Old Quarter Madness

I needed to come into Ha Noi this weekend to post all my Chrissy parcels and because in a moment of sheer madness I signed myself up for the Song Hong 1/2 Marathon this weekend! I wasn't totally crazy though and only signed up for the 10km run. Still, due to sheer loss of motivation it has been almost two months since I last ran properly and now I am going to be braving the streets of Hanoi tomorrow morning.... HELP!

Luckily the race isn't being run in this part of Hanoi - I don't think it would be physically possible! The streets will still be pretty crazy, but I'm actually relying on lots of people being about to watch us crazy white people so they can hopefully laugh and point me in the right direction if I get lost!

This afternoon I was sitting at LePub with a large cold beer contemplating what I have gotten myself in for when I witnessed this tender moment between a mother and daughter. I watched as the daughter helped her frail old mum walk up the street about thirty metres or so then back down again, just out and about for some 'fresh air' by the looks. So nice to see that the Vietnamese really do have a lot of respect and care for their elders.

See you all tomorrow - if I make it through the morning without collapsing or losing a limb! ;)