nap

15:30

Smoking on the balcony I finally realize why people stare....it's not the sandals or the socks....it's the shorts..... ONLY children wear shorts....NEVER grown men....I remember Karl commenting on that years ago.....it's the same in Germany !

clouds are rolling in ....time to head up the hill (for the 2nd time today) if I want to go shopping and want some warm food.....

baguette and wine from Migros Jet

And then I eat a Kebab with thick rice on that street...It's yummy.... the menu said 185, the bill comes to 205, I pay 225....I listen to Taskin.... of course I should have just had a tomato soup...because I don't want to get fat AND I don't want to miss tomorrow's flight because of a colic.....SHIT...I am a slow learner....

16:30

back in the room ...... and all that walking seems to have done wonders for my big toe....the issue seems to be gone....for now at least ...

bored.....still have to reply to Uwe....now he wants to know 'when and where'

All went swimmingly.... Uwe will be at my hotel around 18:30 tomorrow.

it's started to drizzle outside

18:30

nap

19:30

The road is WET ....

20:30

finally shave and shower....

Nothing from Phap :-(

21:30

OMG....I have to go to sleep soon..... my Istanbul retreat is at an end .....

sleep