Aaahh the joy of travelling. This is the short list of things that I never travel without, part one, because there are quite a few.

As you can see, I’m not much for travelling light. I like to be in contact and know whats going on at home. I want my creature comforts… within reason.

Ipod

I admit it, its true. I am one of “those” travellers who always has an ipod on me. I bought Dawn many years ago, the battery ran dead and has been replaced, so Dawn has many scratches and nicks, she’s been dropped more times than i care to admit but she’s still going. Filled to bursting with Dylan, Punk Rock and Miley Cyrus (I kid you not). I found a pair of Sony headphones on a necklace type lanyard which keeps itaround my neck and I usually put the ipod under my jacket so it can’t be ripped off by wandering hands.

Mobile phone

I have a phone with me now that i bought in 2001. I remember it well, the first time i bought a ‘nice’ phone. It was the smallest at the time, strangely, phones got bigger for a while, and suddenly they are heavier…. So now my 7 year old phone is just as good as any other phone as far as i can figure. If it gets stolen I will be most upset because we have history. I’d rather my old brick phone than a new phone. How upset will you be if your new iphone gets lifted, or if your crackberry goes swimming in the toilet? Take a cheap phone with you!

For international travel your phone must be compatible – i think its called tri-band? Either way, you can pick up a phone for under $100 pretty much anywhere. Make sure you aren’t locked onto a network before you leave home, and buy a sim card when you land.

In Vietnam, my sim card was around $8, included $10 of credit, and it usually lasts about 3 weeks, depending on how often i call Australia.

Running shoes

Okay, I don’t run half as often as I should, but i always take some sort of sports shoe, even if its just for walking. I randomly joined a touch football team here and these came in very useful.

If you are the running/walking/drinking type, you will need a pair of shoes for Hashing! Hash House Harriers run in just about every city on earth and its probably the quickest way to make new friends. All you need is a pair of shoes and a mouth for drinking.

Laptop

Lets be real here. I’m no flashpacker. I don’t travel with wads of cash, and i avoid backpacker hotspots as I would avoid leper colonies. I listen to punk rock for Gods sake!

But i absolutely can’t travel without my Laptop. Not just because I blog and what not.. But… how else do you stay in touch with the world?  In many countries it is almost impossible to get news from home without a laptop (unless you love CNN).

Your laptop must be fitted out with some usefull applications and programs though. The short list is:


Stay in touch with home, chat, call home for free and make cheap international calls with Skype
- what could be better? I use Skype pretty much every time I am connected to the internet.

Bloglines or Google Reader

For the all important Internet Stalking of your friends blogs… um, i mean, reading the news and staying up to date with stuff!

You can pick up most of the things on this list from the new, shiny, wonderful The Pursuit of Adventure Amazon Store. Check it out!

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Post tags: hanoi, Stories from the road, Tips & Ideas, travel, travel advice, travelling, Vietnam

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I close my eyes and take a deep breath, allowing the soft perfume to wash over me.

I step over the threshold and I’m in Macys, Myers or David Jones. This Vietnamese department store has every perfume on hand. For $100 I could smell like J.Lo.

The bright lights attracted me in off the street. Here past the Casio watches and the diamond rings is a tiny perfume lover’s utopia.

I walk slowly down the aisle, admiring the beautiful bottles neatly lined up behind the shiny glass. A colour catches my eye and I’m walking possessed. My eyes glaze over a little as I pick up the delicate eye shadow case and flip open the lid. Sparkly pinks, greens and blues stare back at me… ‘Buy us’ they say ‘buy us and we will make you happy’. Its retail guilt at its most enticing.

I can’t. I have to move house tomorrow. I snap the lid shut on the tantalising colours and push them to the back of my mind. I must be strong. I must resist temptation. I will not be seduced today.

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Post tags: hanoi, stories, travel, Vietnam

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The music is thumping, the dance floor is packed… fly boys and girls gyrate skilfully to the hip hop beats from the imported DJ’s in the corner.

My mouth hits the floor. Two minutes ago I was sharing a motorbike with 2 of my friends, dodging the holes in the roads and precisely avoiding the melee of bikes, taxis and buses. The sole of my right high heel has melted through from having my foot on the muffler. And now, here on the 20th floor of the Sofitel plaza, we have found a modern utopia overlooking the antiquated city of Hanoi, and now we are in a modern, polished, 4 star hotel. We could be anywhere in the world right now.

