Look at those adorable faces

Buddist Monks

We spend the day in a Laos village and meet some gorgeous Buddhist baby monks, early teens, who are delightful and who let us take their photo, at their temple.

Their photo is a post card, five little, smiling faces all in a row.

Then it deluges with rain and we run home in it, getting saturated. We stop at a little shop for shelter and where we feel we are being cheeky using them for shelter, they bring us chairs and water and make us feel at home. I'm surprised that the poor seem so happy and, dare I say, content with their lot, while rich Australians seem to get meaner and more unhappy with every year.

Heading to the Airport

We stay at our friends house in Hanoi, and sleep before we leave for Laos. We have a sumptuous lunch with the extended family before we leave for the airport.

The aeroplane has propellors, I am horrified. I probably haven't mentioned it before now, but I am a reformed terrified flier, but still not great. My stomach is in my mouth as we leave.

 

Gorgeous green rice paddies

Leaving Sa Pa

We have the day to fill in before our train. We take a jeep ride around the villages. The roads are treacherous, from all the rain. Our driver attempts to kill us, on a muddy road that has been 3/4 covered in a land slide, when he goes to drive around the mountain of earth on the remaining four feet of road that is still visible, next to the sheer drop to the river below. We all scream out, No, no, no! and leap out of the car. Our reaction now is funny when I think about it.

We leave the mountainous beauty of Sa Pa and, of course, the sun finally comes out as we are driving out.

We catch the over night train to Hanoi, arriving 4am.

I take my last look at the pretty Mong boys in their traditional uniforms, peddling their wears at the street-side markets. Good bye persistent Mong girls, with their winning ways and their many languages, all learned form standing in the street trying to sell to the tourists. Good bye Sun the shoe shine boy, who could never understand why I didn't care that my shoes were dirty. You very handsome, you should have beautiful shoes - they know how to flatter the tourists, that's for sure. Good bye motor bike boys.

I wave good bye to Sa Pa.

The mist rolls in

Sa Pa

The rain continues to fall. Grrr! Our room over looks a huge valley with rugged mountains on either side. The mist completely smothers all of that from view. We walk around the village in the rain and spend a lot of time eating in cafes, to get out of the rain.

 

People who don't travel never experience the smells and the tastes and the feel of some where else and how so many people live differently to them. It is one of the greatest things, to go to another country and experience how other people live. You know, love thy neighbour.

Sang the Night Away

We sang Karaoke and drank beer until 11pm when everything seemed to shut. Vietnamese songs are so heart felt, so emotional, so cheesy, really. Mark sang, Without you, I sang, Ain't no sunshine, Luke sang, Tainted love. It was fun.

 

What a view. Space and depth. It gives me such an interesting feeling of distance and, what, scale, huge scale, does that make sense? It's breath taking.

Up In The Hills

I'm in Sa Pa, north of Hanoi, up in the hills, away from the heat. It is close to the Chinese border. Up the narrow winding roads, surrounded by rice terraces, perched precariously on the steep hills and little villages dotted by the road. Unfortunately, the fog has rolled in and the rain has come down. So, we sit and look out the window thinking of the things we could be doing.

Ah well, it's good to rest, I guess. It's a good time to eat, drink coffee and haggle with the peasants. "You buy from me? You buy from me? Good price." The Mong girls are waiting at every doorway, with something to sell. When we turned down bangles and beads, we were offered hash, dope, opium and girls. I'm guessing we would have been offered boys, if we'd indicated our preferences. They are persistent, I'll give them that, if you make eye contact they are at you, you have started the proceedings.

Sa Pa reminds me of one of those Swiss mountain villages up in the hills. Kind of. It is reminiscent of the architecture and the layout; narrow streets that wind and buildings that are two and three stories high, with balconies on three sides to take full advantage of the views that fall away in every direction.

Tomorrow we are going trekking, if the weather holds off. Maybe we'll hire motor bikes and ride ourselves, maybe we'll get guides and pillion on the backs of their bikes. We'll see.

Those Asian blokes

There are some amazingly beautiful Asian men. Just gorgeous. Sexy and handsome. All heading some where, one, two and three per motor scooter. If I wasn't with Mark and Luke I might... well, you know what I might do.

First Day Down

Vietnam is fantastic; chaotic, vibrant, alive, noisy, going in all directions, all at once. The traffic is unbelievable, I so want to get a car and get out in it, despite the fact I could be a little too aggressive as a driver. It all flows, every thing is fluid it all just works, give and take. It's amazing really, no road rage here.(You can see instantly how over governed we are in Australia)

We're staying in the old quarter, which is so alive it makes me feel alive; people in the streets, cooking, laughing, living, smiling. We strolled around the lake in the centre of town, on our first night, shown around by our friend Ninh. The lakes are bright green, the lovers discreet - they all live with their parents so no nooky for them - as they do the circuit. We ate ice cream and drank coffee and took in the heat - so nice after freezing Melbourne.

