Jac’s Journey

Remember the lovely family in Hoi An?  Mr Tron, his wife and three daughters?

Well, today has been my first day back at work and I have been wading through the biggest sea of unread emails (of which very few made me smile) and decided to log into google mail to cheer myself up.

And it did!

I had received an email from Mr Tron’s 14 year old daughter Nguyen Pham - the one I chatted to who was really good at English.  She sent me an email to tell me about her school trip to the Marble Mountains, which are indeed made of marble (obviously!) and situated between Hoi An and Danang.

It was so lovely, and brought such a smile to my face.  I really did meet some wonderful people over there.

Just had to tell you all about it!

Thinking about returning to work, laundry, thinking about returning to work…why are the first few days back from hols so difficult?  Best bit has been catching up with family and friends, as always, my dear loved ones!

Today got me out of the post-holiday doldrums, and helped me realise that Vietnam doesn’t have an exclusive on interesting things to do!

Mairi and I headed to Helensburgh today for the Japanese-themed Blossom Festival.  (Loads of cherry trees there, you see)  It was such a lovely day!

We had lunch and wandered around the various exhibits and then headed up to Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s Hill House for a Japanese Tea Ceremony.  It was delightful!  I’ve never seen one before, but Mairi had actually performed one during her time in Japan.  It was a real trip down memory lane for Mairi and a lovely first time experience for me.

The ritual, elegance, stillness and serenity of the ceremony (punctuated by a singing 2-year old in the audience!) was just lovely.  There was a fabulous story about the origin of the tea ceremony and a warrior chief who took a master of the tea ceremony to the battlefield with him so that he could create a bit of space to clear his mind and make good decisions.  Having observed it today, I totally understand why he would do that!

And the tea was delicious!

Another highlight was the Taiko drummers, with the energy and choreography of their set a perfect way to end the festival.

And, of course, no sunny day in Helensburgh is complete without a stroll along the seafront and a poky hat!  We did giggle when we were overtaken by a couple in their sixties, but hey, we was chillin’! 

A really lovely day.  So lovely I felt the inclination to blog and remind myself that there are loads of wonderful things to do close to home, not only in South East Asia!

…I reflect on the experience and am so glad I did it!

It was a really challenging thought, going off to travel on my own.  Before I went, I had moments of being incredibly excited, and moments of being pretty scared!  I’ve learned that I can do stuff that scares me, and it can be immensely rewarding.

I’ve also learned I can do it my own way, and that is just as valid as someone else’s way.

A wonderful experience, with my only regret being that I didn’t do more shopping!!  So many bargains, so little time! :-D

Thanks so much for coming along with me on the trip!  Your comments have been so much appreciated!

Love Jacs xxx

Hey folks!

Battery dead on mobile the whole journey home and my charger’s given up the ghost!  Nice people at BA are letting me charge my battery on this funky machine in the business lounge at Heathrow and I’m checking in here in case anyone was looking for me on google mail.

On the 8.30 from Heathrow, due to get into Glasgow at around 9.30ish.  Flight no is BA 1474.

As soon as this battery has a bit of juice in it, I’ll ring to confirm.

See you all soon, lots of love

Jacs xxx

Walking along Dong Khoi at the moment trying to spend the last of my Vietnamese dong.  It’s actually really difficult!  Dong Khoi is very expensive, and most of the stuff here is also in Ben Thanh Market for a fraction of the price.

Think I’m about to give up and go back and laze by the pool for a couple of hours before heading to the airport.

What an experience this has been, but I think I am ready to come home now.

Hanoi was my favourite place, but everywhere has had it’s own charms.

Thanks to everyone who’s followed my journey – it’s been fun having you along for the trip!  Fingers crossed everyone for three seats to myself on the flight back as well!!

