Tuesday, 23Jan07

Highlights: prep for tomorrow & salsa dancing

In an attempt to learn from past mistakes, I’m working at being a bit wiser in planning this trip to Vietnam, and compiling all the trip details & outlines in one place before heading out.
Tickets, check! Hotel info, check! American dollars, check! Trip itinerary & contact info, check! 2 weeks worth of clothes + laptop in 2 backpacks, check!

After a trip to the embassy to verify all my Visa stamps were in order, I came home & got started on the trip report outline for this upcoming trip.

Figuring out my transportation situation for California, when I go home next month, was shaping into 3 tricky scenarios: 1) rent a car for 7 weeks; 2) buy a motorcycle in February; 3) inconvenience my Uncle in Boston to drive across country & bring my truck out to me in SanDiego.

As I sounded my options out to uncle T, he wasted no time asking “when & where I need the truck.”
I’m lucky to have such a cool uncle! Option 3 is workable! (= Thanks Uncle T!

Plans to go watch “Blood Diamond” took a back seat to Lydia’s friend’s swiveling plans and Lisa’s state of hokie pokie health… one foot in, one foot out, several turn-abouts…
No worries. Another time.

At 7 I took one of the Marine Security Guards up on his recommendation to check out Salsa dancing at the Ritz Hotel. Free lessons till 10pm! I can’t argue with that.
I ended up taking Salsa lessons from a Polish girl, whose husband is Colombian & now living in Jakarta (= makes no sense, but she’s a great teacher and my hour of Salsa was fun. I’ll have to go back later.