D95 -- He bit me!

We could have gone kayaking again this morning but we skipped it, not wanting to get back in the dirty water. We went instead on a row boat ride through a limestone tunnel and into a kind of lagoon surrounded by rock. We relaxed on deck while the boat made its way back to port, chit-chatting with the other guests and reading. I talked with the German couple a bit, and they told me they came to Vietnam to visit the child they sponsor through a charity. She lives in the area that was part of the demilitarized zone during the war and apparently the village doesn't have safe drinking water because of all the chemicals and bombs dumped there during the war. I don't know if it was their tone or because I'd just finished up a book about the war, If I Die in a Combat Zone, but I felt a wave of American guilt wash over me. Although I quickly realized, hey, I'm talking to Germans. If anyone should feel some guilt....

Enough of war for now, a little humor for you... the boy on the boat has been a handful. I think he is acting out because his new angelic little sibling is getting all the attention. This morning one of the staff members was playing with him and keeping an eye on him, and he threw a glass of water in her face and on Thomas' shorts. He started to run away and I reached out to stop him. He took my hand – I thought he was going to kiss it because he had done that yesterday – but he bit me! The little stinker bit me! Check out this pair...

















We said goodbye to everyone at the dock and exchanged contact info with Yves. We may see him in Paris! The bus ride back was uneventful, and we had the driver drop us off at the Hyatt so we could use that good ol' free wifi and grab some dinner while waiting for our flight to Hue. Yes, in the last four days we've taken two overnight train rides, two four-hour bus rides, a boat cruise, and now we're getting on a plane! We had a car waiting for us in Hue, and we had a short ride to our hotel, Binh Minh. Very friendly staff. They even leave a teddy bear on your pillow. I'm not sure if that's sweet or creepy.

-Elva