5 months after flying off into the unknown, we are coming home!
It's been an incredible journey; I've seen amazing places, met wonderful people and learned a lot about myself.
Before I left I could only dream about being on the road and hopefully living somewhere different for a change. I spent my days dreaming, not sure how to make it a reality.
Now, I can honestly say it takes losing everything to find out what you really want, and whilst a life on the road isn't for me, I've still had a wonderful time.
We are about to pack up our tired and worn out belongings for the last time, so I've been thinking about my best memories from our journey. There are a lot, but here is my top ten!
1. Mui Ne, Vietnam
Mui Ne will always be special to me as its where we recharged our batteries after a stressful and emotional start to our trip. In Mui Ne we found good food, cold beers and a very chilled out vibe. It was just what the doctor ordered.
2. Hoi An, Vietnam
Walking into old Hoi An was a magical experience and one I wasn't prepared for. It was quintessential of the orient and had everything I had been craving to see; ancient temples, lanterns and even a tea house.
3. Halong Bay, Vietnam
Sailing through the cliffs of Halong Bay is top of many peoples top ten, I imagine. Travelling by boat is a firm favourite of mine too and I can't imagine a better end to our time in Vietnam.
4. Angkor temples, Cambodia
The hot weather, bugs and incredibly early start didn't dampen our wonderful day at the temples of Angkor one bit. I loved exploring the ruins and seeing the sun rise over Angkor Wat.
5. Songkran, Thailand
Celebrating a festival with the locals from across the street! On Songkran we shared beers, food and laughs with the families opposite our beach bungalows and loved every minute of it! There was also a German man, but I don't know where he came from!
6. Pad Thai on Ko Phangnan, Thailand
Surprisingly the best Pad Thai we has was in a little hut restaurant on a quiet stretch of road near Haad Yeo beach. It was so ridiculously cheap and ridiculously amazing we went back for more!
7. Monkey forest in Ubud, Bali
Real monkeys stealing my bananas and sitting on my shoulder like I'm Captain Barbossa! Enough said!
8. Catching waves in Kuta Bali
I loved getting sporty (and an awesome tan) on the beach in Kuta. The water was deep and clean. There is nothing like the rush of riding a wave all the way to shore.
9. Eating pizza in Naples, Italy
7 days and I-dont-know-how-many pizzas! That was some very good eating and definitely the best thing about Naples.
10. Living like a local in Santo Stefano, Italy
Finding the real Italy after spending so much time in the cities. The life and culture in our corner of Piedmont is traditional and rich. I have always wanted to live in Italy and I'm so proud that I've had the chance to do so in such a wonderful place!
Thank you everyone for sharing the journey with me through this blog! I'll be posting about my future and past adventures as they come up so keep a weather eye on the horizon!
We arrived in Hanoi from Hue on the 5th. It was an uncomfortable ride up on the soft seat (next time we will splurge on a sleeper) but we made it in one piece. Its a lot cooler here and overcast. I think it had been raining.
Anyway we made our way to the hotel to get settled in for the night. Hanoi is Vietnam's capital, but its smaller feeling and quieter than Ho Chi Minh. Our hotel in the Old Town was hidden in a maze of tiny streets all selling different wares. We passed shoe street, aluminium street, tops street. We were on selotape and stationary street!
We weren't going to be here for long so we didn't plan on seeing many sites, but we did walk along the lakeside to see the Turtle Tower and get some lunch. On the way, there was a wedding taking place at one of the restaurants. It brought the whole street to a standstill as onlookers crowded the road trying to see the bride (I presumed).
The following day we were picked up at 8 to start our trip to Halong Bay. It was a 4 hour journey to the harbour a long another road-in-progress.
Halong Bay is a magnificent collection of over 1000 limestone cliffs and islands. It was one of the top experiences on our wish list for Vietnam and we'd booked a night on board a traditional junk boat to make the most of it.
We boarded and checked into our cabin, which was surprisingly lovely, before being served lunch as we cruised into the archipelago. The food in amazing. Fresh seafood, vegetables, meats and rice with fresh fruit. Its a good job we ate as much as we did as we needed our strength for our first activity, kayaking!
