On the road again ...NO ICE.....Ferry ....End of Iwona .....Taxi .....Monkey Madness

 6:00 on Kho Rong

still groggy

6:30

NO BROKEN PIPES ....Jessica went to check ....what a RELIEF !

7:00

Iwona is her usual self....on her phone.... everyone else can wait for her..... I am SO sick of her over-privileged behavior ....

8:00

she said 8am for breakfast....and is L8 AGAIN.....SO SO sick of it.....

8:15 

she is there...already with all her luggage, which she leaves at reception

I leave to finish packing and from my porch see that she keeps running back between the breakfast area and her room (which already has been cleaned) .... DUH

We get into another little huff while waiting for the ferry..... My mistake apparently was saying "No" when she issued a false statement..... "I have to protect my boundaries", she says..... I feel sorry for her but I can not help her ....and I tell her honestly "We two can not travel together" ...she doesn't even seem to understand that there are people who get along SWIMMINGLY without all that bullshit..... 

9:45

I tell Viji "maybe in 4 weeks" .... I get on the ferry first and Iwona almost last..... the ferry goes to the other pier first...... Iwona didn't take her bag to her seat and goes to the front to make sure they don't unload it with all the other bags .....OOPS...they DID.....BIG DRAMA ...."My Bag, they LOST my bag!!" .... next stop is Koh Touch Pier..... again she runs to the front, shows pictures of the bag to everyone...... then the ferry leaves......we have to go back to the pier where we started (Thanks Ivona!) .... I don't know how the Khmer did it ...but one of the receptionists brings her bag .....THIS TIME she finally takes it to her seat.....and then moves seats.....far away from me..... would have saved a lot of DRAMA and TIME if she had carried that bag to her seat the first time...... But princesses don't carry their bags :-(

The ride is BUMPY....sometimes the boat crests a big wave and is in free-fall before it hits the next one ... no one pukes ....I keep staring at the horizon....

When the boat is finally in calm harbor waters, I noticed that the taxi guy called twice already... I call him back right away and apologize for not sending a message from Koh Rong..... but my word is my bond....so I always forget the fact that this is not always the case with other people....

I touch Iwona on the shoulder and say "have a safe ride" ....'you too' she manages to stutter back.... I don't think I will be communicating with her anymore....there is no point.... she annoys me....and she is NOT learning from my wisdom....

The taxi guy is standing behind the gate with a sign...... hands me over to his 'brother' and an almost brand new Lexus SUV...... and off we go on the nice new Chinese highway ....I sleep lots

14:30

The usual Phnom Penh traffic....Finally, we reach the hotel .... the 'brother' thinks $100 is generous.... by now I don't care....I'm just happy to get out of a car !

Ugly room, no kettle, glasses, nothing..... and that construction site that I have watched so often from Ohana ....is RIGHT NEXT to me.... the construction guys can walk onto my terrace !

16:15

I go shopping for booze, food & cigs at Smile and ask the owner for a glass and cutlery....

17:30

I call The Monkey and he tells me the most unbelievable story.......  Ba Nam told Lisa that I should be charged only 1 trieu/month instead of 1.5 trieu or otherwise she would cut their electricity..... WHAT THE FUCK?!!!!!!!!!   Ba Nam is my friend?!??? .....the Monkey just says "We are Vietnamese.....we are different....it's about RESPECT....... 

SHITE....While I have understood that right away (that is the reason why I LOVE this country).... Lisa and especially Tina will NEVER understand any of it.... SO SAD....

nap

20:00

awake again..... pain because nothing from Phap....he better NOT pull one of his weekend stunts again...

20:45

Tipsy and TIRED

nap

21:45

Phapie replied......"today I am happy but I'm always thinking about Han".......ooooooooohhhhh  I miss him so much !

happy sleep.....

Somewhere NEW.... LOTS of Love in Bien Hoa .... ICE worries ...... return to Saigon....

 6:00 ....where am I? .....

dark rings under my eyes.....

my laptop doesn't start... WTF?

I'm re-planning my day.....the computer: repair the old one AND buy a new one..??....

7:00

Talk to Eda....we're both cranky.....I because of the laptop.....she because she has to wrap Xmas gifts.....

