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3. Half Way
13th
January 2004
Hello Guys,
Am about half way through my very first trip, so far so
good.... phew! One guy has just managed to strain a hammy
trying to kick the stupid hacky sack so I won't be bringing
that game out for awhile! But apart from that no major
issues.
 Have
had pretty ordinary weather all the way down but I'm not
the weather God so I just put on a happy face and tell
everyone it adds to the atmosphere! Hard to do whilst
on the motorbike tour in a downpour. Everyone was saturated
but still good fun!
Am
in Hoi An right now, probably my most favourite city in
Vietnam. Cosy. Nice place to hang out for awhile. The
group is doing an optional day trip tomorrow so I will
bum around on the beach (weather permitting or bum around
in a cafe - one of the few places in Vietnam you can get
a 'real' cappuccino!) What a job!
I
still haven't learnt how to do accounts so I will have
a crash course in that when I finish my trip; how far
over budget can I get? Just act stupid - works just fine.
My
Vietnamese has halted a bit, I am hoping for a couple
of days off so I can find a teacher and get some lessons
under my belt. Still cant differentiate between ba=grandmother
and ba=three. Just need some time and all will be good
- In a very positive frame of mind at the moment. I know
it won't last so I am making the most of it.
Still
learning the craft of how to not let the group know that
you are getting a free meal. Have a bit of a conscience
at the moment so I tend to buy a round of drinks at the
pub afterwards - more or less the same price. Tips from
other leaders include going to the toilet for a very long
time or asking everyone to put in what they think they
owe. Tricky. But it seems to be the culture here that
the leader in a group doesn't have to pay. The way has
been paved quite nicely for me!
So,
five days to go. Then I'll get my feedback on how they
thought I did. I told them it was my first trip leading
in Vietnam, so they have been pretty supportive.
Off
to improve my pool skills. Work Hard - You know I will
be!
Marlo
About
the Author
Marlo Perry leads tour groups around South East Asia for
Intrepid Travel.
Marlo is black belt in karate and likes finding things
to buy for under 10p.
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