Vietnam

We have just returned from our 9 day sojourn in Vietnam. This is a country that has been top of our travel wish list for some time now, so we were really looking forward to it.

This was a ground breaking journey for us in many ways. For the first time I pre arranged most of the transport and activities. For someone whose trip prep usually consists of booking the air flight………and that’s it, I was slightly nervous that the structured and comfortable travel required with toddler in tow, would impact on its edgy appeal. We experienced our first overnight train journey and spent a night on a boat. In fact, like many good travel adventures, the modes of transport ran the full gambit of air, sea, and land – with varying degrees of enjoyment.

The capitol of Vietnam, Hanoi was our first step. Driving in the taxi from the airport (pre arranged of course), we knew that this was going to be a major departure from our Asian lifestyle in KL. Our hotel (3 star – again very different from my backpacking days) was in the Old Quarter. This place is old school Asia. A bombardment of the senses, where life goes on before your eyes as you walk the motor cycle-dominated streets. Unlike other old parts of town that have become tourist fun parks (e.g. Macao, even Venice), the Old Quarter remains the real deal for it’s inhabitants. We saw no ‘sights’ and visited no museums, art galleries or other such fill-ins. We walked the streets and soaked in the incredible atmosphere, stopping for a ferocious Vietnamese coffee (or hot chocolate) when a break was required.

Our next stop was Halong Bay, which was a nice change of pace. Halong Bay is a 3 hours drive from Hanoi, and with a portable DVD player available, it made the trip much more tolerable for Isaac. In fact this device was our saving grace on many occasions when boredom potentially progresses quickly to tantrums. Don’t leave home without it.

We spent the night on a junk in Halong Bay. This piece of water consists of hundreds of small islands and is a beautiful spot to enjoy what turned out to be a luxurious cruise. There were several other young children which we were thankful for, but I know a few of the childless couples were hoping for less background noise on their holiday. One of the older Australian gentleman would put his hands over his ears when the decibels rose. We learnt that you can’t be to thin skinned when traveling with kids, however most people were understanding when Isaac turned the monster switch on.

From there, a bus back to Hanoi followed by the overnight train to Lao Cai on the Chinese border. This form of transport was something I had been looking forward to as Isaac loves trains – and I have a soft spot for them also. Many of my favourite travel memories involve crazy train journeys in Europe and Africa. Things started off well with Isaac quickly lulled into slumber with the rythmic rocking of the carriage. Unfortunately his slumber (and the rest of the carriage no doubt) was over at 3 am. That boy sure does have a pair of lungs. The train journey lark had completely lost its romance by the return leg when I was woken at 2am by the thud of Isaac falling off the bed bunk. This was one of numerous knocks on the head suffered throughout the trip for the poor fella. Tables, chairs, floors, you name it – he hit it. This bodes well for a rugby career in the front row like his Pappi.

Onto the town of Sapa, accessed via Lao Cai, and is the gateway to trekking in northern Vietnam. I love trekking, and have done so in Northern Thailand, Nepal, and now Vietnam. But part of me wishes I could have done it before it became the industry that it is now. I don’t doubt that the local hill tribes are better off financially and would never begrudge them a living, but the experience is lessened for me when I know I am merely another number in a long line that day. They tell me 15 years ago, the place was unrecogniseable. You can’t halt progress.

Despite misty conditions, we were able to appreciate the spectacular landscape of rice paddies and corn fields within the valley, the hillsides sculptured by hand-made steps as far as the eye can see. Very beautiful. And Isaac was well behaved in the backpack throughout. The various hill tribes in the area live a very tough life. They work the land by hand in muddy conditions. Children the same age as Isaac watch their parents working, half clothed and filthy. So, despite laden with a heavy little boy and a western guilty conscience, we made it back to our 3 star hotel, devoured French pastries, and thanked our lucky stars………

We enjoyed one more day in Hanoi before flying to KL. I was surprised with how I felt with our departure looming. It was not related to Vietnam actually. It was the feeling of going back to KL. It was the feeling of going home. Proving that home is where you make it. And currently we have made that home in KL. Kia Kaha!!


Make sure that you scroll down to the video at the bottom of the page. It is a Hanoi street scene.

Isaac making friends



Dining out

Great street food. BBQ meat. 2 metres to the right is one of the busiest intersections in Hanoi

One of the junks on Halong Bay

Atop the hill of one of the islands in Halong Bay

We had to have a swim. Along with plenty of others.

Beautiful sunsets

A friend of Isaac's on the junk.

And the sister as well!

Laising with the Vietnamese officialdom

Hanoi cafe

A visit to Vietnam is not complete without eating spring rolls

Cheap beer. 80 US cents.

Charming the locals

The night train. During the good times.

Isaac with our guide - Dong

Entrance to a local market

Locals at the market

I don't know if Isaac is very welcome here!

The livestock section of the market

We are enjoying the best chocolate drink in Vietnam

Setting out from Sapa on a trek

A real pea souper

Thankfully, we are going down

Locals collecting firewood and taking it home

These hands have seen some work in their time

Waiting for the bus in Lao Cai

Isaac took over this girls bedroom

A torrential downpour in Hanoi

Hotpot is a common street food in Vietnam

Throw in some meat and leafy veg.....

and some maggi noodles.....

a few mushies as well

The strongest coffee I have ever had. Lina initially thought there was booze in it.

