Home Sweet Home

Ok, I can't just stop blogging cold turkey ... thought I should at least share some final thoughts on the trip ...

check out the temp in HCMC on the way to the airport

On Friday, March 11th, we left Ho Chi Minh city and flew to Taipei (3hrs) then to Vancouver (13 hrs).  On the LONG flight, we were lucky to have some seats around us that were unoccupied, so the kids got to stretch out and have a great sleep!  They had slept for over 10 uninterrupted hours when we finally woke them up to have a meal and watch a movie.  Stella enjoyed the trip so much that upon landing in Vancouver she said, "Mom, we could come here (Vietnam) every weekend!  It's just a short flight!"

on our way to Taipei

Uncle Grant picking us up in Vancouver

On Sunday, we flew to Kelowna where family and friends were waiting to welcome us home! We were just barely able to stay awake until 7 p.m.  when we all fell asleep hard and fast.  Stella slept until 10 a.m., Max until 9:30 a.m.  No comment on Jeff's and my sleep .... still struggling with jet lag!  That said, at the end of a long journey, there is nothing quite like coming home and resting your head on a familiar pillow! 

Today felt a lot like Christmas!  We stayed in our p.j.'s most of the day, Stella and Max were very busy playing with the toys they haven't seen in 2 months and they also spent a chunk of the afternoon  playing outside in the snow (probably some of the only kids around that are not tired of the white stuff☺)

@ my Mom and Dad's place

A few of the statistics we've compiled, as an overview of our trip:

• no. of hotels stayed in:  11
• no. of nights not spent in a hotel:  5
• no. of times we were duped: 2
• no. of water bottles purchased:  over 100
  
• no. of mediocre meals we ate:  less than 10
• no. of dogs we stopped to pet:  too many to count
• no. of times we stopped so people could take pics of the kids:  50+ 

• most unusual thing we ate: crocodile (more adventurous folk could have added snake, eel, rabbit, frog, turtle, or pigeon to this list!)                                    
• no. of times we were concerned for our safety:  0   
• no. of times we checked to see if our mattress was plywood: 13
• no. of times Max tripped and skinned his knees:  a daily occurrence
  
• no. of times the kids had their heads patted or cheeks pinched:  can't count that high!
• no. of times the kids asked to go home:  0 
• no. of traffic accidents we witnessed amidst total vehicular chaos:  0 
• no. of different modes of transportation we took:  20 ( plane, train, sleeper bus, bus, van, jeep, car, moped, xe-loi, horse & cart, paddle boat, longer motorized boat, ferry, quads, junk, bicycle, cable car, monorail, cyclo, rickshaw)

 A few final thoughts:

Before we set off on this trip, we wondered how long our kids would last .... as it turned out,  in the end, it was the parents who were ready to come home!  Not that we were all that eager to return ... it's just that it was an intense 2 months traveling with little people - even when the little people traveled as well as they did!!  We had an incredible experience as a family and feel very fortunate to have had this opportunity to explore this amazing part of the world.  If you recall, I had quoted lonely planet's guidebook to Vietnam in my first post - the descriptions went a little something like this:
 
     vibrant yet traditional cities .........   ✓
     unashamedly idyllic coastline ......... ✓
     incredible scenery .........  ✓
     pulsating history and culture .........  ✓
     kaleidoscope of people  ......... ✓

We went expecting the unexpected, wanting a holiday as much as an adventure and Vietnam did not disappoint!!!!! 

Thanks for coming along on our journey!!!!   I had a lot of fun blogging about our trip and am thankful for all my readers.  Special thanks to those of you who left us comments along the way - it meant a lot to us!

"Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen!" ∼ Benjamin Disraeli

Saigon

 Ho Chi Minh City (or Saigon) ... a tribute to you ...


H is for the heat and humidity!

C is for the chaos everywhere that just works!

M is for the millions of mopeds moving all over the place!

C is for the culture and cuisine ☺


A few pictures of our time in the city:

the view from our hotel rooftop

look on the right ... our little girl couldn't believe her eyes when she saw it!

of course we HAD to eat here!!! yummy spaghetti!!

Jeff asked if they'd do a crown for $10 if they didn't use sterilized instruments ;-)

right in the middle of all the action!

