This was my third attempt to get to see Tram at her house in the tiny hamlet of An Phu near TamKy. The other trips were aborted, one when I was going with Andre who had never ridden a scooter before and was stymied by My Le refusing to hire one to him. This was just before Tet and the reasoning was that the road would be too dangerous with all the people going home for Tet and the people returning to Hoi An from Tam Ky also going home. So we accepted that and later I tried again, oh no said Hai, too dangerous, many people on road, drive too fast, no no. So I accepted his word and didn't go again. This time Tram messaged me and said can you come tomorrow? As my sister is here now I thought this would be a good trip for her and Ron so I accepted and we booked a car and driver for a million dong for the next day. Then Tram messaged me again and said can you change it to tomorrow tomorrow. I told her no we have booked the car. She said she wasn't there any more but back at work. Shrugs. Oh well we will go anyway to see her mother and siblings and dear old granny, so we set off down the highway of death which was not so busy or deathlike, although we did see one near fatality where a scooter driver decided to turn left just as someone was passing him making the passing guy wobble and slide all over the road until he regained control.
Khung dien as they say here, crazy.
I was worried the car wouldnt be able to drive down the narrow concrete roads that make up the byways but obviously they have designed them to take a car, or a light truck probably. We wended our way to the house and Trams brother greeted us as the mum Lanh was at the pagoda as was the little sister Ty who is in training to be either a nun, or a monk, not sure of the nomenclature. I took Raine and Ron on a bit of a tour to show them the toilet shower block my money helped build and then Lanh and her mother arrived and sat us down for a meal. You can't escape eating a meal when you visit in Vietnam it is a cornerstone of their welcome to you and a sign of their sense of hospitality. The car driver came into the house with us and even though he had never met them before was soon helping with the food and acting as though he was an old friend of the family. Although his English was limited he also helped to translate as no one spoke any English. Old grandma who is very bent and lined turned out to be younger than my sister who said on a couple of occasions, you 81 me 84, good one sister. I don't think it worried them.
Couple of pics of Apple with his inflatable Dragon.
2025-02-13