Anton Swanepoel's Blog

Start of trip || < || >

For details of the places I visited in Vietnam along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, with GPS Coordinates, see my book Vietnam Caves.

For details on motorbiking in Vietnam and Cambodia, from buying and selling a motorbike, to border crossing, see my book Motorbiking Cambodia & Vietnam.

 

This day actually begins at 9pm the previous evening. But who is counting? 🙂

It has been an adventure for me, with a lot of new experiences, and a new perspective on life. Due to many of the things that happened to me, I have managed to amass a load of information for my book. And maybe future books.

I decide to pay the extra $1 for a taxi car, rather than trying to balance both my backpacks on the back of a scooter taxi zipping trough traffic. I am dropped off just outside the bus station, and have no idea where to go. (like normal)

Hanoi train station. Picture is from when I put my bike on the train a few days back.

Within seconds, a friendly Vietnamese guy comes up to me and asks for my ticket. I show him my ticket, and he grabs my big bag and shouts over his shoulder, “come come”. I basically run after him. My train is not to depart until 11pm, and it is just after 9, but it seems i am late already by the speed this guy is going.

He leads my down a hallway, past toilets that i know i will not visit unless i risk peeing in my pants, then to a waiting area. Honestly, I could not believe that this is the waiting area for Vietnam’s Capital. (I was even more shocked when I later saw Saigon’s waiting area, as that one is really cool.) Tip, take the train up, not down, as the waiting area in Saigon is far better. 🙂

For Vietnam’s capital, this is a sorry excuse for a train station. Feels like a police station.

Doors leading to the platform.

The guy then looks around, and select a seat under a huge fan for me, so cool. He then tells me “wait, 10:40” while showing me to sit down like one do a dog. I felt like rolling over and having my belly scratched.

The waiting area has a small snack shop, and I decide that I will get some snacks just before I need to board the train. As the waiting area is filling up, I do not want to get up and lose my seat at the fan. There are 3 large doors, leading to the same platform, of which only one set is open. No need really to have the others open.

Snack shop at Hanoi train station.

30 minutes after sitting down, another guy comes to me and ask me for my ticket. I show him my ticket, and he moves me a few rows up, directly across the door that is on my ticket, that is not used! There goes my fan. Soon two other backpackers are ushered in by the guy that helped me first, and are seated way across the room. He tells them the same story, “wait, 10:40”, then he sees me and comes over to me, tell me “wait, 10:40”, then puts his hand on my shoulder. I am not sure if i should laugh or cry, so i just smile.

The time flies, and we watch some tv on a large monitor across the hall. It is 10:15pm now, and i am starting to need the toilet. I decide that i will chance the toilet, then head over to the snack shop to get provisions for the 32 hours on the train. “Come come.” I guy yells behind me, and then someone grabs my large bag. I see it is the second guy that moved me to this seat. “Ticket ticket!” he yells as he motors off towards, jup, the still only open door that i was seated across from earlier. I grab my other stuff, and make after him. Catching up to him on the platform, I hand over my ticket, and then he guns for the second last carriage, no 11. I want to take pictures, but there is no time, what happened to 10:40?

I manage to see a glimpse of him disappearing into the train, and hurry along. By the time i make it onto the train, he has already found my bunk, stowed my bag under it, and is now dragging me to it. He hands my ticket over, shows me my bunk bed number against the wall, the number on the ticket, and then holds out his hand. huh, o, tip time. No formalities here, just to the point. I have no idea what to give him, and hand him a 50K vnd (about $2 or so). The guy is very unhappy, so i ask him how much. He exclaims 100k. I do not have another 50K, so i give him the 100K I have, and ask for the 50K back. The guy is so shocked, that he cannot speak or move, so i just take my 50K back myself. Now he is really shell shocked that i would dare ask him for change on tipping him, he spins around and rushes off, trying to get to more backpackers before anyone else can, aaa, so that is why we rushed.

I lay down on my bed, and look at my jail cell for the next 32 hours, good practice for just in case.

Soon I am joined by 3 Vietnamese guys, one with a little kid that turned out to be a pleasure to ride with.

 

My bed, bottom left.

Little kid, happy as can be.

By this time I desperately need the toilet, but do not want to take all my bags with. I have red people say take your stuff with if you leave the cabin, but I think that is over reacting. I just take my wallet with, and go visit the jail toilet. (It depends on who is in the cabin with you.)

