Trip to Vietnam - Hanoi with SICC - Jan 2017

I was scheduled to visit Tony Parnell in Ho Chi Minh (HCM) and already en-route via Thailand, when I learned from Kelvin that a group of golfers from the Singapore Island Country Club (SICC) were headed to Hanoi, and the guys were very sporting and hospitable, allowing me to 'tompang" and join their boys trip, accompanied by Nory (to look after me) for as any one who knows and or has had the misfortune of having to travel with me, know that I am useless on my own...

The SICC boys flew in from Singapore and we flew up from HCM to join them, the 13 of us stayed at the Fortuna Hotel which I believe is owned by a Singaporean, it had a casino that was the only area was in the public areas in the hotel where smoking was allowed, as well as in the Boss KTV lounge in the basement, as I was reliably informed.. didn't go (as Nory was with me) but also I couldn't really see the point of paying handsomely for the privilege of having a pigeon English conversation 

Although not one who enjoys going to casinos, given the alternative of loitering outside the hotel after breakfast to have a smoke, while waiting for the guys to assemble each morning... I chose instead to sit and smoke, drinking coffee and absentmindedly playing on the automated roulette table, to our great surprise I would normally win about US$ 10 each morning, enough to tip the waiters and bringing me coffee, so or me, and a great way to start the day...

They took me to a barbershop where I had my first and lat experiencing of having my ears cleaned and waxed, I still shudder at the idea of a complete stranger armed with very sharp implements pocking around in ones ear.....

The 12 of us played 3 very nice courses, which  included the  Sky Lake GC, XXXX and the Long Bien GC.... the weather was a bit cold at the start of the each day but was more enjoyable after the sun came us and we had warmed up... 

Kelvin and Francis very kindly taught me a few new gambling games, thankfully for smaller than their normal stakes (so I could just afford the daily school fees)...