The mountains of the north

With my partner in adventures back in town, Liz and I have had an amazing week in the north of Vietnam. After an overnight in Hanoi we headed straight to Ba Be Lakes a six hour drive north of the big smoke and the passing scenery certainly gave us an indication of what was to come. Green, green and more green.

The mountains and the rice paddies were spectacular and the people also had a very different look, particularly the women with their rounder faces and headscarves.

Once walking down the village pathways the tranquility of the area was overwhelming, as the people went about their work in the paddies and fishing.

The next day was one the highlights of my many days of travelling. We trekked for 8 hours under the guidance of a sprightly Mr Ninh, a 74 year old to an Hmong village. The first few hours were up, up, up along little goat tracks through the jungle until we arrived at a mountain top meadow which housed the population of 250.

We entered a local home to eat our packed lunch and it was so nice that we were not idolised. Merely given a little table and stools. Our simple lunch was perfect - sticky rice which was still warm after being wrapped in banana leaves dipped in crushed peanuts with salt and a couple of freshly fried eggs. Then, we were invited to join the family around the fire. They were so proud to have us in their home and the women were so natural in their traditional attire. The walk back was long but thankfully easier and gave us further changes to admire the magnificent mountain scenery. Plus, there was a sneaky motorbike ride with three of us on the bike to finish off - sans helmets of course!

The following day was a boat ride on the lakes and Norwegian fjords is the immediate comparison that I must make. Stunningly beautiful without the tourists and accompanying infrastructure.
Another quick stop in Hanoi and then a train trip took us to Tam Coc - an area of limestone karsts and yet more rice paddies. Again so spectacular and peaceful when you were off the tourist beat. Unfortunately, a light drizzle set in for our last couple of days and visibility was greatly reduced! It was nice to be cool for a change but it would have been oh so good to have seen some blue sky. More photos of the north

Markets

My fascination with local food and produce markets continues with verve and over the past couple of months, I have experienced some beauties.

The first was the Ho Ky Flower Market which I visited with Amber and Jaom at 6am on a Saturday morning. We may have been a little late to see the wholesale interactions at their prime, but it was still fascinating to see the variety and colour.

 
Then, as part of a weekend in Can Tho, with my friend, Nana who was visiting from the US, we went to the Cai Rang floating and street markets. Again, very busy places with much food to tempt us.

Nana and I both loved our time in the Delta, watching the locals going about their lives as we cruised the narrow canals and time in our hammocks on the balcony of our room was very welcome too. It was fascinating watching the rise and fall of the river and listening to the sounds of the birds - and the pig, named bacon, who was in his pen, just below our room.
Markets aplenty

Local wanderings

So the reality of leaving this rapidly developing area is now sinking in and I am determined to make the most of every moment.

Just prior to our 11 day break for the lunar new year, I enjoyed a couple of walks around District 1. Firstly, the laneways of the Japanese area with Amber and then to some of the prime shopping malls, to see their decorations (just like the Myer windows), plus a Tet fair and the streets of Cholon, the Chinese area. Fascinating just looking and watching as always.
Around town at Tet



Then for the holiday I took off immediately for a road trip from Saigon to Bangkok with stops in Phnom Penh and Battambang along the way.

I took the easy option of travelling in a car with the Masterton
family to PP and there I enjoyed a couple of nights visiting my usual haunts; walking along the river, hanging outside the Grand Palace and the hipster laneways. I also visited the Olympic stadium and market - a coupe more architectural beauties.

A 6 hour minibus ride took me to the northwestern city of Battambang where my pre-booked accommodation had been changed and on arrival I found out why. Angelina Jolie was in town for the filming of her movie, 'First They Killed My Father'. Can you believe she stole my bed.
 

I enjoyed the sleepy nature of this riverside town, except I didn't realise it's strong Chinese heritage as well as the French, so plenty of sounds of new year celebrations were heard. The history of the buildings was interesting, the cafes and galleries well used and I also thoroughly enjoyed 3 trips to the surrounding countryside - twice on a bicycle and once in a tuk-tuk for a day of sightseeing the local wats and having a ride on the old Bamboo Train. Another highlight was the Phare Circus - so clever and entertaining.

