Mum’s Here!

My time in Hanoi is over, and my solo travelling is over too… My last day in the hospital was on Tuesday, and then Mum arrived in Hanoi on Wednesday. We spent three and a half days in Hanoi, mostly trying to find indoor activities to escape the bitter cold! I think Mum liked Hanoi, she did well tackling the motorbike-infested roads, and also braved the local cuisine… She had Pho Bo, Tra Sen (Lotus Tea), the obligatory Quan An Ngon delights (wrap-your-own rice paper, noodle and grilled prok rolls, steamed banana in coconut milk with sago, deep-fried won-tons…)

We didn’t get up to as many activities in Hanoi as I would have liked, mostly because being outside was cold, damp and miserable. I’m not going to spend another blog entry describing how cold my last few weeks in Hanoi were, but my Mum can confirm that I was not exaggerating!

We managed to brave the chilly temperatures for long enough to see the charming streets of the Old Quarter, we also went to the Water Puppet show, and did some shopping… One really nice activity was going to English Club at Viet Duc Hospital. It was good to be able to show Mum the hospital, and introduce her to all the doctors and students that I’ve been working with. Thang (one of the Vietnamese students) prepared a really sweet powerpoint presentation for my Mum’s sake about the sounds, sights and smells of Hanoi! He talked about his favourite food, flowers, activities… It was so nice! Him and Thuong (another student) brought some locals snacks for us to sample! After the presentation, we all chatted about Hanoi, Tet (Lunar New Year), and said our goodbyes! Here’s a photo of all of us:

We also went out for a great meal at Bobby Chinn’s (one of the most expensive restaurants in Hanoi) with Annett and Uve. The prices weren’t steep by London standards, but when you think about how much you would normally pay for a dinner in Hanoi, it was pretty expensive! Nonetheless, it was a lovely evening, and there was a heater above our table (so I was happy!). The restaurant looked really stylish, there were red drapes hung everywhere. Mum and I took a photo before Annett and Uve arrived, here we are:

It was great to be able to introduce my Mum to the friends that I’ve made during my time in Hanoi. Everyone got on really well. I was sad to say goodbye to my lunch buddy! Here we all are in restaurant:

I know it makes me sound fickle, but the cold weather made it much easier to leave Hanoi!! I think I will look back and miss it a lot, but as I boarded the plane and flew to Singapore, I was so excited at the prospect of feeling warm again that I forgot to feel sad to be leaving. This probably sounds like I’m being melodramatic, and I know I said I wouldn’t make this blog about the cold weather… but just one more comment about it, although I am used to winters in England, Hanoi felt colder because nowhere has central heating, and there aren’t many indoor activities… so it was like having to live out on the streets in London in February! There, that was my last comment about it!

On the last few days in Hanoi, it turned into a doubly manic place in the build-up to Tet (Chinese New Year) which starts on 6th Feb this year. Imagine Hamleys Toy Store a few days before Christmas… then turn all those people into motorbike-riding Vietnamese people, with orange or peach trees on the back of their motorbike, doing 50km/hour, weaving past pedestrians carrying red decorations/flowers/oranges… That was what Hanoi was like when I left! It took an extra half-hour to get to the airport, because the road leading to the airport passes through the garden centres where you buy the mandarin orange trees! It was craziness!

Singapore was gloriously hot! It was also incredibly hectic because of Chinese New Year. The taxi from the airport was almost at a standstill, and when we went out to dinner that evening, Orchard Road was packed with people! Plus, the department stores stayed open until 10pm because of Chinese New Year!! So we had our dinner at Chatterbox (Chicken Rice, Barley Water, Tau Suan for dessert mmmmm), and then went shopping for a few hours! I love being able to shop at 10pm!! We didn’t leave Takashimaya until the very end when it closed and they kicked us out!!

On our second day in S’pore, Dad arrived! It was nice being in S’pore with both my parents, it kind of felt like the old days! Dad had a car too, so we were driving around like old times to lunch, shopping centres…

And now, Mum and I are in Koh Samui!! (Returning to reality in England is going to come as a real shock to the system!) We’re staying at the Imperial Boat House Hotel on Choeng Mon Beach… it’s about 10 minutes away from the craziness of Chaweng (which is where I stayed 6 years ago with all my school friends). Our hotel is amazing, the sun blazed away all day, the sea is a perfect temperature, the food is yummy… What can I say?

Here is a photo of Mum and I on Chaweng Beach (I wanted to go there for a trip down memory lane!):

So ahead of me, I have 5 days of swimming, sunning, doing nothing, feeling warm… No more Green Mango (big outdoor nightclub) or Full Moon parties for me this time around! Just me, Mum and sunshine!!