Feeling s*** today. I don't get up until 1 and I don't do much for the whole day. Have a small lunch in the hostel, not really feeling to energetic. I do a wee bit of research on Vietnam and work out a couple of the things that I want to see. I should get my visa back today, well I have to because I must leave tomorrow. Let's hope there are no complications.
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Play a couple of games of pool with Elaine, and get a pizza in the hostel for dinner. Bit weird, more bread like than dough base, but I ate it up anyway! Elaine nips out and grabs me my passport, complete with visa. This now means that I can book my train ticket. I get a tuk tuk to the station and try to buy my ticket. Of course no English anywhere, I join a queue and when I get to a window I ask for Hanoi, I am told it is another window I have to go to. So I join another queue, this time when I get up I ask if I can pay by card. No. So I have to go in search of a bank. I can only use a couple of types of bank in China so sometimes it involves a lot of wandering. Luckily I spot the red lights of the bank of china as I come out of the station. When I get back to the ticket window there is no one there. I wait in line and more and more Chinese people start queuing up. From what I can gather the ticket operator is on a break, won't be back for half an hour. This is the only place to buy Vietnam tickets! Brilliant. Looking around most of the people around me already have tickets, they must be getting a refund. Bizarre that they can't do that at any window? When the guy comes back, I am first in line, but as he sits down, I am swallowed up by the swell of hands and tickets extending through me! Luckily the guy doesn't take any of them, instead sorting me out first. I get my ticket and make my way back over to the bus, to head back to the hostel. Ahhh China, I'm going to miss the chaos.
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Nathan comes to the hostel after work and all of us play pool for a while until Elaine finishes work. 12 she gets off and we jump in a taxi to Paulander where Jason works. It is like the bars back home. Bit of music, Leonard Cohen, bit depressing after the third loop of the album. Of course the dice game is in full flow. We play with Jason, and some barmaids, even though they are working, they can still play with us and drink. Very relaxed. We get to have good beer, and it is a good laugh. Another later one, with me not getting back to bed until about 4 again.