An 11 hour transit then took me through to Bangkok, but 2 of those hours were in the queue at immigration. What a difference a days drive makes - to the very big smoke and traffic jams.
It is 23 years since I was last in BKK but it felt like the first time as I did not hit any of the tourist sites, apart from Jim Thompson's house. Instead, I enjoyed walking around the area I was staying in, eating the street food, generally getting a feel for the place and sitting by the pool.
 
Overall, a very good break which met my goals - to explore more of the local area and relax.

Saigon to Bangkok

Being a global citizen

A busy January it has been for me, spending time in Adelaide, Melbourne, Ho Chi Minh City and Tokyo. It was not all fun and games though and a lot of hard work has been done.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Melbourne. Even though I spent the majority of time interviewing potential candidates for AIS, I also managed to enjoy a little countryside and catch up with a few friends. I did, however, struggle in the city centre with so many people around - it sounds bizarre but you simply don't get that in Vietnam. The people are on the roads, not the footpath. 

 I then returned to Adelaide for a couple of days before flying back to Ho Chi Minh but this also was a short stay before I flew to Tokyo for a very intense couple of days interviewing for the position of Middle School Principal at Nishimachi International School, a lovely little community school that finishes at Year 9 and is really looking to ramp up their programs. 

I survived, and it was nice to then spend a couple of days reconnecting myself with Tokyo since it was 25 years ago that I last visited and also spending time with my brother and the twins. 

The weather was cold but crisp and with bright blue sky so David and I cycled around the city - with such ease. Could this country be any more organised and orderly? The contrast is extreme!

Then after a week of waiting, Nishimachi offered me the job and I have accepted!!

Very exciting times as you can imagine but I am also feeling sad about leaving Saigon. I have so much still to soak up and so much more great food to eat. 

The actual departure date is yet to be set, but I will finish the school year here in June and will be in Tokyo late July.

2015 draws to a close

December, as usual is a month of celebrations for me and the Vietnamese office staff knew how to spoil me for my birthday with a box of vegetables and a bunch of flowers. 

Such great senses of humour!

The birthday weekend involved many a treat, including a fabulous evening of carols at the convent, a night away with the girls at a river location that felt like miles away but was really just a stones throw from our 'district', a champagne and oyster lunch, just one more meal out on Sunday, as well lots of lovely Skype chats.

Very decadent indeed. :)

There were numerous end of semester/Christmas celebrations for school, including the Winter Dance, staff dinner and Secret Santa. And, I am sure the Year 9's were celebrating after completing the first AIS Duathlon - a swim and run event. 

Of course it is fabulous to be back in Adelaide now and share this festive time with my family. The Lawson competitiveness shone through on Christmas day, with a drawing competition organised by Kelsea - if only we had some skills in this area, but it did provide many a giggle. Luckily we fared a little better in the pool based relays in the afternoon.

The only hiccup to this stay was breaking my little toe on the edge of the couch on my first full day in town. The bruising has now disappeared, but the swelling remains and it is still a little difficult to get a shoe on my foot!

Am looking forward to heading to Melbourne for a few days for a little work (recruiting new staff for Vietnam) and a little play, then it is back to Ho Chi Minh for two days before heading to Toyko for a two day job interview! Wish me luck, as I wish you all a very Happy New Year.

Life on the streets continues

  




Amongst the normal routine of school, friends, food and fitness, I continue to explore and enjoy life on the streets, both in the city and the surrounding areas. I have also greatly increased my knowledge of this country after a recent trip to the Ho Chi Minh Museum, here in Saigon, and taking a tour which explained the history, through its art. Fascinating.

                         

 

A trip to Hanoi to catch up with a group of schoolies from Huntingtower and more importantly, good friend, Jody added to my understanding as well. Not only did we chat non-stop, we also visited the Hoa Lo Prison and Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum - it was only 20 years since my first opportunity to visit him, and I must say he did look a little wax like! We walked, talked, and ate; particularly enjoying the Street Food Tour.
And still, there is so much more to see and do!

More pics of Hanoi

I also had an interesting situation this afternoon, when returning from 'town' on my motor scooter and a snapping sound was the precursor to no acceleration. So, I rang my friendly motorbike lady, and within 15 minutes one of her workers was there with a replacement bike. Now that is what I call good service!