Looking forward to finally being a tourist!

I’ve had a 5 day weekend this week, which has been bloody great. Since starting at the beginning of February, I’ve had no time off to do any tourist or cultural activities and every weekend has been spent sleeping off the long weeks. However, now I have the time…I don’t have the money! So my time off has been spent lying by the pool- very touristy, just not very cultural.

My brother Richard is visiting at the end of the month, so whilst trying to tan my milk bottle skin (something that my teenage students seem to stare at for a good 25 minutes each lesson) I have been trying to plan some cultural things to do. Richard is here for about 6 days, after travelling Thailand and the rest of Vietnam. I’m really looking forward to being a proper tourist, and actually using my camera to take photos of buildings and scenery rather than my friends and I with drinks in both hands.

I’ve been here for over 3 months now and yet to visit the Cu Chi tunnels or war museum, as I haven't had the time. However, the amount of holiday pictures I’ve been in whilst driving on my bike is ridiculous!

Doing a Mekong Delta river tour is also a possibility and visiting some beach towns a little up the coast. As he only has 6 days here, it would be good to do as much as we can.

Besides being able to do all the things I wanted to do when I first arrived, I cannot wait to see someone from home! Obviously I’ve asked Richard to bring over some home comforts - M&S Percy Pigs being a top priority. However, as I’m the last stop on his trip I don’t know how intact everything will be.  When he visits, it will have been about four months from when I left England, which is the longest I’ve ever been away from home. I get homesick feelings from time to time and having a visit from my brother will be amazing!

With Richard being here too, it will allow me to realise how surreal some of the “everyday” things I see here are. For instance, my brother will pick up on how weird it is to see a family of 4 on a motorbike, or wonder why there is a group of 6 old men on my street watching two chickens fight. I do take these great situations for granted. 

I only have about three weeks left of teaching before the summer holidays start. I’m hoping to teach at various points between June and September at summer schools but there will be limited teaching hours available by the sounds of it (meaning no money). I’m definitely going to look into private tutoring to help my finances, as I’ve just spent a horrible amount of money renewing my visa.

Over the next few months, I have quite a lot to look forward to. Richard’s visit, and then in July I shall be flying over to Thailand for my summer hols to see my best friend who is travelling SE Asia. My flight is booked, (£50-bargain!) but now I just need the spending money and bikini body to go with it.