The whirl of an authentic Hanoi lifestyle

0 comments

This belated post shall be far to brief, however I am about to head to Sapa for a few days with my sister who shall be joining us from Hong Kong this afternoon.

In the long period since my last meaningful post, we have experienced much of what Hanoi has to offer it's citizens. We love our flat, which we think of as in the Queens Park / Clovelly /Waverly section of Hanoi - not the Double Bay and Vaucluse ex-pat enclaves of Tay Ho (West Lake) that lies adjacent, but an interesting, vibrant part of inner sububia.

The typical Vietnamese-style house I am looking after is more in the not-yet-trendified Inner West. Still pleasant, but nevertheless a very different feel.

To travel between the two residences, I have become adept at whizzing in the controlled madness of Hanoi traffic (almost) like a local. I have learned to love the bikes and moto's riding 12 abreast on the two lane road, thinking that it is an organic being which ebbs into any available gap, miraculously dividing around three metre holes that have opened in the road due to monsoonal rains.

Although we were spared these in our first week or two, the almost nightly occurrence is a fascinating experience, as within minutes of the skies darkening, a tornado-like wind starts blowing and then the heavens open up to deluge the streets, creating fast flowing rivers and lakes of unknown depths on major thoroughfares, and tiny back streets.

We have been caught in these fairly often, and have made our choice of rain poncho from the huge array on offer. At the first drops of rain, scooters stop, ideally on the side of the street, and whip out their poncho from the clip on the fuselage, or under the seat. the rear of the poncho covers pillion passengers or luggage, the front is often used to shield the front of the bike, creating a kaleidoscope of red, blue and yellow headlights.

Somewhat sceptical, I have found that our upper-mid range poncho is extremely effective and comfortable. My head (despite a very good integrated hood) is drenched, and the bottom quarter of my legs, but the material breathes and keeps one very dry and comfortable. I'm a big fan!

The Vietnamese National Ballet was a solo for me, as Bob had a 24 hour bug and pulled out of our pax de deux. The following morning, on going downstairs it dawned on me that my wallet and camera had been taken from the kitchen table. With eternal gratitude, I saw a neat pile of credit cards and my drivers licence had been fanned out on the window sill by the sink next to a open window I didn't even know existed. What made this somewhat more of a mystery was the fact that there is a heavy grill of chequerboard bars across this window, large enough for an arm to get through, but nothing more. As the wallet was (uncharacteristically) left on a table at least three or 4 metres away this seemed an unlikely entry point.

The one-room wide, four storey house is, like all Vietnamese properties sealed like Fort Knox with a series of gates, grilles, barbed wire, and padlocks the size of soccer balls. Having come home quite late the night before, and drenched to the core in the still torrential rain, I must admit that I was a tad unsure whether I had locked the front door and didn't pay enough attention to be sure when I opened it to check. The huge padlock on the front gate was certainly locked though.

I felt rather philosophical about it all, and rather inept with my lack of language skills. What a curse to be mon0-lingual! It took some time, after the housekeeper (Miss Hu'o'ng) arrived that afternoon, and phone calls were made to the landlord, yet by Sunday morning the mystery was solved and my guilt assuaged for maybe leaving the door unlocked was appeased. As the landlord came to fit a heavy chicken-wire size grille to the outside of the kitchen window, the mode of robbery was discovered; strong bamboo poles had been taped together with duct tape forming a strong arm for a small pallet on the end which had been covered with a strong double sided tape. At over 5 metres long, this would have been fed through the window from the rear alley, to reach the objects on the table (my wallet and compact digital camera) which were then removed. I laughed long and hard at the ingenuity of this, and remain very grateful that my cards were returned. Replacing those would have been much more difficult that the replacement of a few hundred thousand dong (around $30 I think) and a camera.

Bob and I did purchase another camera on Saturday, not as easy a task as going to the local electrical precinct back home, back are happy with our purchase. I have been 'dinking' Bob around town a bit more these days, and we are greeted my enormous smiles as we rock up to our local cafe or street restaurant on the bike, and dismount leaving the parking boys to park it as we grab our daily Ca Phe Den Da (Black Vietnamese Coffee on Ice)or bowl of noodles. The parking issue is still something of a mystery, but most local places provide this service where you just stop on the street and they fix up the bike, returning it to you when you have finished.

