Day 33

23 May 2013

Hanoi to Sapa

This morning I bandaged Lien's leg for the last time and said that I would see her this afternoon not realizing that she needed to leave by three o’clock so I never saw her again. But no doubt I will call in when I am in Belgium.

It rained this morning, not much else to do than hanging around the neighborhood. Something I forgot to do was to get my eyes checked and new reading glasses made. An eye check cost $2 and new glasses around $12.00 however I had run out of time. I met Eddy and Lien in a new hotel as they wanted to go cheaper if possible and a change of scenery. We had a beer together and said what needed to be said. I wanted Eddie to run the website but we both decided to involve Natalie in Belgium and asked her if she could do it. It was no problem for her. I got a mail from my friend Vince and Hazel in the UK. They were going to approach the media. Within a day the action already started to get momentum I was glad to see. At 6 pm I was collected by a small bus as I need to leave Vietnam tomorrow. My visa expires on the 25th and in a country like it is better that you don’t overstay your visa even by one hour as this would be a very good excuse to demand an undisclosed payment.

At the other side of Hanoi I was transferred to the Hanoi-Lao cai-Sapa Sleeper bus

The sleeper bus was full but comfortable, not before long I was asleep while Hanoi was gliding out of sight.