-^-for posterity-^-

i'm in hanoi and mcc has rented me a motorcycle. i drive around and am completely lost and spent all afternoon trying to find out where i was.

lets start a bit further back, shall we?

yesterday it was hot. it was hot like it should be in the south. i was scared heading north. i was afraid it was going to be cold and i hadn't felt the cold in, oh, a year and a half. i was afraid it would be frigid and i have only short sleeved shirts and sandals and no socks. i was doomed. thankfully, it was warm yesterday.

i woke up this morning to a heavy rain. i listened to it pound the house and felt warm and comfortable in bed. this was just another monsoon type storm that was warm and lush like taking a nice shower. i opened the window and stood still. i was shocked. it was freezing.

the reports say that it's about 60 degrees today. 60 degrees is warm. i can't stop shivering and can't feel the ends of my fingers and my ears are red and sore. 60 degrees and i am immobilized by the cold.

i drive around on the motorbike in chaotic traffic not giving anything unless i have to. i swerve and shiver and stop and drink hot coffee, something else i haven't had in a solid year. it feels good and warms you up inside.

the streets of hanoi are different from the south. this is an older city with streets that are much more narrow. i got lost in the web of roads above the hoan keim lake. it's an indecipherable mess of short roads with names that change at random. i drove and drove and only stopped when i was completely sure i wasn't anywhere close to the lake. i stopped, looked at the map and found myself to be a good 100 yards away.

i should buy a long-sleeved shirt sometime and maybe some socks.