Arrived

OK, so I'm in Vietnam. Arrived here in Hue City last night (i.e. Friday morning in eastern North America). Remarkably, it was an uneventful trip - no delays or lost luggage. The 15.5-hour flight to Hong Kong was grueling, but at least I had a bulkhead seat and was able to prop my legs up, so I was far better off than most. The plane was really nice (a Boeing 777), though there's never much to do during these flights other than eat, sleep and watch movies. I got through four (The Other Boleyn Girl, 27 Dresses, Shine a Light, and Charlie Wilson's War), plus a few TV shows.

Friends of ours from the university in Hue - two women who've come to Dal to study under the aegis of our project - met us at the airport on arrival, with bouquets and much fanfare (which was lovely, but a little embarassing). The hotel is quite nice - better than the one we stay at in Hanoi - and it was a relief to finally get some sleep last night, after having been on the go for about 32 hours since starting the journey on Thursday.

Today is about rest and practicalities. We got ourselves sorted out with wireless connections this morning, and in a little while we will be taken to the bank to get some currency. Tonight, we've been invited for dinner at the home of one of the project leaders here, which I'm sure will be very nice.

Oh, and the weather? Argh. It's 9am right now, I'm sitting in an air-conditioned hotel lobby, and I'm already a little sweaty. We can expect temperatures in the high 30s this week, with very high humidity. Gah.