7:30

another try .....and the stupid machine boots up this time ..... I think that fucking update switched the button assignment around...... FUCK MS

9:00  From Franz

9:30 Karma 

My hotel is 400 meters from a Coopmart......has a Medical Centre right next to it....and there is a computer repair shop just behind the Coopmart...... NOT bad ;-)

9:45

Talking to Chantal helps calm my fears about the NV house pipes freezing...

10:15

time to get my act together.....

pack & shower

11:00

One last trip to the bank machine.....another 5 trieu..... and a miserable ham and cheese sandwich and some yummy peach yogurt for Dong Nai....

11:30

Almost time to go..... somewhere new......it's been a long time.... an adventure !

12:00

Meeting the Grab driver on the main road.....someone shouts Koenig from behind.....it's LONG....small world !

vids...

I sleep on the rear seat bench ....I wake up.... check our location....1 minute away from the hotel..... Dong Nai is UGLY.....reminds me of An Nhon.... roads and shops and dust and dirt .....

13:15

The receptionist asks me 1 or 2 people.... I say maybe 2.....she starts the rant about a marriage certificate being necessary if a white and a yellow person stay in one room.... ONE person, I say..... 

Dong Nai Hotel.....the first room is large but has no balcony (well it does but I would have to climb through the window to get it).....the second room has a balcony but is small.....none look even remotely like the room I booked...... I'm not even complaining anymore.... there is no point.....

Now I understand why Phap said  " Bien Hoa khong dep"

14:00

I message Phap where I am... I can hear a train passing not far away ... what to do next? maybe nap?

15:00

back from Coopmart......I bought the last bottle of white Dalat wine....but managed to score a bottle of the bubbly .....plus Good baguette and cheese and ham and grapes.....  it is fucking HOT out there......

nap

16:00

messages from Ivona and Joanna....

18:`15

I call The Monkey..... let's keep it short...just in case Phap calls..

18:25

Yup...Phap called....he's outside the hotel.....

happy Happy HAPPY

we both can NOT believe that we just met YESTERDAY..... WTF?!!!

20:55 

He's going home..... :-(

22:00

sleep

5:30

kind of wobbly...... maybe because of drinking bubbly

8:00

breakfast.. nice buffet...I try to keep it small.....

8:30

Call Eda.....she is kind of blah....keeps mentioning the ice....NOT what I want to hear .....

10:00

Call Andrea..... OMFG....it's her birthday and she will file for divorce tomorrow.....

11:00

to Coopmart..... 3 bottles of wine and a fresh baguette

11:30

book hotels and flights...... the weather forecast for early January in VH looks UGLY.... -10C at the house in NV......holy SHIT..... I left in June and I forgot about winter.......

nap

19 degrees in VH

I order my Viet Evisa for January 4......the webpage says "payment failed"....but the payment showed up on my RBC credit card........ it's starting to get ridiculous ....

I just realized that my penthouse suite at Velkommen is on the 6th floor.....and no elevator..... good for me ;-)

14:15

Let's go for that walk to the Park...... Google Maps says it's CLOSED....but Google Maps is WRONG....

It's a fucking MIG 21..... I built plastic models of this as a 7 year old.....and an American Huey chopper.... Apocalypse Forever..... I hate weapons .....but this brings back MEMORIES.....

15:30

Laundry is done, calisthenics are done.... time for a nap 

17:00

Shave and shower...... he should be here within an hour (happy thoughts)

17:30

the door is unlocked and I have a nap....

sleep

18:45

NO PHAP

I message him....where is my love.....I will come soon

19:30

Not soon enough.....I start thinking about Phuong.....

19:45

He is here.......almost 2 hours late because he went to get a haircut... why not get one tomorrow when I'm not waiting for him.... he says that he wants to be pretty for me.....

20:30

I drop my phone off a 3rd floor balcony onto the street below..... OMFG..... it doesn't have a scratch.... THANK YOU Karma !

holding hands, hugs, kisses, naked stuff...he gets off, I don't ...again... napping all intertwined.... and the lovely snoring.....

22:00

He leaves and I feel empty and alone..... 

22:30

Talk to The Monkey for half an hour..... some BS about electricity cables along the Ba Nam road.....5 trieu every month just to have the cable?...... and why didn't Lisa tell me about this?!!

0:15

try to sleep

sleep

6:15

OUCH.... both my shoulders and the fact that I'm waking up ALONE again....