During the camera search, we also experienced our first puncture, and this too was a revelation! We immediately dismounted, I took it to the nearest curb, where an old man (perhaps looking after the parking of bikes for a nearby business) signalled across the road, and before we could interept his gestures, the bike repair guy that is on almost every corner trundled his push bike across with a small kit of tools, and went to work straight away in removing the wheel, then the tyre and inner tube, finding a large slit and patching it. With a battered bicycle style track pump and a tool kit that included shoe polish for an emergency shoe shine if required, he was extremely skilful and put in a great deal of labour. The price? 20,000 dong (about $1.30) which we topped up with a small tip and lots of gratitude.

An excellent street side lunch around the corner under a hastily erected tarpaulin to protect from the light rain consisted of transparent bean thread noodles in a tasty chicken broth, with chunks of chicken, slices of fresh bamboo shoots, bean sprouts and green onions. Additional lime wedges and chilli were available for more piquancy and freshness. A wonderful dish, and 30,000 dong ($2) for the two of us.

The ballet was terrific - and got better as the program progressed, but that shall have to wait. Bob will get some more practice at the scooter while my sister and I head to Sapa this evening on the overnight train. Tomorrow (Tuesday) night we shall stay in a village after trekking during the day, in a hotel in Sapa overnight on Wednesday, before the overnight train back to Hanoi on Friday morning.





Alive. Mostly WEll. Very Busy.

0 comments

Commuting from the apartment in Ba Dinh to the Villa (with cat) in Dong Da, is a bit time consuming, but Bob and I are managing well. I think that my time with the cat, Bixby has irrefutably proved that madness is learned (from me) and not nature.

So much to say, but so little time . . . good, I suppose that one isn't tied to a computer keyboard! Tonight Bob and I are going to the Ballet, a spur of the moment decision when we walked past the Opera House after visiting the colonial splendour of the Museum of Vietnamese History.


Ha Noi House Notes

0 comments

N0te: This was posted a few days ago, "but Miss, the computer ate my homework".

Thankfully, now blogger has an autosave function, much as it could be recovered.

Apparently, the government run internet service providers block access to viewing Blogger, Wordpress and a few other blog sites which may be used by dissidents and other ducks. One can however post.

The last week or so has been a whirl - well, maybe I rephrase that, as Viet pace is a little different to the Western corporate lifestyle. There is always plenty of time for sitting and chatting with your friends over tea, or coffee, or Bia Hoi (fresh beer). There is always time for a snooze, and any place will do, but after (an early) lunch is almost mandatory. Lie down on your motorcycle seat with your feet on the handlebars if you can be so lucky, otherwise a patch of ground, under a counter, or on a plastic chair or three will always do.

Bob and I agreed to look after the house of a young American couple for the month that they are returning to the States during the summer holiday season here. The house doesn't need much looking after, as "Hu'o'ng", a local lady comes each afternoon five days a week to keep things going smoothly. They do however, have a five month cat - "Mister Bixby" - who does require some care and attention. The house will provide some overflow accommodation for our guests and us when everyone is around at the same time.

I moved in on Thursday, and was soon wrapped around the small, manipulative paw of the squirrel tailed Bixby. Although around four and a half kilometres as the crow flies from our apartment in Ba Dinh, roads which may be straight, have a definite kink in them along the way, making the shortest route around 6km, although this is far from the quickest.

Luckily, I have mastered the scooter around town, and weave through traffic like a local. Traffic is extraordinary, with 30 minutes a pretty good time for this trip (whatever route) on pushbike or motor cycle.

Bob is certainly becoming a local identity around the Truc Bac lake district near the apartment. As he does his morning exercise - a concept beloved by the locals, bless 'em - he is waved at and said hello to by an increasing number of people. Today was Bob's 61st Birthday, and he received gifts from no less than 3 locals who knew that it was his day today!!! We went out to dinner in the most glorious setting of an old French colonial villa on the southern edge of Hoan Kiem lake, run as a training ground for disadvantaged youth.

The setting was spectacular, the service warm and keen - one couldn't ask for more . . . other than more reliable food. The prices were quite reasonable given the surroundings and excellent service, the design and display of the food was well thought out and rather impressive. However, the food itself was quite frankly bland. Dumbed down for western palates in all probablity.


Not able to see blogger, but can post

0 comments


Since Bob and I have been in Vietnam, we are not able to view posts in Blogger, but are able to post (I hope), so I hope that these posts are getting through.


Reflections

0 comments

I sometimes wonder why I feel so comfortable here in Ha Noi, given that I don’t usually regard myself a big city person, jump at the slightest noise, like bush, cleanliness and all the things that Ha Noi is not.

