Today was set for orientation. So after breakfast and moving back to the other hotel, I set off to get the lay of the land. Big problem for a country boy in a foreign city of 4 million people. Disoriented was more likely. I did find Lenin Lake and have some pictures I’ll try to forward. Then I found a cyclo driver who gave me a one hour tour of the Old Quarter and delivered me back to the barn. I went out for another walk in the pm and felt more confident. I got back to the room at 1600 and decided to stretch out and enjoy the A/C. The next thing I knew, it was 0400 the next morning. I guess my body had some priorities from the dateline crossing. Although amid the noises of a busy city, I slept deep.
The people have been so welcoming. Not just congenial, but also gentle. The young are enthusiastic, but it’s with my age and older that’s been the most surprising. There’s been like an unspoken communication when our eyes meet or we sit together quietly on a bench. A feeling of tired resignation and respect. You can almost hear us sigh.