Marion wrote....

7:00 swollen eyes and tired....and almost out of wine....

7:30

breakfast

8:00

Ask for late check-out (NOT 10:00 !)....and buy more wine at Coopmart....

8:45

Call Eda.....

10:00

call Hans

10:15

communicate with Mr. Bikini.... who wanted to visit me but unfortunately relayed that message through the Monkey

nap...shower...

12:50

I check out.....the receptionist does not have the Grab App..... she calls me a private taxi

13:55

I wake up on Le Loi..... 2 minutes away from Home Away....WTF?

I want to pay and he's talking to someone on the phone....540k....I give him 600k and he is HAPPY.....what's that saying?   "Make someone smile today".

15:30

I have a box of wine and incense.....

16:15

Lisa doesn't answer her phone.....again..... it was SO nice without her during the Covid years....

I drop off laundry and the new backpack to be washed

5 trieu from the bank machine....

17:45

I'm watching SNOWDEN again..... brilliant movie.....my room door opens and people walk in.....Long gave them the wrong key !.....KHONG chuyen nghiep !!!!

Walk over to Sushi.......food

Lisa calls back....

22:30

I miss him SO MUCH.....

Saigon.... Chuc mung sinh nhat Han & Phap ..NASTY NU.... Phap cancels ... Bun Cha 145 ... exhausted by the DRAMA

In Saigon..... it's my BIRTHDAY

5:30

too early..... but if I stay in bed I'll just get horny....and I'm saving it for later ;-)

6:30

A Zalo message from Joanna ....for the new year lots of love and friendship...... OMG, she is SO SWEET ...

of course NOTHING from anyone else .... either they forgot or the time difference is too much of a cerebral challenge....

7:15

Time to do sink laundry.... too many smelly clothes and not enough clean ones....

7:30

reading the news......OMFG it's going to be BAD......Saigon factories are laying of 1000s ALREADY because the West no longer consumes......

7:45

I call Eda......  she's FRUSTRATED at work..... and forgot my birthday (I don't remind her) .... no worries

8:00

A text from Lisa......she REMEMBERED my birthday !

8:15

3rd load of sink laundry..... I have to do things productive instead of just drinking....

nap

10:30 OMG.....and HUNGRY

time to hit a CircleK....the other direction now....

3 bottles of wine, and phone money ...Some Grandma can't wait and is trying to push herself in while I'm not done yet.... I wave my hand.....she gives me the evil staring eye out of her maskless face..... I stare back and hiss 'bat lich su'...... I'm glad when I'm back in my hotel room.....that street has no trees and is busy as hell....NO fun...

Of course, I forgot coffee again :-(

11:15

Wash the pants and shirt I just wore..... the stuff I washed this morning is already dry on the balcony ;-)

12:00

Worn out....drunk? ....or just worn out by traveling?

It occurs to me.....the three birthday wishes I got came from the people I least expected it from  ....Tam Phu Diem, Joanna, Lisa.....

12:30

shave shower....

13:00

exhausted....and it starts to rain.....so much for going to buy coffee now....

14:00

Denise finally remembered my birthday......

Direct sun on my balcony.... it is unbearably HOT....

14:30

I've applied for my next Cambodian visa....

I email Iwona.... she's not answering my phone calls....but I do want to do some planning for my time in Cambodia....

15:00

Sluggishness hits me again.....I send a message to Phap....I'm in Room 502 and will leave the door open starting at 18:00

"I will come soon. I miss my love"

That gives me energy..... go buy some coffee & a carton of smokes....at first I actually thought about taking a taxi to the market to buy flowers..... stupid.....the air outside is much nicer than the air in the apartment or the heat on the balcony.....

16:15

I should stop drinking....the egg sandwich came out already again..... less and less time until I meet my lover..... I can't believe it was only 2 weeks ago.....it seems so much longer.....

another set of laundry.....

17:30

try to have a nap to bridge the waiting time.....

20:20

He calls from the reception

PURE BLISS  "I so happy", he keeps saying

we sleep with our hands entwined...

and at MIDNIGHT ....it is HIS birthday !

15:45

he leaves

18:00

I walk to Sushi Sun.....  AND....

18:01

I get 3 emails from The Wife.....