What can one say, it works.
To get to the top bunk, you fold down foot steps along the door, then make like Spider-Man.

Being tired, I try to sleep, but only manage to fall asleep at about 1am or so. Just after 5am, i am awakened by the train conductor asking if i want breakfast, chicken noodle. I am like yeh, he is like 15K. O, not all included then, here you go.

The kid’s father gives me a kind of twinkly, and a small packet that have fudge like sweets in, cool.

Breakfast comes at about 7, and is soup.

The stringy bits I think are chicken.

Looks better after you stirred it.

Well, at least it is something. Then a guy comes along, pushing a cart, selling coffee, tea, cold drinks, and caramel popcorn. I became a regular customer ha ha ha.

The guy ran out of popcorn the next day, ha ha ha

Caramel popcorn and coffee, I am saved

Outside each door, is a box saying emergency tools, I had to look.


I am not sure if this is for escaping the train in case of a fire, or for if you cannot sleep because your jail buddies snore.

As the miles fly by, I try to write as much as I can. Take as many pictures of the countryside that looks cool, and amuse the kid with the map application on my iPad, linked to the GPS device, that allows me to show him exactly where we are. He goes through all the names of the towns we are passing, having a blast.

A few hours into the trip, one of the other two Vietnamese guys gets off. The conducted waists no time. He basically drags the guy off the bunk, and then rips the blankets off and throws a new set on the bed, not making it. The train stops for such a short time, that i do not even have time to take pictures. Looking out the window, I realize that this guy was the only one getting off at this station, and the train almost missed the stop, ha ha ha.

Time flies by, in ultra slow motion. The ride is not as scenic as taking the mountain road with a bike, but i still manage to get a few good shots on the trip. Lunch and dinner comes and goes, being chicken and rice.

Lunch. The small plastic bag is soup. Trains, airplanes and jails, I think they have the same caterer.

Dinner is the same as lunch, one drumstick, some rice, and soup. (and popcorn). There was a lady that passed us pushing a trolly, selling extra pieces of chicken, and spring rolls. The whole meal cost 45K ($2) So at dinner i decide i am going to have an extra piece of chicken, and point to it. The lady grabs a polystyrene plate, and throws a chicken piece and two spring rolls on it, dump some red source over it, and go, 40K. The speed that she did it with, took me totally by surprise, man that is selling. So i cough up. (Tip, in Asia, if it looks red, it is probably not catchup).

I dig in, and start sweating even though the aircon is going full blast. Then my nose starts running, by eyes starts watering. My mouth goes numb and my taste buds are scorched for life. I start to struggle to breathe, and beg for the guy with the trolly full of drinks. By this time, I am not sure if it is sweat or tears running down my cheeks. And i may be drooling, but since i cannot feel my lips anymore, there is no telling. Somehow, i just managed to swallow a dragon, and it is breathing fire in my mouth.

Finally the guy with the drinks show up, and i buy two ice tea drinks. They cost around 15K each, and i give him 100K. I down one drink in the time he manages to get my change, then grab the change, not caring if it is correct, as i open the second bottle. I think he sensed i was in need, for about 10 minutes later he comes around again, and i get some more drinks.

After drowning the dragon, (who needs a sword and shield), i try to get some sleep, but it is hard going.

Almost every time I venture out of my prison cell, I see this dude down the passage. He reminds me of an undercover spy.

Soon we stop at yet another station, and the second Vietnamese guy gets off. This time, the conductor just shakes him awake, then starts pulling the blankets out from under him as the guy is struggling to get off the bed. This must be normal, as no one says anything or seems to be fazed by it. Then, at another station, a young couple gets on, and gets in the cabin next to me. They are traveling to Hoi An, the old coastal town I stayed two days in on my ride up.

The closer we get to Hoi An, the more they ask the conductor when we are going to be there. He keeps updating the time for them, saying in how many hours, and then later minutes we will stop at the station, yet they cannot put it together to realize the exact time we will stop. They also keeps asking him when the train will be in Hoi An, apparently not realizing that even though the ticket you book says Hoi An, the train actually does not stop there but in Da Nang, a one hour bus ride away. I only smile as i think about the shock they will be in, realizing that they have to book another bus, or take a taxi to where they thought they booked a train ticket to.