It must be the people – isn’t travel usually about the people – the human scale and eye contact, the nature of being part of society which causes me to curse each and every four wheeled vehicle I see, which is, unless a taxi, almost certainly a Lexus, Toyota, or Mercedes, an impossibly large SUV, an, invariably, black.

Stepping around another pile of rubbish in the street where one is forced to walk by the gaggle of plastic stools and moto scooters parked on the inadequate footpaths; holding my nose as we walk past an open sewer or outlet into the lake, it’s banks and shallows littered with all manner of rubbish I worry that the relatives who are about to pay us a visit will recoil in horror at the lifestyle we are embracing so keenly.

Certainly, it is easy to have a sanitised view of life here choosing to stay in western-style hotels, eating in air conditioned comfort at tables with chairs and menus reliably translated and with few surprises such as ‘farmed turtle’ and who have prices listed in US dollars, which might seem reasonable compared to Western European or American prices, but are inflated by a factor of ten or more, for inferior tasting food, dumbed down for western palates.

My sister will be visiting first, flying in from a break between teaching schedules in Hong Kong. She has been here for conferences a number of times before, and reportedly enjoys the shopping, something we have little experience of apart from the more prosaic items for living.

Her youngest daughter, my 19 year old niece will join us during the university break after exams in Sydney, and, while she and some school friends had a European odyssey during a gap year in 2007, I’m concerned that this may be something of a culture shock. No house music, night clubs or cocktails are in our daily orbit.

Equally exciting is that Bobs’ number 2 nephew, Paul and his nephew, Sam will be joining us during the Sam’s school holidays in mid-July. It will be both Paul and Sam;s first overseas trip, and the strangeness of the food, chopsticks and general mobility around the place will be something of a challenge.

Now, each time as I calmly walk into a road, teeming with hundreds of moto scooters, push bikes pedalled by ancient men, women and school children, or piled high with baskets front and rear full of fruit, or cardboard, or with concrete cinder blocks weighing down the rear axle piled on either side, a thought bubble pops into my head about having to explain to Sam that one drives or rides on the right hand side of the road, unless of course it’s more convenient to ride on the left, or on the footpath.

Streets are often one way, but this doesn’t count if you want to go the other direction. Where there are traffic lights, red means stop if you want to, but don’t worry too much about it. So if there is a green pedestrian symbol, take just as much care crossing as if there is no light at all.

Just as I have refined my version of the ‘Vietnamese salute’, slightly flexing my wrist and raising my hand in an unambiguous, international symbol of “no” when my eye is caught by one of the Xe Taxi (Moto Scooter Taxi) or food vendors on the street, so too have I refined my road crossing skills to mimic that of those born here. I wade into the roadway seemingly oblivious to the traffic swirling around, however keeping a close eye to both sides of the road, and walk across keeping a predicable pace and route, adjusting to the speed of fast accelerating bikes weaving their way through and overtaking.



Ooh, What a Lovely Day!!!

0 comments

It started out perfectly ~ after far too long without running, I awoke feeling pretty good, and prepared to go out for a run (poetic licence in using the term, I admit) for the first time in far too long.

It took me a little while to find something to carry my key with me, and to get a satellite fix. I then did one lap of the little local lake (Truc Bac), delighting in the early morning activities of our fellow Ba Dinh neighbours. About half the way around the 2.5km lake, I ran into Bob running counter clockwise on the busy causeway between Truc Bac and the large Ho Tay (West Lake). We chatted for a while, pointing out the local 'cycling group' - old men, one with an old road bike with drop handle bars, each displaying a red pennant to indicate their group membership.

On starting again, it was a wonderful mix of humanity, and I got the biggest smile and wave from one of the ladies doing their morning exercises in a small compound on the peninsula in response to mine. Tempted as I was to continue, I reminded myself to hasten slowly at such things, and headed back to the apartment after one small lap. Don't do too much, too soon ducky!

A surprising and delightful phone call from Bob's sister preceded Bob and I wandering down to Pinochio cafe for our regular morning heart starter of Vietnamese coffee on ice, before he headed off around the southern shores of Ho Tay, witnessing a many local men fishing with great concentration on small platforms suspended on the water with bamboo poles and hand lines. We saw quite a few having much success, landing large fish (maybe 45cm long).

Threading our way through small lane ways swept spotlessly clean where people lived, worked and played on the street and overhead we soon made our way back to the ancient walls of the old village and the modern day cacophony of honking scooters and nasty cars. Soon enough we we nearing our intended destination, the Vietnamese Museum of Ethnography, built with assistance from the French government.