Are you happy sleeping with someone else's husband?    

She still doesn't get it

"Thanks to you and Phap my son has become a bastard" (and she even sends a picture) 

She manages to completely ruin my good and relaxed mood...... I feel sorry for Phap..... there are people who manage to suck the positive energy out of you in a single email.  And because I do LOVE him, her emails will just have the effect opposite of what she intends to achieve .......

19:45

I feel talking better after talking to the Monkey...... and he had to vent about the 10 hours texting every day for the last 10 days with Thailing.....and now she wants him to write an essay .....

CRAZY women.....

some stupid message exchanges with Bobby and some nice ones with Joanna ...

21:00

try to sleep

21:30

Messages from Phap

He is NOT coming tomorrow.....bla bla bla

I try video calling him 4 times.... no answer

I send him a message:

"I am number 4 now? That is not enough! Your wife sent me emails. She is mean. But you are not brave enough. I wish you a most happy marriage."

22:00

Good thing the Monkey answers the phone..... someone who understands me.....

0:00

I had to drink myself to sleep to be able to pass out !

6:30

waking up HUNG OVER

my first thought.. "oh, the fucking bastard"

6:45

I call Eda....she tries to be supportive....but she doesn't understand....and she has to run off to a concert.

7:15

MISERABLE....

trying to sleep

8:25

The phone rings.....he is in Tuy Hoa......OMFG, he spent the night in a bus...... we will meet in Tuy Hoa in 2 weeks....as usual, I overreacted.....but now my life feels OK again.....

9:15

Another email from The wife..... She still thinks Phap is with me in SaiGon..... 

He also knows how terrible it is to bring tears to others to pity him

The Phap who accepted to abandon his children to come to him must be very happy now 😎

Being the nice guy that I am....I reply to her......

He is not with me. He is in Tuy Hoa. Please don't contact me anymore.

9:45

what next?

The BITCH replies

"One for love, the other for money, in the end, you two bastards hurt two innocent people

He's the same age as my dad so I used to respect him. I didn't even bother to say it but you guys are getting more and more outrageous"

I DO write back:  'em gái là bất lịch sự

she still replies......"with someone like you, who sleeps with other people's husbands, I don't have to be polite".

That settles it..... no wonder he always leaves her....she is white (yellow?) TRASH..... I don't bother to reply...... but she's not in my Spam folder yet.... I want to keep those messages for another day

10:00

I talk to Chantal...... a second opinion often helps..... and Nu Nguyen is now in my Spam folder......there simply is no point....she is too young and ignant and NASTY to understand.

11:00

Bun Cha 145.   The owner is still not there.... the Bun Cha is the same....but now it lacks in comparison to the newly discovered and especially compared to the one in Tuy Hoa....  Plus it is expensive 95k for Bun cha with Rem Cua....compared to 30k in Tuy Hoa !

nap

14:00

groggy

15:30

The Monkey called back.... we chat for a while.....

17:30

Sushi..... at Sushi Haru..... not bad but never again....

veg out

22:00

missing Phap horribly......I'll try to pass out....

...... Tuy Hoa ..... Phap DRAMA & love .....Sala luxury

 0:05 ....Awake.... just after midnight ....

it's ugly outside.....and it looks like there is a lake in front of my house ....

An email..... my 6:50 am flight on Saturday the 22nd was changed to 16:50 ....that will not do.....

0:30

I've called GotoGate (of course they have to be in Canada) and requested a cancellation and refund for that changed flight...

4:00

A knock on the door ...... 9 1/2 is back

No kissing this time...even though I brushed my teeth

he comes huge loads !

I doze off while he watches the same routine: music, soccer, kickboxing, bonsai ....

5:00

He's off, asking for money for breakfast, 90 is not enough apparently, I give him 500 (that's only CAD25) and say "ve di, qua dat tien "......but then he has to justify his homo experiences as earning income....

Whatever... I need to get some more sleep before today's trip to Tuy Hoa

nap

6:20

smile on my face ;-)

high tide means dirty beach

7:15

Talk to Eda for a long time..... her life is so much more complicated than mine....

8:00

Talk to Andrea for a long time...

deer in her garden

.. she agrees..... as we get older, priorities have to change ..... she even approves of the fisherman ;-)

9:00

What now ? .....

putter putter putter

nap again

10:45

It is still UGLY outside.....

