Chào buổi sáng Vietnam!

That comically accented phrase is the Vietnamese version of the classic movie...I think it would have been less successful had they chosen the local spelling. Emily and I arrived in bustling, humid Hanoi 2 days ago following after eating our way through a couple of flights worth of surprisingly good tucker. I was not prepared for the reality of Vietnamese driving. Out of the airport and into a taxi we had barely gone a mile before our driver tut-tutted and slowed down to pass the fresh wreckage of a flash merc and an SUV which had T-boned (to use the ED parlance) in the middle of our lane. My heart was in my mouth the next few minutes as we careered along the motorway, never more than 1m behind the vehicle in front and usually tooting at them whilst edging ever closer to the median barrier in an effort to find a way to overtake. Emily and I decided quickly that reacting to each terrifying moment in the way one would in NZ, would see both of us quivering nervous wrecks by the time we reached the hotel. Instead we began to appreciate the seamless way the traffic (mostly vespas carrying 6 people, a pig and occasionally a few tonnes of masonry) passes through itself with all parties getting where they need to go with horns alone replacing traffic lights, policemen and lane markings. We go to a lot of trouble to organise the process at home, and I wonder what we could do with that money instead! Hanoi is a sweltering old town, with a mobile population of hawkers; skilled professionals and children all existing side by side in tiny quarters. We have mostly explored the old quarter, which is blessed with a menagerie of silk shops, "optometrists", knock-off clothing stores and eateries. The opportunities for eating delicious freshly prepared top quality nosh at loose-change prices have astounded and delighted me. We are here to enjoy a two week cycle tour of the country, taking in both the big city experience and some very rural communities over the course of the trip. Last night we saw a unique portrayal of traditional vietnamese life in the form of a water puppetry performance. In this art form 8 masterful puppeteers standing in waist deep water but hidden by a bamboo screen and pagoda facade operate hundreds of highly animated animals and marionettes to act out scenes from village life. These perfomances have occured for hundreds of years, and are accompanied by wonderful traditional music. I was particularly taken by a single-stringed instrument whose symphonic tones were at odds with it's simple appearance. Whilst I have maintained this pleasure-seeking lifestyle I have been inspired by the exploits of Hayden and sarah, who have been travelling through Cambodia and Laos over the last few months helping out and supporting orphanages and impoverished communities. Well done those two! Definitely check out their blog www.haydnsez.blogspot.com for an uplifting read. Tonight we take the overnight train to Hue, and tomorrow we start our cycling...it's going to be sweaty...and I can't wait!

I hope you're on the right page

After chuckling with satisfaction at my witty and controversial new blog title, I inadvertently visited the more traditional bookofrevelation page by making a typo in my bungling attempt to log in. I wonder if casual blasphemy, not to mention the weighty expectations I may have set up by aligning myself with one of the more classic texts of biblical antiquity, was a sensible way to start this new textual journey. I guess I'll find out.

I'd been suspicious of the weblog in years gone by - neurotic or exhibitionist (or both... ? = nutritionist) souls with no real friends to moan or show off to, pouring their hearts out to anyone who had enough mindless spare time to listen. That was until I started reading the content of a few written by my friends and found the blog to be the quarter-centurion's ideal antidote to the dual frustrations of having friends everywhere except within walking distance, and having an email inbox about as crammed and aesthetically pleasing as a chicken bus in Guatemala.

So, here I go - venturing into a brave new world, with pre-conceptions to dismantle and debate to enjoy!