People's Committee Building

Notre Dame Cathedral

more than 5 million mopeds in HCMC ... it felt like 4 million of them on our street at rush hour!

going on the log ride at Dam Sen Park

Dinosaur World ... guess who loved it the most?! (Jeff)

Max wondered 'how a T-Rex brushes his teeth with those tiny little arms?'

our view at night

this one's for you Trigg!

Today we took one last tour ...  to the Cu Chi Tunnels - an underground tunnel system that was a base for the Anti-American resistance during the war.  The tunnel complex, once upon a time, was over 250 km in length and 3 levels deep in some places - today we explored only meters of it!  We saw rooms that were once used as kitchens, for accommodations, meetings, medical aid and weapon building.  What a remarkable tribute to the will, determination and wisdom of the Vietnamese people.  Unbelievable really!

secret entrance to the tunnels ... invisible with leaves on top of it!

to give you an idea of the size of some of the tunnels ... Stella's only 5!

So by the time you are reading this, we will be getting ready to fly back to Canada!  3 of us are ready and excited to come home - Stella says she wants to stay!   It couldn't have anything to do with the waterparks, beaches or pools we've been frequenting, could it?!!  Or perhaps it's all the puppies she cuddles on a daily basis!   When I asked her what's the FIRST thing she wants to do when we get home, she replies, "go to the waterslides!"  (Ummm Stella, you're going to have to wait a few more months for that!)   Max's response to the same question was: "I want to play with Rex!!!"

Stella & Cherry.....Stella was convinced he could fit in her backpack...."Please, just ask 'em, Mom???!?"

 

 

Tam Biet!   (Good-bye from Vietnam!!!)

Phu Quoc Island

Our 9 days on this island paradise have been, well, a mix.  We've had healthy days, we've had don't leave the hotel room kinda days (with Max).  Some days have been sunny, others have been cloudy.  We've had days full of adventure and exploration and have spent others sitting on the beach or by the pool.  There have been moments where we've thought we should have booked less time here on the island, and other moments where we've checked into the cost of real estate here - wishing we could stay forever! ... it was likely the day I discovered 1 hr massages on the beach for $2.50!!!!!! ♥

Phu Quoc Island is blissfully undeveloped ... 

at least by comparison to other familiar vacation destinations like Mexico. It's fringed with white sand beaches with gently lapping turquoise waters.

There are many fishing villages here and further inland is dense tropical jungle.









The island is 48 km long -  we had a chance to explore about half of that while we've been here (on mopeds).




Here are a few more pictures of our week here on the island:

Duong Dong Beach - where we stayed

how we spent many afternoons

When there are waves, Stella's been trying and getting pretty good at body surfing!

not too shabby ... even on a cloudy day!

One day we rented some mopeds to explore the other side of the island because some locals had told us we should go to Bai Sao beach.  We heard it was the nicest beach on the island and WOW it was stunning! It wasn't that easy to find, not a lot of signage, but definitely worth the effort!  We're thinking about opening an ice cream bar here .... anyone want to join us?!! ;-)

a day at the beach can be pretty exhausting ☺

the ice cream on approach

the ice cream not long after the bike had left ... Max is definitely feeling better!

counting the sleeps till we're home? ... not so much!

 

 

Back at our hotel .... Max is a fan of the coconut drinks!

having dinner in the village at a rooftop restaurant ... the sunset was pretty cool that night

some food for thought ...

Now for the token sunset picture:

Please oh please, could someone do something about the cold weather and snow before we get home next week?!?!  Yup ... our trip is winding down and our tickets are booked for our return flights.  We fly back to Saigon tomorrow and that will be our final stop here in Vietnam.  Our plan is to do a little shopping and see a few more sights before we leave for home.  I will try to write one more blog entry dedicated to Saigon in the next few days ... until then .... good night my friends!

Our Homestay Experience

Before coming to Vietnam, I had read that homestays are an accommodation option in parts of the country.   Homestays were pioneered in the Mekong Delta where it has long been possible to stay with local families.  In my opinion, there is no better way to get a taste of local culture and feel a little less like a tourist!

Our homestay family lived on an island - May Island.  We had to take a small ferry to get to it and then walk about 10 minutes through a coconut farm to the main road on which they lived.

5 yr old backpacking superstar .... she's been bit by the adventure travel bug☺!

not another tourist in sight!

