Ha Giang Pronvince

So it turned out Thuy didn't get back until 8 PM last night and so stayed another night in Hanoi.  Before she showed up I had some beer with her brother on the street.  It was the Hanoi beer again and we had boiled peanuts, some shishkabob, and a pork belly sausage.  A little while later was when Thuy arrived and after she'd had a chance to get showered, we had Vietnamese hot pot.  It is very similar to Sichuan hot pot, though the broth isn't spicy.  The beef we ate was cut in different style and was strongly flavored with ginger.  We also had some dry tofu, but instead of the long shape, it was a flat square.

It was good, but as I'd already eaten stuff on the street, I wasn't terribly hungry.

Today, we didn't really do much--got up, had breakfast, and took a bus to Ha Giang. It was a six hour ride--though I don't think we drove any faster than 40 mph, so I can't say how far away Ha Giang really is from Hanoi.  The bus was rather interesting because it was a sleeper bus.  Instead of regular seats it had reclined ones--and two levels.  They'd have been more comfortable if they were slightly longer--and if the bus wasn't weaving and honking to avoid stuff on the road.  I can't tell exactly what they were because I was on a bottom bunk and couldn't see over the window.  I assume it was to get around the motorbikes on the road--because there's a million of them and there appears to be a system of honking communication here in Vietnam between bikes, cars, and buses.  I can't really tell you how it works, but it makes sense to them.  I do know that you should honk before you pass a corner so you don't need to stop and check if someone else is coming.

I'm at a hotel in Ha Giang because Thuy's home doesn't have a room for me.  She made me dinner at her home and I met her husband--her kids were at tutoring so I didn't get introduced to them yet.  Some of her students came by, though, and we talked for a bit.  They were really excited to see me. Thuy's got to work this week, so I think during the day I'll be on my own, but this should give me a chance to relax and unwind.  I will be able to explore a bit and she and her husband were going to take me to the border--apparently this village is a stone's throw from China.