We wore ourselves out paddling through the caves in the calm bay waters then sat on deck to watch the islands float by as we sailed deeper into the bay. I remembered how much I enjoyed cruising down the Nile a few years ago with my family. There was a new view behind every cliff and island and we were away from the rest of the boats giving the illusion we were alone in the bay. It was beautiful.
A little later we climbed one of the islands peaks for a wonderful view in the evening sun, and we watched the sun set wrapped up on deck. In the evening we enjoyed another wonderful meal and sat up chatting with our crew mates from Belgium, Holland and the United States (the Vietnamese couple went to bed early).
We were up at 7 for breakfast before paying a visit to "the amazing cave". None of us knew why it was meant to be amazing! On approaching, our guide Tony tells us the rock is called elephant rock. Sure enough from the right angle it did look like the entrance to the cave was the eye of a semi-submerged elephant who is poking his trunk out of the water to breathe.
Inside were three caves, each one larger than the last which is pretty amazing. They were cool but not wet like other caves I've been too, and the ceiling looked like sand on the beach. In the largest cave there was a rock called turtle rock (it did look like a turtle). People had left money on his back which our guide told us had something to do with praying for patience, which the turtle symbolises.
Back on board we made traditional Vietnamese spring rolls to be enjoyed with lunch as we sailed back to the harbour. We made it through lunch, but then we were forced to stop sailing as a horrendous storm passed over us. We passed the time playing Uno, as you do!
We got back to Hanoi eventually, after a bit of a chaotic ride home, with just enough time for dinner and bag packing as we are off to Cambodia tomorrow!
We caught the sleeper bus from Hoi An the Hue in the morning. It was strange to be travelling whilst led down, but it was a good excuse for a little extra sleep. The road up was lovely and coastal.
In Hue we dodged a rogue taxi driver for a legit metered taxi to our hotel. The rogue gave us a price of 50,000 and and we ended up paying just 16,000 with the meter so it pays to check, kids!
As normal, we dumped our bags and headed for the main sight, the citadel, imperial enclosure and forbidden city. A citadel, within a citadel, within a citadel. Confusing yes, but much easier to understand when you are there. It was largely destroyed during the American War and there is a lot of restoration work taking place that offered a glimpse of the former glory of the Emperors home. At times though the destruction is so devastating it's hard to imagine so much damage could be done so recently.
In one corner of a temple was an exhibition with images taken from French colonial times showing the citadel in action hosting meetings and ceremonies. Its wonderful to see the story behind the building. So often in historical sights we must use our imagination and art to form an image in our mind, never truly knowing what things were like. It was refreshing to see what it would have truly been like. Though this is fairly recent history, the change in culture and continent makes it all feel as though it could be thousands of years old.
Due to time restrictions we only got the day in Hue, but I feel like it was enough to get to grips with the citadel, and eat some yummy Bun Bo Hue, a beef noodle soup with chilli!
We spent the next day making travel arrangements before boarding the overnight train to Hanoi for the last of our Vietnam adventures!
It was the earliest start yet. The alarm pounded my ears at 4.30am. We were up to get the train from Nha Trang to Danang, from where we would catch a bus to Hoi An, the ancient city that I had high hopes for. The whole town is a protected UNESCO World Heritage site, so you know it's got to be good!
The sun was just coming up as we left the station and the scenery was beautiful. Trains are a great way to travel (even though my tray got stuck and the toilets were a little scary)!
Once we arrived in Hoi An, we were quick to drop our bags and head into the town to get our bearings. I had so much anticipation that Hoi An would be good, but I was in no way prepared for what we found.
We knew we were onto a winner as we passed signs for 5,000 vnd beers (that's 15p) but then, like the opening of a dam, Hoi An overwhelmed us. The lanterns were bright like gemstones and the houses were all shades of honey and yellow. The whole town glowed in the evening light. Finally we were finding the Asia I'd been dreaming of.
Something around every corner!
We fell immediately in love.
The next day we were up and out shortly after 9am. We went straight to the ticket stand to get our entry into some of the historic sites.
The congressional buildings we visited were stunning pieces of architecture. Each corner is covered in colour and intricate designs. Inside there are spirals of incense that travellers have sponsored. Their smell fills the air.