I try to call My .... but no answer

11:00

My calls back.....  I'll take the taxi at 14:00.... no point in torturing myself by riding through the rain for 2 hours on a scooter....

12:00

I've booked my ticket to Phnom Penh with IwoFly..... seems to work.....

12:30

No wine at the Blue Umbrella Store....but I buy 500k in phone minutes.....

12:45

Candy drops by for cheese and ham ;-)

12:50

A Zalo message from Thanh VH... "Helo"..... 

I make a drinking date with him for October 25.

hihihi.....I'm going to have a Harem ;-)

13:45

Time to get my act together and get going !

15:45

Tuy Hoa: Poor My had to drive for almost 2 hours to get us here because the road is so bad......he refuses extra pay.... but he gets a free lunch..... unfortunately the Bun Cha place was closed again.....so it has to be Pizza Bob....

16:15

I'm set up in my room while I'm typing this.....

16:45

I want to go to the store.....but I am SO TIRED..... even though I slept in the car......

nap

18:15

more Phap messages.....he will be here tomorrow afternoon....

18:30

Store.....grapes, spoons, yogurt.....

Watch Sissi on Netflix

20:30

SO TIRED .....

but I keep drinking and watching Sissi ;-)

22:00

Time to hit the bed....

5:00

still TIRED..and it's cold in the room....and I have to wait maybe all day ?.... dark thoughts are coming back .....

6:00

The new Viet visa is still processing.....slow this time....

6:30

I better have another nap before I get too drunk .... my phone bings...... pictures of the mail from Eda....I forgot about her.....

doze

8:00

I finally feel well rested....

5 year GIC rates are at 4.70% .....holy shit....

Shave, shower.....and I'm starting to get ANGRY again 

9:50

I call Eda......WHY should I NOT dump him?

She's trying to talk me down.....

10:00

A Zalo message to Phap...... Afternoon is WHAT TIME?

Bun Cha  ;-)

12:15

I call Eda again.....because I am FURIOUS......

13:15

The only reason he doesn't get a nasty mail is because he hasn't used Zalo since yesterday..... probably left his phone in Sai Gon......

nap

14:30

I walk to the beach......

I DO send another message:  Phap sap tat Han (Phap is about to lose Han) ....and yes, I am a Drama Queen

15:00

I'm sweating from the sun

15:45

And I go crazy.....I book the panorama suite at Sala for 2 nights..... I'm going to leave here..... let Phap be freaked for a change.....

16:00

Drunk and checking out and moving to Sala Grand .....

the Welcome Tea

the view from the balcony of the corner suite

I haven't even unpacked my laptop yet.....when the phone rings.... it's a WORRIED looking Phap in front of the Hong Hai wood paneling..... "WHERE ARE YOU NOW?"

One look at that puppy face and I tell him where I am.... he walks over (15 mins)....and everything is fine again....

Room service brings a complimentary bottle of wine? 

 really?

we talk on the balcony....he says "I sorry"....I'm just HAPPY to see him.... his parents didn't give him a motorbike....it took him an hour to take the bus from his village to here.....barely 25km away....

18:30

Pizza Bob with Phap..... I'm sad I didn't bring my phone... the fountains are executing the most beautifully choreographed dances while there is classical music playing .....and the people are enjoying their city..... what a contrast to Canada ...

6:00  techtelmechtel.....as usual he doesn't get off .... morning is not his time

7:45

OMG, I slept a lot... and OMG, does he look SEXY sleeping 

emails from EDA.....OMFG she cleaned Grandma's bathroom and the bedroom and organized the rooms ....

WHAT TF is it with people who want TWO sinks.....can't brush your teeth over ONE sink ???

10:00

We sit on the balcony looking at the ocean, when the maid sticks her head onto the balcony ... I exclaim "khong don dep !"... and she leaves

I figure out how to turn on the red light outside the front door.....it's a switch above the thermostat....I set the light to do not disturb....

10:00

Bun Cha with Phap

holding hands, nuzzling, pecking..... with another session (he likes that one ;-) (and while we cuddle in post-climactic bliss, the phone rings...it's the maid again wanting to clean the room)...

But after a while it gets boring.... he doesn't want to do anything.... he's happy just holding hands and watching TV..... maybe I'm too high-strung for that ?

