After all the bed news yesterday, among which belong quite a few reports from China that there is again many problems getting motorbikes in, including having to have a state appointed guide with you all the way for USD150 per day, I wasn’t even sure anymore that I wanted to ride through Vietnam now only to find out that similar problems are waiting for me in big China. I am a fighter however and I just can’t give up while I still have one bullet left in my gun. This bullet was the place that issued my refusal letter. Feeling like it or not I had to go and try. My mind would not let me not to. So I did. I hired a moto-taxi again and off we were for beforehand agreed 6000 Dong to this place.

When we arrived I immediately realized that this was the place that I was trying to get 3 times into previously, but couldn’t get through the guards at the entry gate. This time I had a letter from them though! When they read it they took me in and after another officer from the office next to which they sat me read it too he simply said “no!”. I insisted that I wanted to speak with somebody who speaks English. He didn’t say anything more and disappeared in his office. I wasn’t sure if he understood and was now doing something for me or if he just decided to ignore me. I waited regardless as I had whole day as my bus to the border is leaving in the morning only so the next one is tomorrow.

In about 15 minutes he walked around me and when I looked at him he nodded that he knew about me and gestured subtly to wait some more. Few minutes after that another officer arrived to the hall with leather lounge set I was sitting on and after talking to the first officer he sat next to me. I showed him the letter and he said “no” too. I replied that I knew it was saying no but that I wanted to discuss it. He obviously didn’t understand English either, but he opened the folder he brought with him and showed me the original of the letter I was showing to him. “Wow, so they do know about me here too.” I was surprised a bit. I smiled at him expressing that I was happy he had my papers there. Now I tried to explain slowly that I wanted to discuss the letter in English with somebody. They told me to wait. This guy waited there with me and in another 20 minutes another policeman arrived who, in a very slow and broken language, told me that I would be able to discuss the letter with their boss. However, the bos was busy today but I can come tomorrow morning at 8 o’clock and bring my travel plan with me as well as an interpreter to translate for us. I had to confirm a few parts of what I though he was saying to make sure that I understood correctly and it seemed I did. Wow, so now I’m finally getting to the person I have been trying to talk to directly for the whole past two weeks!

As I walked out of the door of the police headquarters I was thinking that I suddenly wasn’t even sure I wanted to see anybody else and even get the permission as the Chinese motorbike stories I read yesterday sounded so dim and I was (and still am) so down thanks to the news from Tanja. However, I am a fighter and even though I don’t feel like fighting any more at this point I have managed to shoot somebody with another magazine for me with what I thought was my last shot so I just have to keep shooting until I really don’t have any bullets left. It is a hard job being a fighter I tell you. I’m actually not even sure if this is not just another way how to make me spend more money here to local people but whatever, I have to stay to the end. My whatever is it called inside of me that keeps me fighting just won’t let me leave.

I have already managed to secure an interpreter for tomorrow. I tried the simplest way first – I went to a few travel agencies asking for a guide to hire for tomorrow morning. Some didn’t have any free capacities, some said they would have to ask their boss so I’m supposed to return there. At one however, a guy who could speak probably the best English from among the tour guides I heard speaking said that he would like to help but…
He’s apparently already been to police with some people who were robbed to help them but they apparently took their anger on him at the end. He understandably didn’t like it much. So I explained my situation and pointed out that I was a calm guy and that I was already fine with whatever result we would achieve at the police tomorrow. And after he asked few more questions he agreed. I will have to pay him USD10, which is apparently his daily wage and, according to what he told me, he had to excuse himself from a tour that he had planned for tomorrow. True or not the other agencies offered a price of USD15 and I could not be sure who I would get and the level of this person’s English. I’m happy with this guy.

What I’m really concerned about now is my bike. Thanks to the meeting tomorrow I won’t be able to leave for the border sooner than the following day morning and at that time it will already be another 12 days(!!!) since the last time I’ve seen my mechanical companion. The twelve days ago they had me to unlock it from the broken down car it was locked to. Is it still there? Are my things that I need for my further traveling still in its panniers?