Boom bang-a-bang

Bosch meets Dante! Bloody hell, it's fun being back in Asia but it's [expletive-deleted] mental. For the record, there has never been a better argument for the existence of divine intervention than Hanoi traffic: I challenge Dawkins to come up with any better explanation of how 200 moped riders can converge from 18 different directions at 50 mph on the same road junction and not be splattered from here to kingdom come. As it is I've yet to see a single accident, hallelujah.
It's certainly a significant gear change up from sun-doped Darwin - last few days there were spent in the heat and humidity of Kakadu National Park, drinking in views of a tropically soaked forest, swimming in rock pools, liking-look-of-but-probably-failing-to-adequately-comprehend Aboriginal art and quietly thanking any available deity that I wasn't within range of the crocs, followed by a pretty tearful airport farewell to a certain young lady. She's a beaut and I hope she knows it.
Last 3 days have been spent overcoming Delhi Belly (hold the front page: dodgy streetside mussels not a good idea), rejoicing in Asian prices and seeing the odd Ho Chi Minh-related attraction (at this early stage my favourite Communist leader, certainly much jollier than Brezhnev; also benefits from similarity to numerous drunken-master style Bruce Lee movie badasses). I've got another couple of days of dodging the traffic, the booksellers and the smack dealers here and hopefully fitting some sights in besides, then on to freezing, spectrally beautiful Sapa in the north-west. Wish me luck, the odds of catastrophe have just narrowed again...

Infatuation

The plan was something like this: be in Broome by now, head a few thousand k's down the Western Australian coast to Perth visiting a few parks and sipping a few Margaritas at various beaches along the way. The plan now: hang around Darwin spending every moment I'm permitted with the funky, fresh and gorgeous Miss Tiyan Baker before my visa runs out and I take what surely has to be one of the longest-winded routes from Darwin to Hanoi ever attempted (Darwin-Melbourne-Perth-Kuala Lumpur-Hanoi, 2 days, no sleep). We met on Friday, had half the weekend together, this week she's away mango-picking and I have to endure another five days' frustration until she gets back. Got no money 'til the tax refund (please God) comes through; slowly running out of stuff to do in Darwin that doesn't cost more than I have; the monsoon's started and the mozzies are feasting on Pomflesh (they must think it's Christmas, I'm scratching more than a flea-ridden street mutt); most days are spent in alcoholic contemplation of thunderstorms. Yet, with her to look forward to, I'm happy. So what if it can't go anywhere? As a friend succinctly put it, why would you turn down romance? 'One crowded hour of glorious life is worth an age without a name'