Ugly Australia

I was the victim of flying rage, however. The ugly, drunk face of Australia came to stand next to me on the aeroplane, 3/4's into the flight. I was seated just by the toilets and this drunken Australia scrubber was sitting on the toilet, pants down with the door open, in all her glory. My first impression of her. She then came over, in her putrid drunkenness, and asked me for a light for the cigarette she had in her hand. When I told her she couldn't smoke (paraphrasing here) on the plane, she punched me in the throat and then, when I asked her to keep away from me, she scratched me down the left side of the face with her finger nails. I bled from 4 scratch marks, 2 on my cheek and 2 on my forehead. She had to be restrained by the cabin crew and lead away.

For her trouble, I reported her to the authorities and she was met by the men in suits and was taken away. Of course, I had to give a statement, speak to officials, hang around. I hope she was sent home. Oh fuck it, Vietnam is a communist country, after all, I hope she was taken out and shot.

Drunks! Sheesh! I don't really care what happened to her, really. I just wanted her to be shown that there were consequences to her actions. In my opinion, drunks often get away with such bad behaviour.

You Know, Maybe My Thinking Has Changed

It's monogamy this time, though. I'm for it. Have someone special, someone to connect with. Connected sex is always the best.

I like having someone regular, someone I connect to. I liked it with Manny, he was the only person I slept with in four years. 

That isn't exactly true, but pretty much. (In gay terms, that means I wasn't going out and screwing guys on a weekly basis) Manny always wanted me to have threesomes, like I did with Mark. But, you know, after Mark and Lauri, I was pretty over it. Manny had sex with other guys and I didn't mind. It never cut into the time we had together. It was an occasional thing. And he always offered to pick up cute Italian guys with me... but I turned him down.

But, you know, maybe my thinking has changed... treat me as I'm special, if that's what you say I am to you... and I'll do the same. I've told you how I want to play this time. You agreed.

Calm Before The...

What am I doing? I haven't packed any thing. Do I have a suit case? What's all the terrorist packing rules? I have no idea? (wink, wink) I leave Tuesday. My head is spinning.

I'm watching "House sitter" with Steve and Goldie. I was so cold, I came back to bed.

The sun is shinning.

No need to panic yet?

I'm going away with the two guys I love most in the world, Mark and Luke. You know, I think that is when Manny dumped me, when I told him about Vietnam. It must have bought something home to him, our basic inequality. I mean, if I had a boyfriend, I wouldn't go away on holidays without him.

The Night Line

He'd ride the subway between johns. "What else is there to do? It costs me nothing, and fills in time. I don't make so much that I can lash out on a meal out and a warm bath. No, I'm not afraid of being kidnapped. Most of you can have me for the price of a hamburger."

Blind Drunk

How drunk did I get last night at the end of financial year drinks? Rotten drunk. Oh, I remember I told Michael that he had a beautiful smile. And he does... which he showed me in response. Did I really say that to him?

We're always flirty with each other when we've had work drinks. He looked very lunchy in the suit he was wearing, he caught me looking, which he acknowledged with a big smile. I want to sleep with him, but is that a good idea, with a work colleague?

I didn't remember anything when I got up this morning, only being cross-eyed on the tram on the way home, wondering if I'd make it. I don't remember the ride home, as such, just some broken blurry visuals. I don't remember getting into the house. My shoes and jacket were in the middle of the lounge room and my satchel was next to the couch, as if I'd lay down. I have no memory on this.

I don't remember going to bed.

I remember being in the bathroom, during the early morning hours drinking lots of water. Yay for me, no head ache. Not that I usually get hangovers, actually.

Now I'm off to the doctor to get shots for Vietnam.

God's and Monsters

Two thousand years ago, people believed the world was flat and had to create gods to describe their truths. Somehow that turned into gods and profits who took on whole lives of their own? Shrug?

The man who started the whole ex-gay movement got married recently to a man he was helping to cure.

We should now attach electrodes to their genitals and zap them as we show them pictures of Christ, I guess.

Or did they ever really believe any of it? Just a good career choice, at the time?

Bindi Irwin

Don't you just want to see that little cyborg at 18 with a crack habit. 

(2016 - my humour can be fairly black, now can't it)

(2023 - she, actually, grew into some one really lovely, with good taste in men. Good for her)