By the time we reached the main road, a little girl on a bicycle was already watching for us and eager to show us the way to our hosts'  home.  Mr. & Mrs. Khai were waiting for us on the front porch of their modest home - built out of concrete - so it was one of the nicer places on the block.  It was just the two of them in their house - they have two children, but both are grown and have families of their own and live about an hour away.  Neither of our hosts spoke much English but they warmly welcomed their foreign guests just the same.  Our guide Minh stayed with us and was able to translate for us ☺

Some of the inquisitive children from neighboring homes were over to meet us and before we even set our bags down in our room, Max and Stella were off and running with their new found friends.  LOVE that!!!!!

Our room had 2 double beds with mosquito nets draped over them, a door to the outside and only an embroidered sheer curtain separating our room from the Khai's main living room/bedroom.  Our window - a hole in the concrete with metal bars - looked out on a small canal and was the gateway for many uninvited guests like geckos (well, if you ask me, they were more like small iguanas) and mosquitos!

After settling in, we enjoyed some conversation together with the Khai's (thanks to our guide) over some cold bottled water and fresh fruit.  Some time later, we were invited to help prepare dinner.  Hanh (Mrs. Kai) had me chopping pork and veggies like gourd, sweet potatoes, celery and carrots.  She already had a pot of soup started and was frying up some chicken as well.  She showed us how to assemble spring rolls and then we deep fried them.  Mmmmmm ... they were some of the best spring rolls we've had yet!  In total, we prepared about 6 tasty vietnamese dishes together . . .  here's hoping I can recreate some of these recipes at home!

we knew they were kindred spirits when they brought out 2 Pepsi's for us at dinner

I was definitely having one of those "this is why I travel moments" when we all sat down together to a home-cooked meal that I had the privilege of helping prepare.  After dinner I offered to help with the dishes.  Hanh led me outside where she filled some large bowls with tap water and added a little soap.  There we sat on the ground, on the banks of the canal, washing and rinsing the pots, bowls and chopsticks we had used.

I couldn't help but wonder what Hanh would think of our dishwasher at home

Later in the evening, Minh took us for a walk to see if we could catch a few fireflies!!!  The neighbor girls joined us as we walked down the road in complete and total darkness like you haven't experienced unless you've camped in the middle of the wilderness.  We saw quite a few fireflies flying around us and Minh was able to catch a couple for the kids, which we kept in little plastic bags before we set them free again.  What a cool experience for all of us!!!!!

" ...‘cause I’d get a thousand hugs

from ten thousand lightning bugs

as they tried to teach me how to dance" ♫

"fireflies", by Adam Young, Owl City 

Before bedtime, we sat outside at a neighbor's home, relaxing in some hammocks and sharing some drinks.  It was the perfect end to a perfect day!

 the Khai's home at night

We were awoken in the morning by a rooster just outside our window.  Lucky for the rooster, it was about the time we needed to get up anyway! The Khai's were already up - probably had done a half a days work already to beat the heat and were out on the road buying what they needed for the day from the "supercart" which comes around daily with fresh produce and meat.

After a morning of touring around the island and some surrounding waterways, we returned to our homestay for a delicious lunch and rest before we would have to say goodbye.   When we arrived this time, they introduced us to another member of their family, whom the kids immediately fell in love with and named 'Pickles'. 

When it was time to go the kids didn't want to leave and actually, Jeff and I wished we could have stayed a little while longer as well.  The Khai's were such welcoming, hospitable, lovely people - my heart felt sad that we had just a short time together.  Hanh fell in love with Max and Stella and, although we think she was joking, without a hint of sarcasm, asked if she could keep them!  We didn't even give the kids the option - after all the quality time with 'Pickles', delicious food and being totally doted on, they would have applied for permanent visitor status!! She packed up a bag of goodies for us to take on the next leg of our journey which included heaps of bananas, because she knew that the kids especially loved them!

"To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is 

to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, 

to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted."  

 Bill Bryson

Update on Max: It is the end of day three and he seems to be coming around.  He still hasn't moved far from his bed, but he's been able to drink some water, juice and even eat a little bit of bread and rice today.  I hope that when the Gravol wears off, he will still keep everything inside.  Three cheers for Cartoon Network on our hotel t.v.!!!!