Incense spirals in the Cantonese Congressional
Later we had traditional tea in a tea house run by deaf and speech impaired staff. It's so peaceful inside and we sip our tea from tiny bowls in near silence.
Tea at Reaching Out Tea House
The whole town is so charming, it's like a Disney version of itself! Everywhere you turn there is something delightful to catch your eye and it's such a relief after 3 weeks of searching to find something just like this.
Over the Japanese covered bridge
We grabbed a banh mi for lunch (even that was off the scale yummy) before heading back to the hotel to do a little flight booking.
At dinner, we tried the local dish 'white rose' which is a bit like an open Chinese dumpling in the shape of a flower. We eat overlooking the river and a girl selling candle lanterns to be floated down stream.
Again, our trip to Nha Trang started the same as every other journey: with an early start. By 7:30 in the morning were rolling down from Dalat through beautiful scenery and simply stunning views.
Once we arrived (and eventually found our hotel) we grabbed a quick pizza before heading to the beach for a dip in the sea. It's immediately clear that Nha Trang is a true beach resort. There was a long promenade against the sand and helpful vendors offer you their sun beds.
We decided to set up camp under the shade of a palm tree on our towels and head for the ocean. The sea was a delight, cool and clear. There was a breeze too so a few kiteboarders were about to provide entertainment.
We dried off on the sand then headed back to the hotel when the afternoons clouds arrived for a nap.
The next day we remembered why hotels with breakfast included are so good! Banana pancakes are a great way to start the day!
We'd booked a boat trip today so we could see the islands around Nha Trang. From experience we also know a boat trip was a good excuse for some fun and this one didn't let us down.
We goggled (because the snorkel was rubbish) and saw lots of fish. At a floating fish market we saw lobsters, squid and various fish for sale. Whilst a squid was being caught we got to see the full force of its ink!
The day ended with karaoke and a happy hour drink in the sea, which I celebrated by jumping in from the top of the boat (after Mark, to make sure it was safe!).
We enjoyed cheap food and BOGOF cocktails that night before an early night as we were leaving for Hoi An at the most ungodly hour the next morning!
We arrive in Dalat after 5pm, which is never ideal as it makes it so difficult to get your bearings. The journey into the mountains was slow but scenic, and not quite as scary as we had been told. On the way we pass a dam and a line of pipe which cuts through the forest lookimg like it's straight out of a bond movie.
Once in Dalat we check into our hotel (possibly the worst yet) and head into the town. Searching for somewhere nice to eat after a 5 hour journey, and having no idea where to go makes everything seem 10 times harder. We eventually find a cluster of places amongst the countless cafes and settle in.
We try to get some sleep through the inexplicable banging and crashing that goes on through the night.
In the morning we are ready to give Dalat a second chance, knowing places by day can be a totally different story to their nighttime versions. We start by getting our tickets for the bus out and grab a very tasty breakfast at the popular V Cafe. Eggs and bacon are on the menu, and the stereo is playing a mix of jazz and blues. Perhaps Dalat is Le Petite Paris after all?
Filled up we start the day walking to Crazy House, which deserves its name. Anyone who's been to the Antoni Gaudi house in Barcelona will have an idea of what its like. For those who haven't it's a house designed to break architectural rules. The stairs sometimes climb over the roof and there are niches which have been turned into rooms. Its exciting and we dive in happy to see a little character.
After, we walk back to the lake and try to find the famed flower gardens. Our map is'nt very good and we end up walking around a golf course, of which one of the roads is complete, the other a dusty work in progress. Eventually though we find the gardens. They end up being no more than nicely planted pots, and we decide not to go in. Instead we walk back along the lake instead, passing an ice cream bike, and man taking a nap in the middle of the pavement (and why wouldn't you).
All this time I havent realised how strong the sun has been on my shoulders; its about 10 degrees cooler here. By the end of the day im a bit worse for wear!
The following day we'd booked a trek with Groovy Gecko Tours. We are picked up at 9.30 and driven out into the countryside then we are off!
The trek starts with a very steep ascent to somewhere around 1600ft. Its a hard climb, and I start to realise how long its been since I did a strong cardio workout. Im definitely getting one now! At the top we get a stunning view of Dalat nestled between the surrounding hills. Jungle and forest spread as far as the eye can see, breaking only for the man made lake.
