robertrankin.org

Just after Tet, I was riding around Hanoi on a motorbike, and came upon some performances set up on the street. Well, on huge stages which had been constructed on the street.

The roller skating acrobatics:

The Singer (more interesting for the shots of the crowd than for the actual music)

One Grand Adventure
(Or Rob’s report card)

Okaaay… This little verse will take 5-10 minutes to read
At the end you may visit the “happy house” if you feel the need

We, as a group, wish to express our sincere appreciation
You have attended to our needs for the past 21 days with dedication

Born in the year of the snake, and still in your youth
You shepherded us north to south, a group quite long in the tooth

Our start together at the Wild Rice Cafe was a little shaky
Your knees that night might have been somewhat quaky

But you got us all sorted out by the following morning
Took us off to Halong Bay and conducted a maritime rescue with no warning

Very early we learned to trust in your leadership skills
Especially when it was time for our tummies to be filled

We explored caves, markets, temples and villages galore
When we thought we’d seen it all, you still found more

You accommodated the needs of each member of the group
Diets, pictures, trains, special options and quizzes became part of the soup

Sometimes one of our band would feel a desire to linger
You’d have us back in line with a crook of your finger

You worked with three local guides, each with a different style
You accommodated them, too, with grace and your trademark smile

Our unceasing questions were treated as if each one was new
That’s something I’d really like to learn how to do

You seem to have friends wherever you go
And we benefited both from what and who you know

You have been heard on occassion to say
“This job has good and not so good days - this is a pretty good day”

But I’m sure when it came time to deal with the Palace Hotel
You might have a different quote: “some days this job is hell”

So now the time has come for us to part ways
And you’re start back in Hanoi with a new group in a few days

You can tell them from us you are highly recommended
They can rest assured that with you their comforts will be well attended

And as we take with us many fond memories of our Grand Adventure
Know that you’re welcome to visit any of us should you choose to in the future

March 13 ‘07

Rob:
This poem was written by one of my passengers and presented to me at our farewell dinner. Sweet isn’t it?

When we started, I had to deal with pax who were ready to quit the tour because the office screwed so many things up, like selling them last year’s itinerary instead of this years.

The maritime rescue on Halong Bay was a rescue by me of two pax whose kayak had sprung a leak. With my kayak, I towed them to safety at a nearby boat, then ferried them back to our big boat which was anchored a few hundred meters away.

The Palace Hotel has a disco on the first floor. When I checked in my group, we were given rooms on the 2nd floor. The floor and walls shake because of the bumping music below. Not so much fun to manage… the cranky pax and the hotel staff.