Night soon falls, and I try to sleep some more. At one point, we stop at a station for about 10 min, and i drag myself out of bed to the toilet. The guy and his kid are asleep, so i close the door, taking only my wallet with. (threw my blanket over my iPad.) The bathroom window is pulled down (for the smell), and as i look outside, people are trying to sell me stuff while i am on the toilet. So i pull the window up and close it. (my ass does not stink, it smells like roses.) After relieving myself, i make my way back to my cabin, only to find the door open and an old lady inside. The guy and his kid is gone.

Immediately i check my backpack for my iPad and other stuff, but she cares less and tries to sell me stuff. She actually came onto the train seeing me in the toilet and searched for me to sell me sunglasses (at night) and bread rolls. Nothing is gone, so i sling the backpack over my shoulder and leave the cabin, closing the door, then head outside to get some fresh air. Here i find the guy and his kid, also getting some fresh air. (Note, if the train stops, take your stuff with you if you go to the toiler, or rather wait.)

Shops selling you stuff, even if you are on the loo. Imagine sitting on the toilet, and someone tries sticking a bread roll through the window to sell to you.

Soon we are off again, and i try to get some more sleep, but it is hard. Another couple gets on the train, this time in our cabin. They are also going to Saigon. I pass out, and get some rest. Morning comes, and I await breakfast, yet it never comes.

I snap some pictures. Along the way we pass some bikers and I wave to them. They return the wave and invite me to join then. I wish I could mate.

 

Due to the train going down, it takes 32 hours and not 36, so there is no time for breakfast. I check my iPad, and when we are about 15 minutes away, i pack my stuff up, and get ready. They guy and his kid have been ready for the past half hour, and so to most of the other people on the train, many waiting in the walkway.

As i check that all my stuff is there, i reach over to the top bunk across from me, and awake the girl and tell her that we will soon be in Saigon. She just rolls over, then sleep a bit longer. Eventually she gets up as her partner gets up. We are now about 5 min from the station, and they get their toothbrushes out to go and freshen up. I laugh as i head out of the cabin, the train already coming to a stop. They may find their stuff piled in the walkway when they come back from the washroom.

As i am only 2 1/2 km from the hotel i stayed in when i arrived in Saigon, i decide to walk to it, and work the popcorn off i ate on the train. My motorbike is suppose to arrive today as well, but i decide i will go to the station myself tomorrow, even though they said they will call when it is ready. I do not really trust that calling part.

Saigon train station

As i pass by the train, I notice the engine bay is open.

Now this is what the Vietnam’s capital train station should look like.

 

Start of trip || < || >

For details of the places I visited in Vietnam along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, with GPS Coordinates, see my book Vietnam Caves.

For details on motorbiking in Vietnam and Cambodia, from buying and selling a motorbike, to border crossing, see my book Motorbiking Cambodia & Vietnam.

 

My last day in Hanoi today, and the last day of my 3 day tour. Today I go to the Perfumed Pagoda, the tour I have been looking forward to the most.

Information from wikipedia.
“The Huong Pagoda (English: Perfume Pagoda) is a vast complex of Buddhist temples and shrines built into the limestone Huong Tich mountains. It draws large numbers of pilgrims each year, and can be seen as the Vietnamese Mecca. The centre of the Huong Temple lies in Huong Son Commune, Mỹ Đức District, former Hà Tây Province (now Hanoi). The centre of this complex is the Perfume Temple, also known as Chua Trong (Inner Temple), located in Huong Tich Cave.

It is thought that the first temple was a small structure on the current site of Thien Tru which existed during the reign of Lê Thánh Tông in the 15th century. Legend claims that the site was discovered over 2000 years ago by a monk meditating in the area, who named the site after a Tibetan mountain where Lord Buddha practiced asceticism.”

Today, again there is no bath water. But no worries, as today is Ho Chi Min’s birthday. I do the wash basin shower again. Go down, get breakfast, then checkout. Then wait, and wait and wait. I ask the reception when the bus is coming as now it is 8:30. They assure me that the bus is coming. By this time, every other tourist in the lounge have been picked up already.

By 8:40 a guy strolls in and says he is here to pick me up, phew. We get on a small 16 seater transit van. Man, dive operators should get a van like this.