15:00

He leaves....not without asking for 5 trieu to pay off some remaining debt.... disappointment....  but hey... that's what I paid for my luxury room

15:30

A taxi trip to Coop.mart..... Maybe the driver REALLY doesn't know where coop.mart is but when I get out my cell phone, keep looking left, and say "Nguoi Tay biet coop.mart o dau" he quickly says Xin Loi and starts driving in the right direction.... and at coop.mart he charges less than the meter says and waits for free.....they do that here....because they wait all day ... it doesn't occur to them that they could charge for that....

16:30

I can't decide on my room in Phnom Penh.... Ohana for US$ 117 or Luxury for $236 ?  My world has shifted.....those $236 are for 3 nights..... In Vancouver I wouldn't get a room for one night for that money.

I finally have time to take pictures.....

17:00

OK....I'm taking the Penthouse .... (in retrospect: St00pid ;-)

18:30

Vietjet online check in says "this reservation code does not exist or has not been paid yet"..... OH FUCK....I find the confirmation email that I paid .....

18:45

I head down to the lobby....  Despite the advertising on the room key card, there is NO shuttle bus to the airport..... IDIOTS....

19:10

I head out for walk, with my phone, in the hope of catching the fountain magic I witnessed yesterday.... but it's not happening tonight..

.. maybe because it is a school night ?

21:30    I can't sleep .... too many things happening..... OMFG.... I am truly LIVING my life ....

Weekend Getaway .... Imperial Space Prison.... 69 Pub... getting wet .... Monkey food ....

 3:00

might as well get up.... and have coffee.... Duolingo.....

4:30

tipsy and try to nap.....

doze

5:30

A message to Phap "Ngu Ngon, tinh yeu toi"

6:45

Andrea calls..... I am stupid enough to call her back to save her money.....why do I always have to do this....that just cost me $5....  

I get to hear about her inheritance affair.... and I know that she owns 2 houses..... I have to stop doing this....

Eda texts...... I'm tired and hopefully not too grumpy when I talk to her

NAP

huuh....hopefully I'll be less grumpy now....

8:30

Starving.... a small Papaya Pancake..... some pain in my right chest

9:30

A G&T and I'm starting to pack....of course, I pack too much, but I'm only taking ONE backpack today ;-)

10:30

OMFG....WHAT is THAT....the clear water is filled MYRIADS of what looks like TINY underwater bees..... they don't seem to sting.... but what ARE they?

Shower....some wine.....

11:15

I want to GO NOW ....

Getting more and more drunk...

12:00

I'm at the Monkey's house...... their other dog barks madly at me, but my former dog comes running out and nuzzles...... LOVE !

Off we go...... gasoline....the weather is nice, so only one smoke stop along the detour bay....I drive the whole way...... Haven...... Pina Coladas and Calamari, Chicken Wings (not that great today), and Fries....

FLC Sea Tower calls..... in Vietnamese only....

Monkey first tells him we'll be there at 16:00.... I tell him... "Call him back, we'll be there at 14:30. I'm NOT willing to wait".

The apartment is weird.....maybe just because the view from the Can HO is so depressing....

...but no, also because the owners of the Condo put no taste or effort into it..... Monkey parked the scooter and I go down to get the wine....and take some pictures of the interior of this place.....

I am in an Imperial Space Prison !   

Darth Vader can't be far !

A look at the ocean......these Condos are sold as "ocean view".....see those empty building lots down below...

. not for long..... same BS SCAM as in Vancouver ....

nap

17:00 nothing from Quy.... I'm starting to be in a lousy mood... I text him..... he texts back 18:30 at Ba Beo.... I have to kickstart the Monkey to get there on time...

... we miss it and drive past it.....because it's closed..... Quy suggests a Pho place down the street ... I get even crankier because the food is mediocre and there is no beer......  we follow Quy to a grocery store....I buy 5 packs of Marlboro ... then coopmart while he gets his phone charger ...   NO Vang Dalat ! ..... getting crankier and crankier..... we follow him and I still don't know whether we are driving to the BAR or the PARK...... the beach avenue....towards our hotel..... he turns into our hotel street...and again towards the entrance.... but overshoots by 50 meters...... 

69 Pub?  The pothead hangout?

Right next to our hotel ? 