Lots of love, Jacs xxx

Heading back to HCMC, I was having a dilemma.  Do I go back to Madam Cuc’s and her lovely family, or do I splash out again…?  I pondered it carefully, and then I read my guidebook again.  I opened a page at random, and lo and behold it said ‘If you’re going to stay in luxury anywhere in Asia, make it Vietnam.’  And I thought…see blog title!

Hoi An Riverside was lovely but didn’t quite fill my need for luxury.  I’ve only gone and booked myself into the Caravelle for two nights.  For about 80 quid a night, I’m staying five star, being waited on hand and foot, and lapping it up, thank you very much.  It’s amazing what you can explain away when you say to yourself, ‘ah but you’re a poor wee soul, with that big long flight ahead of you….go on, have what you want…’ or ‘this would only get you a travelodge in London!  Have it!’

…or is that the voice of the money splurging devil on my shoulder…???

Headed back over to pick up some stuff I’d left with Madam Cuc, and saying goodbye to the backpacker district as we speak.  It’s really the only place to get cheap, fast internet!!

Travelling down on the flight last night from Danang, I ended up sitting beside an Australian woman who was also travelling on her own.  We had a really nice chat about Vietnam, the highs and lows of travelling solo and buying clothes in Hoi An.  She called my hotel today to see if I wanted to go shopping, but she was talking about buying pearls and precious stones, and I decided to head for Ben Thanh Market, where the average price is one dollar!  And yes, that’s how much I have spent on all your gifts!!! (only joking – I may have stretched to $2 on the odd occasion!) lol

On the flight last night, I saw the most amazing thing.  You’ve probably all seen this before, and think I’m mad, but it tickled me…

As we took off and as we came into land, they showed the runway on the screens.  Basically, we saw the pilot’s-eye view of take off and landing.  Take-off was quite exciting.  Landing made my stomach flip!  I wondered if this was some kind of eastern torture for people who are afraid of flying???

Heading back to the UK tomorrow, but don’t get back til the next day.  Who’s picking me up from the airport then?

Love ya loads, see you soon

Jacs xxx

I’m in Min’s computer logging my last blog from Hoi An.

Just been into the tailors, and am just delighted with the clothes they’ve made for me.  They’re doing a few alterations now and then will deliver to the hotel this afternoon.  Mr Tron’s picking me up at 5pm, so that sounds to me like an afternoon by the pool…   After all, the sun is out!

I forgot to mention on yesterday’s blog, the other evening I came into Hoi An for a meal.  I ate in this lovely restaurant called the Mango rooms.  It was expensive by Vietnamese standards, but just lovely.  Fusion food I think they call it – Vietnamese beef and rice noodles, with Mango salsa!  The owner left Vietnam in 1975, chef’d his way around the world and is now back, doing very well in Hoi An.  It’s lovely to hear stories like that where people make their way back and set up again from whence they came.

I happily ate on my own, and just as I was leaving after a lovely meal, struck up a conversation with a couple at the next table.  We chatted for about 10 minutes, then I pulled up a chair and spent the evening with them.  They were such interesting people!

The bloke was Irish and the girl from the north of England.  They were in their thirties, had been on the corporate ladder for the last 20 years, and have decided to take a year out.  They’ve rented out their house, packed in jobs, folded their business and are travelling round the world for 12 months.  I’ve met so many people doing the same thing.  People of all ages.  I’ve met people in their sixties who are doing some really hard trekking and rough travelling.  Inspiring stuff.

This couple were just lovely.  We chatted about all sorts, and they told me all about Northern Thailand, which they travelled by motorbike.  It sounded amazing!  Hmmm……next trip???

Anyway, the pool is calling.  Off to relax all afternoon.

Lots of love, Jacs xxx

Hello all, thanks for the comments and updates.  Good to know you were enjoying the blogs as much as me!

Today has been far more chilled – I think I may finally be adjusting from city to beach, just as I prepare to head back to Saigon tomorrow!  Yikes!

I went to My Son with Mr Tron today.  He is such a lovely man.  He took me round all the different sites and between his explanations and the guide book, I got a really good understanding of what things were.