 

Nice van

We are only 7 people on the tour, thus the tour company is using a small van. So like normal as we drive along, the tour guide tells is the daily schedule, and he is telling me we are going were I went yesterday.

I am like, crap, I am in the wrong bus. So I go, are we going to the Perfume Pagoda, or Ha Long Bay? The guide stops for a moment, grabs his schedule, finds my name on the list, looks around for other papers, now a bit confused. Then he goes, “o, sorry, you not on this tour.” (Him struggling to speak english does not help). Then he goes, “you go other bus. 6 people on tour, but you only one go Perfume Pagoda, so we stop half way, you get on other bus follow other tour guide.” Mmmm, interesting.

The miles fly by, and then we arrive at out half way point. This is the same place with the western toilet. As soon as I step off the bus, I am informed that my other bus is already waiting, so I have no time to grab a snack. I rush to the toilet, and thus time swing the door open with speed, almost knocking another guy where it counts. In nano seconds I am out again, (men are so proficient when it comes to going to the toilet), and I rush to my new guide and bus. This bus is not as nice as the one I had been on, being more like the normal dive bus. I sit and wonder if I got my tetanus shot. We are waiting for one more guest, and then and lady gets in the bus and sits on the seat opposite me at the back.

As she sits down I go, hello. She gives me a quick glance then nervously says hello. I grab the opportunity and go. Wow, you have been ignoring me the whole time, you have not even seen me here. Her only reply is a nervous laughter, and shifting further away from me, ha ha ha. I feel like one of those ninja traffic cops, I just appear out of thin air. 🙂

Not so nice van.

The ride is rough as we take small roads to get to the place. the busses suspension is also shot, so it is a bone rattling ride. Finally we arrive at a small stop. There are some toilets, and a small snack shop, but that is it. It is hard to imagine, that once a year, about 1 million people come here in the space of a week to pray at the temple. We walk over the road to steps that lead into the water, where we wait for boats to return from the temple complex to take us upriver.

In the van in the seats in front of me, was a young couple. During the trip I managed to get more and more agitated by them, and realized just why I like to avoid tour groups.

As we walk across the road, the girl opens a water bottle, and just throws the plastic seal wrapper on the ground. No care that she is in someone else’s country. The guy is a chain smoker, and cannot go 5 minutes without a cigarette. He also just throws the cigarette buts on the ground, no care in the world. It would only get worse. For as they walk and eat, things just gets thrown on the ground, even ice cream sticks. Neither of them can walk 20 steps to a trash can, nor does he care where he is or who is around him, he just lights up and smokes.

It takes balance to put an umbrella up in one of these boats.

Since there are only 6 of us in this tour, plus the guide, we all get into the same boat.

Now, these are low lying skiffs, and the boat’s rim is only a few inches above the water line. The slightest movement from anyone, and the thing threatens to tip over. No matter how many time the guide asks only one person move at a time, get in and out of the boat at a time, no, everyone wants to get in and out at the same time. Also, the couple care less about anyone else, and they guy insist on hanging over the edge of the boat at times to get a prize winning picture. I am forced to constantly counter his movements, to stop the boat taking on water or tipping over.

Anyone that have been in small aluminum skiffs will know, that once one side dips in the water, and water streams in, if you are no quick to throw your weight to the other side, the weight of the water rushing in will dip the edge even deeper in the water, and into the drink you go. I feared the whole trip there and back for my gear getting wet.

Then the guy sees boats selling stuff on the other side of him, and insist that he and his girlfriend switch places on the boat so that he can get a better shot. No, she cannot take a picture and no he cannot take a picture past her. If it was not for the fact that i threw my weight over the edge of the boat to counter their movement, we would have tipped over. Dumb twats.

The view however is nice, but not as nice as yesterday. This time the rowers use their arms and not their feet. A small skiff with one guy in, comes by, rowing short hand. Check out a video here.

Just in case your guide is lost, sign posts along the water to where what is.

The river was smaller years ago, and with its widening, craves that were dug along the river years ago, are now either in the water or washed away.

There are three ladies from Australia in the group, and I am sorry to say that they disgrace Australia by constantly complaining about the heat and sun. It really was not that hot. At one point one pulls out her smart phone and exclaims, aahh, there is no internet. O dear.