I struggle my way to the bar but my hips can’t help but sway to the music. I notice more than one man noticing me. For once I am dressed for the night with a designer dress and push up to enhance what my momma gave me.

At the bar I wait patiently. Everyone seems to be getting served, and it’s a western bar, right? Wrong. 10 minutes passes. Getting agitated now. I call out to the girl behind the bar and order a cocktail. Mojito. With berries.

Another 10 minutes go by. I order again, from another bartender. He asks me to pay in advance, and I tell him I won’t pay until I have my drink.

A Britney spears song comes on, mixed up with some ghetto gangster and my attention is taken from the bar and I join my friends for a dance. Some other women are dancing around, my friend is busting out some serious moves that involve her being given a clear berth while she impresses.

Eventually I find my way back to the bar. I ask for the drink… again, and it magically appears. A purplish concoction with mint leaves floating around. This is most expensive and weakest drink in the history of Hanoi. Must remember to write a bad review.

I take my drink and try to find some air. All the bars here get hot and smokey to the point that breathing becomes difficult. The view from the 20th floor is worth withstanding the average drinks. 180 degree views over a stunning lake, the full moon high in the sky and nary a backpacker in sight.

I find a comfortable arm chair and sit back, taking in the sights. This city can be so romantic at times it’s almost like nothing bad ever happens here.

I barely notice the young man who comes and sits next to me. Fine-looking, in the way only a man in his early 20’s can be. All the innocence of his age mixed with the experience of a world traveller. A well cut suit, pressed shirt and no tie. Top button open to reveal a hair free chest. He speaks with a heavy French accent which makes him sound more sophisticated than he probably is. He is very charming. They always are.

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Post tags: dancing, hanoi, sofitel, stories, suave, travel, travelling, Vietnam

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Waking up this morning, I couldn’t hear the rain. I put my hand on the door handle and it starts. Hunger is a powerful thing, and I thought I would be okay outside. I stumble out the front door of the hotel; the rain is coming down consistently, not heavy.. Just enough to get soaked through.

I walk around the block, searching the streets for a cafe. The rain is gathering momentum. I take a side street, maybe there is food down there?

It just keeps raining.

More fucking rain

The streets are now flooding, it starts very quickly. One second there is just water a little water on the road, next thing it’s up to my ankles. Just moments later the water is calf high, then knee high.

I take refuge in a guest house. No one speaks English. I took too many turns, and I’m completely lost.

“Fuck” stupid fucking rain.

The skies hear me and thunder rolls, it’s getting heavier. I have nowhere to go.

“Taxi?” I ask the hotel staff

They shake their heads; they have no idea what I am asking.

Twenty minutes pass. It’s not just raining cats and dogs; this is raining horses and goats. All the water that Australia needs to break the drought is here, in Hanoi. On my street.

I brave the flooding to find the next hotel. I have to find transport. I have to get to my hotel. Still, I haven’t found food and my stomach rumbles as loud as the thunder in the streets.

Strangely, when it rains in Hanoi, the taxis stop operating. I must find out why.

I come to the steps of another guest house, they have a map. I take a copy and locate my hotel on it. A lady outside is selling raincoats made of the same strength plastic as a plastic shopping bag. I pay 5000 dong, about 50c, and pull it over my head. It rips instantly. But at least I’m mostly covered.

My head is pounding from the cheap alcohol of last night, not only have I not found food, I haven’t found water either. Luckily I took a panadol before going to sleep and I am at least partially functioning. Clearly my sense of reason isn’t back or I would never have left the hotel in this rain. It looks innocuous enough, but is actually an evil rain, that just never ever stops. It seems to, for just a second, just long enough for a false sense of security, and then it comes back twice as hard and for hours at a time. It’s been 3 days now, and it hasn’t been sunny enough to wear my sunglasses yet. But I don’t want to complain. I came here for adventure, right? Well, here it is. Lost, wet, hungry. Did I mention really really lost? And really hungover?

My head is thumping. I need to get back. God, I need a coffee.

Finally, a motorbike driver sees me and I offer him the equivalent of $2 to take me back to my hotel. He accepts, it’s more money than he will probably make all day, and we set off.

Back in my hotel, I’m warm, safe and dry. And bored. I can’t hear the rain from my room, and besides, it doesn’t look so bad out there….besides, I still need that coffee.

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