Yep, that's the great thing about travel, how it exposes you to new cultures and traditions. Educational and all... y'know.
Last night expanding my horizons involved combining cards AND billiards, which must give me something like a use-two-sins, get-one-free option.
My friend Valerie and I took a 2-night trip out to Halong Bay, the second night of which we spent hanging out with our small tour group. Just up the street from our hotel was a local pool hall, by which I mean two small tables in an open-front concrete space, outfitted with a couple of swivel fans, a few stools, and -- because the 90F air temperature wasn't enough -- a small firepit with glowing-red coals, for boiling water. This was the segue point to a small kitchen (and small-child-bathing area) at the back of the room (imagine a garage with a workspace at the back, and you should have a pretty good idea of the atmosphere). The family that ran the pool hall also sold beverages out front... none of them cold, of course; wouldn't want to counteract the effect of the coals! Needless to say, it was a little warm in there.
But we were there to play pool, so we remained undaunted in the face of heat, humidity, and general stickiness. The first table was occupied, but a kid who appeared to be one of the owner's sons was alone on the second table (next to the coals, hurrah!) and stepped aside to let us take it. We were still standing around trying to decide whether to play Elimination with all 6 people at once (!) when our Vietnamese tour guide showed up. Since he made 7, he decided to teach us a form of Vietnamese pool that uses a deck of cards to determine which balls each person should try to pocket. It's pretty fun, and is probably better suited than any other pool variation I know to such a large group (although it would probably be better still with 5 or fewer). I happened to win all three games, more likely through luck than any particular prowess on my part -- but I had to mention it in a no-doubt-vain attempt to convince my pool captain that I've been "practicing" while I'm over here.
2 Comments
David Wishart
6/25/2008 02:43:22 am
photos of said place? Sounds great.
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lt in big c
6/27/2008 01:51:55 am
Sadly, my brain was a little too zonked from a hot, humid, activity-filled (cycling, kayaking, and swimming) day to think of taking a snapshot. You'll have to use your imagination...or if you find yourself on Cat Ba Island in Vietnam, I'll give you directions.
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