Guidebooks had indicated that it was good, but had not prepared us for how truly excellent it was to be. We spent a relatively brief time looking at the exhibits on the ground floor before retiring to the cafe - another set up to train disadvantaged youth - for much to drink (2 iced coffee and 2 large (1.5 litre) bottles of water), as well as a couple of lunchtime bowls of Bun Bo Hue, and an excellent Green Papaya Salad with small slices of dried beef.

We returned to the main exhibit, although did not progress far on the second floor before tiring. We aimed to have a 'quick look' at the outdoor exhibits, although did not realise how extensive, nor of what scale and quality, this was to be. We made only a cursory visit to the many houses and tombs, vowing to return properly next time - this time wearing sandals we could readily slip on and off to enter the exhibits.




Ba Dinh ramblings and wanderings

3 comments

Setting up the flat, resting (not enough!), and attempting to sort our technological challenges has been keeping me busy.

I really enjoy life here in Quan Thanh St in the Ba Đinh district of Hanoi, and haven’t been enjoying the forays down into the more touristy sections of the city nearly as much. We are becoming quite well known around here, after just over a week on floor 4, and the ladies selling flowers from their bikes on the roadside at the lake, the local eateries, and ‘our’ morning coffee spot (Pinocchio) all are coming to know us well and greet us in passing.

Most days we have seen some of the local sights – the 1,000 year old Temple of Literature, and Hoa Lo – the infamous ‘Hanoi Hilton’ established by the French colonialists to intern political prisoners, which was later used to detain US pilots, including John McCain, who were captured during bombing raids over North Vietnam.

Yesterday, I just failed to fire on enough cylinders to get a spark, and after our morning Ca Phe Đen Đa (Black Coffee, slightly sweetened and served cold on ice) at one of the dozens of café’s along the shore of the small lake – Truc Bac – adjacent to where we live, we wandered down a computer street in search of a new battery for my laptop, stopping at a friendly roadside barber for Bob to have a shave. The very friendly older guy – uncharacteristically wearing shorts – negotiated to a price of 25,000 đong ($1.80) for a close shave with a cut throat razor.

Although close to lunch time, I ended up turning on my heels and retracing my steps to head back to the flat for a rest. I had bought some instant noodles that morning at the local ‘FiviMart’ and made a small bowl before collapsing into a deep slumber for many hours. I have been surprised at the relative expense of instant noodles compared to street food; although small packets of local noodles may be bought for around 4,000 đong (28¢), many packets are over 12,000 đong (90¢) which is a similar price to a great big steaming bowl full of meat, vegetables and a fragrant broth. One packet of spicy noodles I know from Canberra sells in the local Coles supermarket for $1.18, and much less at the local Vietnamese grocer. Whilst these noodles are admittedly Thai, not Vietnamese, they sell for 14,000 đong (95¢) here.

Bob’s lunch was at our favourite little alley near the city’s main dry markets, where we have had a variety of “Com” (dishes with rice) & Pho (Noodle soup). On our last visit, we had a delicious Tomato Broth, and saw the lady making this as we left on our last visit. Bob really enjoyed his bowl and paid only 13,000 đong (90¢) for it. He finished this off with a drink of mixed fruits – lychees. Avocado, mango, dragon fruit, etc – with condensed milk and add your own shaved ice for 10,000 đong.

I wasn’t quite up to going out the dinner either, but Bob brought back some take-away Cuón – fresh rice paper rolls with warm beef and herbs with a dipping sauce.

It is my 44th Birthday tomorrow, and we are going to KoTo, the restaurant set up to teach street and disadvantaged kids hospitality in Hanoi.


0 comments

Aaah, my life in Hanoi!

OK, so my poor language skills mean that I can only count to six, (although I have ordering "2 iced black coffees" = "hai ca phe den da" - down pat ). It is wonderful living in this block, with all the ladies, young and old around to say hello (and marvel at the size of my backside).

While we seem to be running through cash at the moment, having bought a number of things for the flat, such as vases, flowers, rental of a motor scooter, a helmet for me (surprising photo of helmet will follow shortly), and so on.

We are also getting known around the 'hood. There have been quite a few changes in the last two years since we were here. Inflation has been running at close to 25% annually, which must be affecting a lot of people here drastically when coupled with the global food insecurity and rise in the price of rice.

In the main roundabout near Hoan Kiem Lake, where there used to be a prominent coffee house, is now gulp) a "Ran Ga Kentucky" - yep, a big KFC. There were none of these apparent when I was here last, but now the red and white KFC signs are all over.



