Well, thanks to the one and only, my week is going significantly better than it was earlier.
Yesterday I got up early and took a tour to Halong Bay- a bus to the bay, and from the bay taking a bus in the middle of these incredible hanging clifts covered in vines and green plants. I spent an hour sea kayaking in the middle of these massive boulders, with only the sound of forign birds screaming as they flew above me. I got the feeling that at any moment a dinasor could immerge from the merky green water and swallow my little red kayak whole. It was so exotic and mystical. The weather was foggy and misty clouds settled between the boulders.
I went back to a fishing village, got back on the boat, and walked through two enormouse caves with huge stalagmites! Just the thought that one of those massive formations is formed one drop at a time is incredible. I met 2 girls from Mexico, a rapper group on tour from Hollywood, California, and a breakdancer from Missouri- it was a great time, to which I slept on the bus back to Hanoi.
When I arrived in Hanoi I went to a night market and met this bald guy from Saigon who was at a dried fruit stand and was buying fruit for all of his staff back in the city. He was reading all the forign labels and letting me try all the fruit. It was really fun eating dried fruit and talking about what he did for a living. Next to the fruit shop this couple invited me for a free drink of sugar cane juice with lime and cherry blossom. I had a very small conversation with them and they were absoultly lovely.
My night ended talking with my family back home for 3 hours- and the guy at the internet cafe had fallen asleep. I thanked him so much for letting me talk with my family. He smiled and understood, and was very nice about letting me stay until 1am!
This morning I got up- really tired, but around 7am and went downstairs for some free fruit, and bread. I then played my heart out on the piano which felt so amazing. Ahhh... It's been forever since I could actually play an acustic and it sounded so great filling the room then resignating back in my own soul. I played a few songs, and then a mix of hymns just having a little alone time with God. This girl came up to me and thanked me. I didn't know if she was thanking me for playing something spiritual- or what... but whatever. I am so blessed to be somewhere that has a piano!
I then spent the rest of the morning looking for a bank to convert Dong (vietnam currency) back into USD. I needed 83dollars for my India visa. I ended up meeting this guy from California who told me changing Dong back into dollars in illegal. But, he knew how to do it- and took me to a gold shop where I followed this man in a little dark creepy alleyway to which he knocked on a little white door and a brown hand poped out with my dollars. It was really weird, and fun at the same time. I felt like something was going down- and I was in on it... :)
I ran to the Indian Embassy paid for my visa, met some people, and then ran back to my hostel. I didn't run very long considering I had to stop so many times to talk with people for directions and then running my errends. So hopefully I can go to this lake today and run. Get in a 2 hour run at least.
At the embassy the guy said to come back and pick up my visa at 9am on Wednesday, then I fly out Thursday. So basically I have one more day here and then off to Bangkok and then India baby! Can't wait to have Indian food. And honestly, I can't wait to get back into a rythem of teaching and working.
Is it rude to take someone snipe hunting??? Getting ready to take an unsuspecting duchman snipe hunting in the city..... oh man. We'll see how that goes.
By the way sorry for all the horrible grammer!
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