Finally we arrive at our end point. You can see the line of where boats would be moored up every year in the big festival. For about a month, things get busy, with the one week being the top time to avoid this place. Then most of the shops close down until next year.

Just imagine hundreds of boats moored along the shore, with thousands of people lining up.

This times hundreds

After mooring up, we pass a few shops that are still open. A lady wants to give me crabs.

After passing what is now a closed ticket office, we head past a few shops and eating places.

One of the ladies in our group says she cannot go further, and we leave her at a restaurant where we will come back to to have lunch.

Leaving one of the group behind to hold the Ford while we take the Chev :-).

We head up a few steps to were we find pagodas, some big, some small and build into the rock face. Check out the pictures.

Even monks have smart phones these days, da times are changing man.

After looking around a bit, we head back down to have lunch. This time there is no squid but there rest of the lunch is basically the same as the past two days. With a bowl of rice and heat seems like either goat of pork meat, that we all share from. I a not one for chopstick crossing with strangers, so I just grab a bowl you are supposed to put sauce in, and load it with rice and meat. I think I offended a number of people sitting around the table, but I could not care two hoots at that point. For people would lick and slurp they chopsticks, pick up a piece if meat, drop it by accident or decide the do not want it, then drop it back in the plate and fish for a better one.

Soon it is toilet time, and yes, these are those squatting ones. The ladies complain for how are they supposed to go. Same as the men, and the local ladies, squat baby squat. 🙂

We decide we are all going to fork out the 140K vnd for a return cable car ride that takes 6 minutes one way, as the alternative is a 2 hour walk up the mountain one way. The cable cars are small cars, that just slows down and you have to jump in or out at the ends it stay out. Check out a short video here.

On the way to the cable car station, we pass a number of shops selling all kinds of stuff, including fake guns, they love their guns here. Also, many herbs and spices that I have no idea what they are.

However, a few things got my blood boiling, see pictures below. Locals would catch small monkeys, lizards, and birds, then cage them. They then play on tourists feelings, and sell the animals to the tourist for the right to set the animal free. Once the tourist have paid to free the animal, and the animal is released, they are soon captured again and then placed in cages until the next tourist pays to set them free.

Catching animals, selling them to tourist to release, then catching them again. So wrong.

We make our way up some more stairs to the cable cars, where you have to jump in while they are moving. Get your butt moving moving baby. see a short video here.

Then we arrive at even more stairs, that apparently takes hours to move a flight of steps at festival times, then it is down to the caves and temples inside the cave.

Water is caught in bowls as it is sacred.

Then it is time to head back, and wait for the cable car operator to return from lunch. ha ha ha, no kidding, he only puts the system on when everyone from all the groups that wants to use the cars are there. Save on electricity.

Back down eventually we go, and pass the restaurant were we had lunch. Here we rest a bit, and i notice a tank with some strange stuff in.

On the boat ride back, we pass a guy with a makeshift hat.

And i get my ducks in a row.

The ride in the bus is bone rattling as there is no shocks and the roads are not the best. But, I survive. I am a survivor (song).

The hotel i am in have no restaurant so i go to a small restaurant, called Gecko. 🙂 They have tea for 15K, or a hole pot of tea for 20K. I decide i am going to be smart and order a whole pot. mmmm, not that big a pot, and the cup is actually used for rice wine.

it is now just after 8, and i make my way back to my hotel to pick up my bag i left there. Then it is off to the train station, to catch my train down to Saigon. 32 hours in a small 4 bed room, good practice for jail time ha ha ha.

Start of trip || < || >

For details of the places I visited in Vietnam along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, with GPS Coordinates, see my book Vietnam Caves.

For details on motorbiking in Vietnam and Cambodia, from buying and selling a motorbike, to border crossing, see my book Motorbiking Cambodia & Vietnam.

 

Yesterday’s long bus ride, did me in a bit, and although I had all the intention to update my blog last night, the sand man had other plans. This morning there is warm water, and now knowing that my hotel is the last on the pickup list, I have a nice relaxing bath, then go down and have breakfast at a slow pace while writing yesterday’s blog. I sit and wait, seeing the time drag by. By 8:20 I frown a bit, and then a guy on a scooter shows up and comes to talk to the reception. They inform me that the bus we are going with, is to big to negotiate the narrow streets my hotel is in, and so they send a guy to pick me up.