There’s one really sad thing – these buildings were constructed by the Chams between the 7th and 11th century.  They were civilised and educated people, and there are examples of their written records in stone still readable (if you know the lingo!)   The biggest and most important building got a bomb dropped on it by the Americans during the war, and is now just a pile of rubble.  It made me really sad, but not as sad as the war museum in Saigon, where they recorded what happened to people…

Mr Tron was so lovely, I decided his family was going to get all my business.  I bought my air ticket to Saigon, my car to the airport, my trip to My Son and every time I need to come into town, I wander over and get a lift from him (his wife did my laundry as well).  He has such a lovely family, with three daughters.  The eldest is 14, and we chatted this evening for about 20 minutes – she has been studying English for 8 years.  She was really good!  Far better than my Vietnamese, that’s for sure!  I have promised to send her some pictures of Scotland for her to take into school.  She was a treasure – reminded me of the lovely Caitlin.

Off to have some dinner now and then an early night.  The change from city to beach has chilled me out so much I keep wanting to sleep!  Tomorrow I pick up all my stuff from the tailors, then head to the airport for a couple of shopping days in Saigon before the trip home.

In a way, it feels like so much more than two weeks, and it’s not even been 2 weeks yet.  It has been an absolutely wonderful experience.

Look forward to seeing you all soon.

Lots of love,
Jac xxx

At last, I blog on-line in real time. 

Note – I’ve loaded three blogs at once.  For the chronological order read “Being off line” then “Being off line 2″ then this one.

Hoi An is lovely.  I’ve spent the last two hours at the tailors.  I went in yesterday and asked them to make me a couple of fitted shirts for work.  Got fitted at 12 today, and they’d done a really good job, so I’ve gone to town!

Paul – you’ve got 3 shirts, I’ve got three shirts, a dress, 2 trousers and a skirt.  Can’t wait to see them all tomorrow, then final fittings and onto Saigon.

Dad – thanks for the tip on your comment.  My washing’s in with Mrs Tron, and Mr Tron is going to take me to My Son tomorrow and then to the airport the following day.  They are a lovely couple.  Mr Tron’s one of the safest drivers I’ve come across in Vietnam so far!

Now going to head back for a lazy afternoon around the pool.  See ya!

Coming right up is my last blog entry…

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Written the old fashioned way on 14/4/06 (late)

Today has been just lovely.  I left my China Beach guesthouse and travelled to Hoi An.  I checked into the Hoi An Riverside resort and spent most of the afternoon by the pool.  After sufficient sunbathing to relax away my travels, I headed into Hoi An for a wander around.  It’s a really small place, but very quaint.  Wandered around the market with loads of women working the stalls, but very few men.  Women in Vietnam are the same as women the world over.  They were stocking their stalls, keeping an eye out for paying customers as well as the light-fingered variety, feeding their children and keeping sales ledgers.  Aren’t we amazing with our ability to multi-task!

Had a gorgeous meal in the hotel this evening.  My main course alone cost almost as much as last night’s dinner, bed and breakfast, but it was delicious and still only about 6 quid.

Interestingly, all the hotel staff speak really great English.  I was thinking about how different our societies are…waiting and reception staff are clearly well-educated.  Working in a place like this must be really aspirational.  How different from the UK.

The hotel is gorgeous.  I’m currently lying between gorgeous soft white cotton sheets.  My hotel room is everything you would expect from a 4-star hotel.  There’s a movie on TV, I keep finding little flowers everywhere; folded into napkins and towels, curtain tie-backs, even floating in the toilet bowl!  It’s just a lovely treat and really helping my wind-down from the frenetic pace of Hanoi.  Boy, am I going to get a shock when I get back to Saigon!

The plan for tomorrow is to get measured for clothes at the tailors, wander around Hoi An, then relax by the pool in the afternoon – sheer bliss!