Apartment 4, 134 Quan Thanh, Ba Dinh, Ha Noi!

0 comments

We have been exceedingly busy the last few days, ringing around realtor's for an apartment in Hanoi, visiting a couple out near the zoo (about 5.5km away by foot) who were looking for a cat and house sitter for a month while they went back to the states, and moving hotels in the midst of it all.

I'd highly recommend the small hotel we moved to - only for one night as it turned out, and the manager and owner of the hotel were keen to show us properties they thought we might be interested in renting when they learned that we were in the hotel for an indeterminate period until we found a place to live for a couple of months.

Although there was WiFi in their new hotel, they hadn't quite got around the gist of configuring it yet, so things were rather slow, and I had no access for a couple of days which was rather frustrating.

Yet now we are ensconced in our 'new' Hanoi abode, the fourth floor of a 13 floor, narrow building, off a main drag just out of the Old Quarter near the large 'Tay Ho' (West Lake) and smaller Truc Bac. After going down a narrow alley way with a couple of residences along the route, an area with thre caged white rabbits, one comes to the block (painted blue if you crane your head up at an impossible angle), where iron gates may be or not. A small courtyard has a counter, a tiled room where all sorts of living and sleeping goes on, an older lady may be sitting in a wheelchair, there is a plastic swing somewhere between an all American Porch Swing and a piece of child's play equipment, a fishtank of reasonable height and width, although barely deeper than a goldfish after a good feed.

We were to discover that the pocket hankerchief sized court yard was also a meeting place of some repute, used to mix, roll, and fry strips of delicious smelling dough.

We have a living room with a suite of comfortable, overstuffed but heavily brocaded and tassled (not my style) furniture; a 3 seater sized couch, a large arm chair and a very comfortable day bed type thing. They do take up too much room but that's OK. The reasonably sized 'Sharp' Branded fridge sits in the living room, alongside the TV. Good, large terracotta tiles are on the floors throughout. A kitchen with a good sink, a two burner gas stove and good quality white crockery, noodle bowls, rice bowls etc are next to a glass topped table with six rather galactic shaped red upholstered chairs. A small balcony and bathroom with a bath tub and washing machine and small bedroom, just big enough for a large bed and wardrobe make up one side of the flat.

A bathroom with a Vietneamese/Thai style shower, sink and toilet is an ensuite to a bedroom with an attached study area with large windows all around (4th floor = looking into neighbours and across roofs, but it is amazing that we do have windows of some description of all four walls of the flat).

I'm sure that we shall be very comfortable here - the landlady comes tomorrow for us to sign the lease!



Click for Hanoi, Viet Nam Forecast


About me

  • I'm Carolyne
  • From Canberra, Australia
  • I love to run! Staying in Weymouth, Dorset on the South West Coast of England until October. I'm 46, live in Canberra with Bob and have been running since 1990. This has been interrupted by long periods of illness, however I am extremely stubborn! I'll never be a fast runner, however I give it everything, and am slowly learning to read my body better and adjust my training and expectations accordingly. Or rather I would, if running were possible at the moment - I will retuyrn soon.
  • My profile

  • <>Vietname vs Brazil Olympic Football Friendly 8PM 1 aAugust 2008
  • A Hot time in the Old Town tonight
  • <>Trip to Nha Trang and Da Lat 4 August to  August 2008
  • Flights Booked
  • <>Scooter Trip to Ninh Binh  aAugust 2008
  • Planned
  • <>Trip to Cambodia and Siem Riep 17 August to 24 August 2008
  • Flights Booked & 2 Nights accomodation




  • Long Course Tri 2k/83k/20k 12 February 2006
  • Sri Chinmoy Long Course Tri 2.2k/80k/20k 6 March
  • Backpacking Laos & Vietnam 14 March to 26 April 2006
  • Thailand Temple Run 21k 19 March 2006