I ask if I should go get my helmet, and the reply is no no no, no extra charge. Mmmmm. So I hop onto the back of the bike, and crack myself up. The guy has one of those girly helmets on, that has a hole cut into the helmet for a pony tail. It takes all the strength I have, not to tickle his head through the hole.

My pickup.

Soon we get to the tour company, and yes, it is a large bus. Actually a sleeper bus with reclining seats, and they are filming a promotion.

Our bus.

Film crew taking video and pictures.

Eye candy. But do not expect to see them on your travels, as they were only there for the pictures.

Inside view of the bus.

The company director decided he is going to change his tours and not have the small busses that other companies have, but a large bus. So he hired people to cover the whole trip. I find out that others have been on a few days trip already, and I am just joining in for the day. I also meet some of the people that was with me on the trip to Ha Long Bay.

With the bus being so comfy, we are at the half point before you know it. We are dropped off like normal at a tourist trap. The toilets are at the back, and the men’s toilet have a half sway door like those they have in old western movies.

Creeeee, the springs complain as I push the door open, I can hear the spurs on my boots spin. Everyone inside stops as I enter. I adjust my gun, and walk in while scanning the hostile area with Clint Eastwood eyes. Everyone looks away, afraid, the flies fall off the wall………actually no one gives a damn and someone just farted, killing 10 flies. I go find a uranyl.

Done, I go find a snack. While eating, another tourist from another tour company have an argument with his tour guide. Lunch is included in these tours when they provide it, but when you stop at the rest stop, whatever you buy is not. This guy being arrogant, went to town on ordering food with his girlfriend. He is now expecting the tour guide to pay the bill. He probably thought he is going to get every sent out of the tour he can. With his arrogance, trying to screw the tour company over, he is now left with the big bill.

Eating area.

I finish my snack, and go walk around. There are people doing needle work, you can see a short video here.

Then it is back on the bus, to our first stop. This is where the first king of Vietnam made his capital. Once the general won the war with China, a kind brought the people together. The general led the people for 8 years, where he fell ill and died. This brought the country into civil war for 25 years, until one dynasty won, and he became kind. He ruled for 12 years before he was poisoned with his eldest son. His wife decided that his youngest sun of 6 is not old enough, and gave power over to another dynasty, and married the new kind.

The two temples are for the two kings, each having their own temple, depicting two different dynasties of Vietnam. The third dynasty of Vietnam moved the capital to Hanoi.

After visiting the temples, we go to a restaurant for lunch. Here we have Buffett, with goat meat on the menu. Not that much different from chicken, ha ha ha.

Then, it is off for a river ride. This time we get two in a boat, and here, they row the boats with their feet. Check out a short video here.

We wind our way through the limestone formations, and I cannot help but feel as if I am in a Lord Of The Rings movie. It is absolutely spectacular.

People rowing next to you taking pictures of you, then selling it to you at the end of the trip, all laminated.

Selling while you go.

There is no cave here, and we just turn around at the end, where we are haggled by sellers trying to sell us stuff. It was funny, for we passed them going under the last overhang, and not one tried to sell us something. I though that maybe they can see we are not going to buy anything. But then we turn around and they block the exit, pull their boats against ours, and the selling starts. Myself and the guy behind me eventually got tired of it, and only after we sternly told our boat rower to go, did she go. The sellers were very upset with her for rowing away, before we bought anything.

When we almost got back to shore, the lady started asking for tips. As soon as we got on shore, my boat companion made off. I had 50K in my pocket that I intended to buy dinner with ($2.5), so I gave her that.

Further on, the people we saw earlier taking pictures of us, had our pictures ready, all laminated. We were already told by the tour guy that a fair price is 10K, so when they tried to get 20K from me, I refused and only offer 10K until they accepted. I have learned from previous experience, that months or years later, you regret not spending that $1 for that picture, so now I buy them.

We wait for some of the other people that went for a short (40 min) bicycle ride, then it is back on the bus. The seats are basically a bed, and I easily fall asleep for 2 hours.

Tomorrow I have a long day ahead of me. I am going on my last tour, coming back late the evening after being out all day, then jumping on a train just before midnight, for a 32 hour train ride. I think I am going to be very glad I paid the extra $30 for a soft bed in a 4 bed couch. In the back of my mind, I have 4 books milling around wanting to come out.