Self Portraits

Inspired by both an old PE teacher and Ken Farmer, I have decided to add burpies (unsure about the spelling) to my morning workout regimine. I arrived in Hue two days ago, my chest spotted with little red welts from the days dragonfly kills. Although Vietnam's north-south bloodline didn't provide constant beauty from Vinh to Hue the day was beautiful making the 6 hour burn tolerable and even enjoyable at times. Upon arrival we stopped at the first visible tourist cafe for a late lunch where we enjoyed banana pancakes and conversation with a US expat who was into some pretty heavy conspiracy theory. Both the familiar food and the english conversation with a stranger were welcomed after some difficult meals in Vinh. Hue has been a nice place to unwind, eat, and plan the next move. These main tourist hubs have both there advantages and disadvantages. The pros are definitely the numerous tourist cafes with competing prices and a wide range of dishes other then pho. The cons are the numerous beggars and moto-drivers who won't let you take one sidewalk step without hasseling you. There have been times when I felt myself beginning to transform into Michael Douglas from 'Falling Down.' No violent outburst yet though. I have also discovered the beauty of the balcony, which allows you to take in the action on the street below without actually being the action. Today Ramos and I strolled the 11km out to the beach where we enjoyed the peace of not being offered anything, it was amazing to experience some silence for a change. Tomorrow I am considering continuing south to Da Nang, we'll see what happens. NTC

The Beard at the Banana Mango Restaurant.

Ramos enjoying a beach moment.

Naren enjoying a beach moment.

Getting artistic.