With amazing live music ?

a

The rest of the evening is a bliss..... I really have to work on not getting my foul moods get to me...

22:45 I stumble home

23:00

sleep

5:00

Monkey's alarm clock goes off AGAIN..... "Turn that FUCKING thing OFF".....of course he only mutes it..... 

I have my wine breakfast..... it's still ringing at 6:00....so I set my alarm and let it ring.... 

doesn't help ....he only mutes it again....

And I wonder where my foul moods come from...

8:45

Monkey calls the room rental guy.....we can just leave the key in the room and leave.....

OK....start packing.....

9:30

Leave for Big C....now called GO! it is Sunday and it is absolute Madness..... MUA DI, MUA DI is what the relentless music blaring from the speakers seems to suggest..... and entire families with babies seem to do exactly that..... they can't imagine a life without their boring and stressful work, so they can't even imagine the thought that saving money today would save them from having to go back to work tomorrow.... so they SPEND .... Capitalist Consumerism in Socialist Vietnam.... it's disgusting....

We get our shopping done and apparently both of us just want to get OUT OF THERE, we forget our backpacks on the 3rd floor ;-)

Ride to Haven for 'breakfast'...

.. the food isn't that great today.... and from the terrace we can see DARK clouds in the direction where we have to travel..... 

The Monkey pushes me over the tricky tight edge between Life's a Beach and Haven ..... Then some weird yellow tanker/sewage truck blocks the tight village road for 4 minutes.... FINALLY, there is space and I gun it up to the highway....the scooter is fast today...... Looking left along the highway to assess traffic, I notice something ... a lack of something.... The Monkey is NOT behind me .... my first thought is that he fell off when I accelerated past the tanker truck ....OH NO ....I put the kickstand down and start walking around the bend and look down the hill ....there....way in the distance I see him.... and he is NOT limping !!!

The Drizzle starts before the gas station at the top of the hill..... we make it to the end of the village at the bottom and we can SEE the RAIN ahead..... I turn off the road at the scooter dealership....

We end up in the scooter parkade of the local market.....

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We could sit here for hours waiting for the rain to stop......but the forecast called for worse and worse weather today..... so I put on the $ 0.50 rain coat......

I'm not so worried about me, but about the computer in my backpack.....

I tell the Monkey to leave the beautiful baguettes with the old poor woman.  Soggy baguette is no culinary fun.  He splits the two bags between her and the old guy that was lying in his hammock while we were there.

We drive out of the sheltering bike parkade towards the highway..... 

The Monkey says LEFT..... to the village by the bridge to buy more rain jackets...... I INSIST we go right to the village we're still in.   And after 300 meters we find a store with NICE raincoats.....they are making a KILLING right now...... I buy three nice raincoats for a total of 110k (120k with a volume discount), leave the cheap one (the owner's one-armed husband right away picks it up), and fashion a protective bag for my backpack out of one of them.

And head out into the rain....much better now with the new rain gear ...... 

the rain subsides after the village before the little bridge .....it is dry after that .....

12:00

Home..... we're sitting outside.... and WHAT is THAT?..... it's Mathias (I'd spotted him earlier at his new hotel ) stomping along the beach.... I haven't seen him in a long while..... and now I can see his BREASTS from 40 meters away !

Welcome back, I call out.... I don't think he gets the sarcasm....

15:00

I've returned from driving The Monkey home.....

16:45

Is that Binh JOGGING?.... OMG it is.....

17:00

The Monkey and his Mother and the little twerp.....  Bringing me enough fried veggie rice and spring rolls for 4.    And I've JUST had a Papaya Pancake....   I eat one portion and freeze 3.

17:30

SO tired.....still didn't get to my nap.....

18:00

Monkey comes over again

I need to nap

he wakes me at 18:45

19:15

Phap video calls again....  for almost 10 mins?..... When I hang up, the Monkey is walking away..... let's hope he's not pouting again....but then he did have to go home for dinner....

19:45

What now?

I send the Bar video and the raincoat picture to Phap..... 

he hearts the raincoat picture ;-()

20:30

running out of steam....

no sleep yet...need to blow off some steam....

21:30

No reply from The Monkey?......he better not be pouting again ....

1.5 bottles since I returned home..... I better get to sleep soon....