  • Customs 5k Fridays
  • BBQ Stakes  6k Wednesdays
  • Tour de Mountain 19k 18 December
  • 1:55:02 Results
  • Cross Country Summer Series 5k Tuesdays in November
  • Cool Runners Six Foot Track Slow Jog/Walk 46k 25-27 November
  • Wonderful!!
  • Sri Chimnoy Triple Tri Relay 20 November
  • 1:55:38 1:04:53 1:22:55 Results Report Photos
  • Tour de Femme 20k Fun Ride 13 November
  • 40:40ish
  • Bonshaw Cup 6.4k 16 November
  • 30:30ish
  • Hartley Lifecare Fun Run 5k 17 November
  • Belconnen Fun Run 6k 12 November
  • 28:38ish
  • Mt Majura Vineyard Two Peaks Classic 26k 5 November
  • Last! 3:08:00 Results Report
  • Wagga Tri-ants Duathlon 10k/40k/5k 30 October
  • Scratching
  • Bulls Head Challenge 27k 23 October
  • 2:20:49 Results
  • Weston Creek Fun Run 6k 16 October
  • 32:02 Results Results
  • Fitzroy Falls 42k & 10k 15 October
  • Results
  • Orroral Valley 20k 9 October
  • 1:52:44 Results
  • Sri Chinmoy 10k 3 October
  • 0:50:14 Results
  • Duathlon Championships 10k/40k/5k 23 September
  • 3:09:07 Results
  • Canberra Times 10k 18 September
  • 0:45:30 CR TE AM!
  • Sydney Marathon 11 September 3:47:13
  • ACTVAC Half Marathon 21.1k 28 August
  • Entered DNS
  • Black Mtn UpDown GutBuster 5.2k 16 August 0:33:38
  • Results
  • Mt Wilson to Bilpin Bush Run 35k 20 August 3:15:14
  • Results
  • City to Surf 14k 14 August 64:17
  • Bush Capital Mtn Runs 25k 30 July  
  • 2:17:09 Results
  • Shoalhaven King of the Mtn 32k 17 July
  • 2:53:15 Results
  • Sri Chinmoy Off Road Duathlon 3.3k/23k/7.7k 2 July 2:40:29
  • Results
  • Woodford to Glenbrook  25k 26 June DNF Injured Results
  • Terry Fox 10k 19 June 46:59
  • Results
  • Aust Mtn Running Champs9k 18 June 1:06:33
  • Results
  • ACTVAC Monthly Handicap 9k Farrer Ridge 29 May 0:46:05
  • ACT Mtn Running Champs  9k 28 May 1:06:50
  • Results
  • SMH Half Marathon 22 May 1:41:56 (1:40:50)
  • Results
  • ABS Fun Run 7.3k 19 May 0:34:45
  • Results
  • Canberra Half Marathon 15 May injured Results
  • Sri Chimnoy 10k 8 May 0:47:55
  • Results
  • Nail Can Hill Run  1 May 56:23
  • Results
  • Newcastle Duathlon  24 April 2:45:39.2
  • Results
  • Canberra Marathon  10 April 3:47:56
  • Results
  • Women & Girls 5k 3 April 22:53
  • Results
  • Sri Chimnoy 10k 28 March 47:56
  • Results
  • Weston Creek Half Marathon 13 March 1:43:23
  • Results
  • Sri Chimnoy Long Course Tri 6 March 5:30:35
  • Results
  • Hobart International Triathlon 20 February 2:52:05

  • Canberra Capital Triathlon 30 January 3:01:43
  • Results
  • Medibank Private Australia Day8k 26 January 38:39
  • Results
  • Lorne Pier to Pub Swim 1.2k 8 January 22:12
  • Results
  • Lorne Mountain to Surf 8k 7 January 0:37.56
  • Results



    moon phases

  • 5k 20:11 Cairns 2000
  • 10k 43:49 Moruya
  • City to Surf 1:02:57 2000
  • Half Marathon 1:33:50 Steamboat 2000
  • Marathon 3:47:56 Canberra 2005
    Chip Time (3:47:13) Sydney 2005



  • Kilometres Run
    January 212
    February 199
    March 214
    April 201
    May 188
    June 182
    July 255
    August 246
    September 155
    October 159
    November 200
    December 62
    Year to Date 2,267




    Last posts

  • New Blog Address
  • After having been largely blocked from posting on ...
  • Back in Canberra, Blogging Service (hopefully) Res...
  • Kama, Krama, Kramar Chameleon
  • Restaurant Review - Siem Reab
  • Back from Angkor Wat
  • Update
  • Notes from a Rainy Da Lat
  • Overnight Scoot to Tam Dao Hill Station
  • Viet Nam Plans


  • Days Sick
    January 10
    February 10
    March 10
    April 4
    May 7
    June 8
    July 9
    August 11
    September 11
    October 11
    November 9
    December Lots. ?15


    Distance Swum
    February 17,400m
    October 3,800m
    November 4,150m
    December .
    Distance Cycled
    November 120km
    December 297 km