Back out on the road

I am heading back out on the road again tomorrow just as Diep is heading back to Hanoi. We won't even get to see each other as we are coming and going. A little sad, really. I was in Danang on her birthday and due to a series of unfortunate events I didn't get a chance to wish her a happy birthday before she called me up with a crisis that flustered me so much I didn't even think about it until much later in the day... At which time it was much, much too late, as one would well imagine. I talked to Diep on the phone today and it would appear all is forgiven, but I still feel quite a bit of guilt about the whole thing.

Megan, who was the source of the crisis when I was in Danang, is off to a prom tonight. The theme is Hollywood prom night and I find myself wondering if, after it is all over, she and her friends had more fun getting ready for the event, or the actual prom itself. I took a few pictures of Megan and her friends before they left:

Megan all snazzy!

Ciara, My and Megan

I am typing this post on my new iPad 2. Something I am not sure I really had permission to buy, but a toy I have enjoyed immensely in my few days of ownership. I am experiencing a little trouble with the typing, but overall, I would rank it very high on the "fun" scale. This will be much easier to carry around than my personal laptop, along with my office laptop that I almost have to take with me to take care of the work I do.

So, tomorrow I will fly to Quang Binh Province, visit a couple of sites in that area and then move south by road to Danang City where we will finish up our site visits. I won't be back in the office until next Friday. Good news is, for now, I am scheduled to have both Saturday and Sunday off after the trip. That should make up for working this Sunday and Memorial Day.

It's the beginning of a beautiful day in Nha Trang City. I could see the sun peeking over the horizon of the South China Sea when I woke up this morning at 0445. The onset of the warmer months has beckoned the sun to rise earlier and with it I, too, get up. Nearly two hours and two cups of coffee later, I am still sitting in my comfortable room at the Sheraton Hotel, hating myself for not finding the motivation to take a stroll along the beach. Part of my reticence lies in the deceit I know the three dimensional picture outside my window holds. The peaceful cool serenity I see from my climate controlled room belies the reality of the humidity and heat outside. It might have been bearable at 0500, but at 0630 I can feel the rays playing with the cool comfort of my room.

I could have tricked myself into going outside with the enticement of exercise. I love morning runs, especially along the beach; especially if I get out before the sun gets too high on the horizon. But, I am leaving for Danang today and I didn't want my sweat soaked training clothes to sit in my bag until this afternoon when I get to Danang. Yesterday was a down day... no exercise. After a walk at noon to get some lunch and buy some coffee I retired to my room for the rest of the day. This is a fact to which I can never convince Diep. She is adamant that I am a wolf on the prowl when the sun sets. Hitting bars and chatting up the birds.

I needed the down day yesterday. Even today I can feel an ache in my muscles and a general malaise. I do feel better, though, and settled for some very basic and very short calesthinics in my room. According to the routine I am doing, today is a down day as well, but I feel like I will be ready for a swim at the Hyatt when I arrive in Danang. After the swim, I will hit the steam room, jacuzzi, sauna and cold pool. The effects of the cold pool will knock me out when I get to my room. The first time I got in the cold pool it was after just 5 minutes in the steam room. As I stepped into the very cold water, steam from my body rose out of the pool and I felt every muscle begin to seize. I only managed to get in up to my neck before I had to hurry out, fearing I would be found dead, naked in a fetal position at the bottom of the pool.

I was scheduled for a very long hike to a remote site north of Nha Trang, but the advance team warned that a forestry road marked on the map that we had intended to use had been left in a state of disrepair for several years. The red dirt had eroded away leaving only huge boulders that the advance team had to climb. It changed my estimate of about 6 hours hiking there and back to three days and two nights. We were strapped for time and the lead team didn't have the energy in them to go back out, having just returned from their initial trip. It may be that I come back next month to make the hike, a decision needs to be made and I don't know yet.

I get back to Hanoi on Monday, just in time to see Diep head out for Saigon. Her mother is still suffering from lockjaw and Diep needs to be with her. The summer break is fast approaching and I still haven't found a hole in my schedule to take a trip anywhere. I was hoping to get back home to take a cruise to the Bahamas, but as my schedule keeps filling up, that dream dematerializes.