Waterfall, Love Market, Traditional Dance and Drinking Games
Unfortunately Sho was not no-show the next morning. We'd jokingly agreed a 9am start the previous night, so we were awakened from our pleasant slumber and told to get our arses moving to go and see the waterfalls! Nearly four hours later we'd found ourselves an awesome breakfast of Museli, fruit and yogurt, banana milkshake and pancakes and got ourselves a couple of motos to explore the waterfalls. After no luck at the only ATM we knew about we luckily bumped into Lyly, looking a bit the worse for wear, who took us to an ATM that worked (a non-agricultural one) and then decided she was coming to the waterfalls too...lucky for us as the map we had was uber-simplified, probably not orientated and with no indication of scale!
After a great view just past the waterfalls, Lyly showed us the cheating way to the waterfalls - both in and out the exit - so as to avoid paying! A good challenge not to get caught even if it was probably a nominal fee. We got back to find Lyly had arranged some sticky rice, sheesh kebabs and sweet chestnuts over the BBQ to warm us up. Just what was needed - what with it being the first time in over two months I had experiences cold so I wasn't carrying any warm clothes. We also had this totally-natural sweet tea - the leaves themselves were sweet so no need for extra sugar!
We got back to find out that the visa fiasco had now reached its pinnacle - after all the messing around we'd been given only a 1 month visa instead of a 3 month visa for China, even though we'd paid the extra for it. So another phone call to them where we told them exactly what we thought of them (w*****s) and that we definitely weren't paying the $10 each they still wanted for "express service". Thanks a lot!
That evening we were supposed to head to Sho's sister's to try our hand at cooking the local cuisine. One call to her though revealed that a few too many shots of rice-wine had been "forced" upon her by her tour group during lunch at an ethnic house.Oops! After us running late and me almost getting a free meal from Martin for finishing everything before he started, she found us at our restaurant and took us, along with her new tour group, back to the Love Market for more local BBQ food and apple rice-win - masochist!
Martin and I commended ourselves for our avoid-the-ankle-trapping bamboo dancing in the Royal Hotel whilst other got a little hurt!
On to Tau Bar where the computer playing the music was available for everyone to queue-up some tracks, the local girls no older than 12 owned everyone on the pool table and we were taught "Birgerk" - a very memorable drinking game. Our group of six swelled up to twelve with people we met in the bar, forcing them to play Birgerk and blow the cards of the glass! Eventually only four most expert in the art of screwing-over others at drinking games survived! Kung Fu taught us well.
After a great view just past the waterfalls, Lyly showed us the cheating way to the waterfalls - both in and out the exit - so as to avoid paying! A good challenge not to get caught even if it was probably a nominal fee. We got back to find Lyly had arranged some sticky rice, sheesh kebabs and sweet chestnuts over the BBQ to warm us up. Just what was needed - what with it being the first time in over two months I had experiences cold so I wasn't carrying any warm clothes. We also had this totally-natural sweet tea - the leaves themselves were sweet so no need for extra sugar!
We got back to find out that the visa fiasco had now reached its pinnacle - after all the messing around we'd been given only a 1 month visa instead of a 3 month visa for China, even though we'd paid the extra for it. So another phone call to them where we told them exactly what we thought of them (w*****s) and that we definitely weren't paying the $10 each they still wanted for "express service". Thanks a lot!
That evening we were supposed to head to Sho's sister's to try our hand at cooking the local cuisine. One call to her though revealed that a few too many shots of rice-wine had been "forced" upon her by her tour group during lunch at an ethnic house.Oops! After us running late and me almost getting a free meal from Martin for finishing everything before he started, she found us at our restaurant and took us, along with her new tour group, back to the Love Market for more local BBQ food and apple rice-win - masochist!
Martin and I commended ourselves for our avoid-the-ankle-trapping bamboo dancing in the Royal Hotel whilst other got a little hurt!
On to Tau Bar where the computer playing the music was available for everyone to queue-up some tracks, the local girls no older than 12 owned everyone on the pool table and we were taught "Birgerk" - a very memorable drinking game. Our group of six swelled up to twelve with people we met in the bar, forcing them to play Birgerk and blow the cards of the glass! Eventually only four most expert in the art of screwing-over others at drinking games survived! Kung Fu taught us well.
Labels: Vietnam
posted by Ian Matthias at
11/18/2006 12:17:00 pm
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