After the highly anticipated reunion of my parents and I, it was time to leave Saigon and take a flight half way up the country to Hoi An. This was the second time I'd visited here, after spending a few days back at the beginning of Febuary as a very clueless Westerner.
We spent a week here, chilling out at the beach and pool. I think after my parents visit to Saigon, they wanted this. They found it pretty crazy and my mum even admits that she was glad I was leaving, as I think she found it a bit much and a bit too different to rural Norfolk life! My dad kept filming my mum trying to cross the road. Classic. Hoi An on the other hand was definitely more suited to them.
Over the week, we ordered the most ridiculous amount of custom-made clothing. I had a few pairs of shoes made, a couple of dresses and a bag. My mums list was much bigger. Massive divas. They even had to buy two new suitcases. The amount of things my mum and dad bought together was maybe a bit of an error however, which will be explained later on.
Me and mum also took a cooking class, where we learnt to cook spring rolls, grilled mackerel in banana leaf and sweet and sour chicken. The chef also attempted to teach us how to make a few edible decorations for the plates, to which my mum announced "it's amazing what you can do with a cucumber".
Having spent a fair amount of time in Hoi An, it was time for our next stop, Hue. Both into their 60s I genuinely didn't think my parents would ever agree to this - but we motorbiked the 100 miles between the two places! Well...my mum got a car, and my dad was on the back of a bike whilst I had my own. At one stage my mum actually got on her first ever bike and rode on the back for 10 miles! I was so proud of her. She's shown that life is all about new experiences no matter what your age.
The views were incredible and I definitely recommend anyone doing this!
We got there just about safe and sound (7 hours later) though there wasn't really much going on in Hue. And by not much I mean nothing at all. We only spent a day here, and this was where my mum realised how soon I was moving to Australia and how soon they would be saying goodbye to me again. So the tears then started.
Like I said, the amount of things my parents bought in Hoi An caused a bit of a transportation issue. It meant we wouldn't really be allowed to take that much stuff on an internal flight. So a 14 hour train ride it was!
I've been on a lot of buses and trains in SE Asia, and it's safe to say this was one of the worst. Which made for a fab experience for the parents. It was an experience which I think they will never want to repeat again, but one they definitely won't forget. My dad made a new 75 year old Vietnamese mate too, and ended up showing him the first iPad he had ever seen. It was a pretty cute bromance.
I love how much my parents are embracing the travelling life. Tony and Lou are a prime example of how you are never too old to travel! They've been sending emails back home to friends, who are under the impression mum and dad are on a gap year rather than an OAP trip abroad.
After the 14 hour ordeal, we arrived at a beautiful hotel in Ha Noi, where I was looking forward to seeing how the capital compared to Saigon.
Back in December, I was in two minds on whether to accept a teaching job in Ha Noi or Saigon, however I think I made the right choice. Saigon seems to have a lot more going on and is definitely more westernised. Though, I do like how quaint Ha Noi seems with less hectic traffic. We are booked into the hotel in Ha Noi for a week and within that have taken a little over night boat trip to Ha Long Bay, where I am writing this blog from (with this view!)
Ha Long Bay was definitely my most anticipated place to visit. Having met so many people who have raved about it, including my brother, it definitely lived up to my expectations and more. It's stunning, and surely one of the most breathtaking places on the planet.
Travelling with my parents means that I have travelled a bit classier than I normally would! And the boat we have stayed on is beautiful.
We took a canoe ride to a beach this afternoon, where again my mum had another first experience doing this. We've been treated to so much delicious seafood and Vietnamese cooking, and drinks on the top deck at sunset was amazing too. A 6.30am Tai Chi class is on the schedule for tomorrow, which I'm really looking forward to!
If I was holidaying in Vietnam in the future and could only pick one place to visit, Ha Long Bay would definitely be it. It's made me feel so lucky about the experiences I'm having, and it has rounded off my time in Vietnam absolutely perfectly.
Though I'm trying not to think how I'll be saying bye to mum and dad for another year (my current life plan) it is a really really sad thought. I've had the best time showing them the beautiful country where I've been living, and it's sad it is so quickly coming to an end. The three weeks with them have been amazing and I am so lucky to have their love and support.
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