"The ghost of travelling yet to come...."

One hot and muggy evening there was evil lurking in the air, the auras' cast bad tidings and a chill passed over my being, it was as if someone had walked over my grave.

I went to sleep as per normal a hurried and light sleep, a sleep of wanting but not of taking. The kind of sleep you know you need to get, but you realise you haven't much time, so then can't because you think you must! But I digress.

It was 2.13am and I woke with a start. What was it? Where was I? What time was it? I have this compulsive need to check the time if I wake and can't go back to sleep until I know the precious answer. The hotel room settled from blur into familiar clarity.

Scratch, scratch, scratch scratch....

What was that?
Scratch scratch scratch scratch...

There it went again. The darkness of the room amplified my spidey senses tuning in my hearing. It was coming from my bed!!!! I grabbing my phone immediately it's electro luminescence covering the bed in an ice white glow. No sign of anything?

I give the solid wood head board a good solid shake.... No change. Perplexed I switch on the main light, pull the whole bed out and check it top to bottom.... Nothing! I shake and kick and flap at the bed a vexed sleep deprived zombie..... And still

Scratch scratch scratch scratch.

I surrender beaten and deflated, like the Edinburgh tenant who cannot catch the elusive mouse. I lie down next to the head board and try not let my imagination conjure images of the ghost that haunts my bed board....

Scratch scratch scratch scratch.

5hrs 47mins later....

So a bit of a jolt start today! Doing a tour of Hue booked into be leaving at 9.30am, nice gentle start grab shower and pack up bag and check out.

Bring bring!!! The phone a shrill alternative to yesterdays 6am local rooster alarm. I pick it up - "202" I answer as politely as is possible pre coffee. A friendly clearly awake masculine voice replies, explaining our tour Is now starting in 15mins at 8.30 not our previously chosen 9.30am! Like lightening I alight to my feed all pretense of sleep gone... 15minutes that's doable, no worries, let the good times roll! I'm on top of this! Then like a lead balloon I remember will all certainty the enterprise is doomed, it is simply not possible to move that quickly and with purpose! I'm travelling with a girl....

As if to mock my attempts my ghostly friend agrees in usually morse code... Scratch scratch scratch scratch....