I love this video. It really captures the experience of walking down a Hanoi street.

The Article in 'Expatriate Lifestyle'

Here is the link to the online version of the magazine, 'Expatriate Lifestyle'. You may remember an earlier post talking about our interview and photo shoot though a friend of mine who writes for the magazine.

Here tis......

http://www.expatriatelifestyle.com/latest-articles-feb09.html

Whats on the telly?

One noticeable change in our lifestyle since moving to KL is the decrease in television viewing. This is not due to all those research studies bandied about these days that tell us the box makes us dummer. The real reason is that the telly here is rubbish. Even the pay for view. Even the sports is ordinary as I have only a passing interest in the English Soccer which takes up the majority of sports coverage in Malaysia.

So our TV watching style has changed . We are now TV series DVD watchers and usually average a 1 hour episode each night. The most recent series completed is 'The Wire' Season 1. Given that they have completed season 5 in the States, that must make us 'late adopters' to coin a tech phrase.

'The Wire' is a crime drama set in Baltimore, USA. This was highly recommended by some English friends who have not put a foot wrong with their previous offerings, and so despite my low enthusiasm for crime drama (all have been disappointing since "Lets be careful out there".........the outstanding 'Hill Street Blues'. I blame it on force fed 'The Bill' when I was living in the UK), we ordered it at our local. Very good I must say. Despite only understanding every second word (it was a dialect of Street Baltimorese that I am not familiar with), it still kept me fixed. Afterall it is the mood and tone that really keeps us all interested whether it be a book, film or TV drama. It's a slow burner but by episode 4 its humming. Unlike other crime series, the bust is not completed conveniently within the 60 minutes less ads. And so the journey continues through 13 episodes, leaving us thankful that there are 4 more seasons to look forward to.

Our current series is 'Skins' - Season 1. A British drama following a group of 17 year old urbanites in London doing things every typical teenager does NOT do (I hope not anyway). Beverley Hills 90210 - British version THIS IS NOT. The lead from 'Slumdog' features in his acting debut and this is typically well written British fare.

We have watched the first 3 episodes of 'Flight of the Conchords' - Season 2. I watched this with some trepidation. To follow up the great 1st series, which afterall, was 10 years + in the making in little old Wellington, must have been a huge feat and I am pleased to say - I'm loving it so far. Its funny - sure there are no great songs like 'Business Socks', however the writing and creativity is still outstanding and there is still that sense of.......excuse the phrase please......keeping it real. Aoteoroa style!

Water Baby

Isaac is still loving the water and his swimming continues to improve. He is able to swim and come up for breath several times but the main thing he likes doing is playing. A particular favourite is this balancing act with an arch back for dramatic effect. This one always attracts the attention of the locals and Isaac has become quite a celebrity around the condo complex. There is always someone for him to show off in front of where we are living.

Its a lovely pool and grounds, and is an oasis in the middle of a very busy part of KL. In the background of this photo we get a view towards the Twin Towers (when it is'nt too hazy).

For those without kids - look away

Despite Mum and Dad's best efforts to procrastinate the toilet training, Isaac has taken it upon himself to start the process. Its early days but so far so good, and no accidents.

A good read, followed by praise afterwards seems to do the trick.

Cheers to milestones!

Running - The Melawati 10KM

My major form of exercise currently is running. Running in KL is a mixed bag of good and not so good. KL is a crisscross of highways as I have mentioned in previous posts and it is difficult to run far before you are soon sharing the road with 6 lanes of rampaging steel which have zero tolerance for the crazy Gwai Lo (Cantonese for foreigner/westerner) bloke on foot. It is not illegal to run on a motorway/freeway, just very stupid. So careful route planning is required.

On a Saturday morning I have made a habit of ‘The Long Run’. It starts at Lake Gardens (termed by many as the lungs of the city), and is a beautiful, central space that runs through some equally pleasant, quiet bush clad neighbourhoods. They call one of these suburbs (Bukit Tunku), the Beverley Hills of KL, complete with celebrities and the Malaysian well connected.

Usually, my only company is a few family groups of monkeys that scurry across the powerlines.

It is important to start early here. 7 o’clock is ideal as it is still a balmy, but very manageable 23 degrees and dead calm. No slogging into a raging southerly/northerly/ wherever the bloody wind is howling from that day, as is the case back home. By 9.30 on a Saturday I am home again and Lina will have surfaced.

With 2 months of decent running under my belt I took the plunge and entered my 1st competitive race in Malaysia. The world renowned?! 2009 Melawati 10 KM. The run was a slog to be fair, but the event was great and I got a medal……….just like everyone else!

As everyone knows, I am a sports nut and love the atmosphere that a collective sporting experience provides, anywhere in the world.

My next race is the New Balance Pacesetters 15 KM in May, with tentative plans to compete in the June KL ½ marathon. My definite goal is the Angkor Wat ½ marathon in Cambodia raced in December. The route follows the famous temples and raises funds for the many people that are still affected by landmines in Cambodia.