As we start our decent, the forest quickly turns to jungle. Its immediately cooler and wetter and we are told to watch out for leeches. We trek through listening to the sounds of the birds. As the jungle thins the route gets steeper, then suddenly we are on the banks of the lake. Walking through the last of the trees I spot something in the distance. I ask in shock if it's real and Mark assures me it is. Stood in front of me in an elephant! He is clearly there for tourist rides, and looks a little sad about it, but it's the last thing I was expecting to see!
Our guide prepares our lunch whilst we gaze at the lake, and I eat so much fresh mango I nearly pop. It was a great day and just what we needed after weeks of towns and city.
We dont have much trouble getting an early night after such an exhausting day. Good thing too, we've another early start in the morning as we travel to Nha Trang!
We arrive in Mui Ne a little after lunch and are warmly greeted at our hotel 'Mui Ne Hills 2' and shown to our rooms. Its not long before we are dozing beside the pool in the shade of the frangipani tree.
The pool has a panoramic view of the sea and we can watch the kitesurfers whilst enjoying the cool breeze and very chilled out playlist.
The beach is a little disappointing, with a strong current and high winds, not great if you aren't there to kite surf, but we do come from very spoiled Bournemouth in terms of nice beaches. The whole area here is tailored to kitesurfers though so if that's your kind of thing, this is the place for you!
Mui Ne reminds me in parts of Greece and Turkey in the hills and rustic lifestyle, and Tulum (Mexico) for the relaxed traveller vibe and shabby chic coolness.
We find a groovy sand covered place for cheap drinks in the evening, and indulge in a delicious burger. Here, flip flops are left at the entrance to get the sand between your toes and the sound system is playing chill out. As usual there is a friendly dog and some clicking lizards in the distance.
For whatever reason Mui Ne is full of Russians, so much so the menu, signs and shops all cater to them. Its so interesting to be the minority somewhere, but it makes finding somewhere to eat a bit harder. One night I eat the greenest green curry ever (I literally mean bright green) and on our last night we treat ourselves to a slap up Indian that really hits the spot!
Overall, Mui Ne is everything we needed. Sun, swimming and not a lot else.
Firstly I'd like to say a big thank you to everyone who has sent us messages of love and support over the past week or so. You've certainly helped us see we are doing the right thing and that we should at the very least be happy whilst we are out here.
Without going into too many of the details, since the last post on this blog we've arranged finishing our contracts and are about to head back to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).
Friday 21 March
Today is the day we get our documents back and Mark strides into the cafe (where I am waiting with our bags and a cold coke) with a fistful of paper in his hands and a big smile on his face!
We hot foot it to the bus station and are soon en route to HCMC. We both plug into our iPods and feel the excitement grow. This is the real start of our adventure, hot on the backseat of a bus with little to tie us down. It's the first time we've felt really excited, like we are really travelling. Even when we left the UK we were on our way to work - we had appointments in a city we didn't even have a map for - but not anymore.
Arriving, we check into our hotel in the heart of the backpacker district and quickly make our way to 'The View' sky bar for dinner and a beer. Its actually good to be back!
Saturday 22 March
We have a few errands to do today before leaving in the morning. Number one is a trip to the post office. We'd packed lots of extra clothes when we came, expecting to be teaching, living and being generally 'unpacked' for a while. As our circumstances changed we decided it was time to shed some bulk, but there are some things we just couldn't part with. So, sack of clothes in hand we arrived at the post office to send a little over 2.5kg home. Being extra money conscious, we chose the cheaper over land option, costing somewhere around £20 and taking up to 3 months! Good thing we aren't in a rush!
Job number two is finding mark more credit for his phone, and three is getting some delicious lunch from the Baguette Viet Nam place next to the hotel. I get a massive sub with chicken, salad and that cant-quite-put-my-finger-on-it Vietnamese flavour with a coke for 20,000vnd. That's 61p!
In the afternoon, job number four is treating myself to a £1.80 pedicure to make sure my toes are pool ready!
I start to forget why I didn't like this place to begin with! It goes to show that location really is everything!
By the end of the day we are excited about getting to the seaside in the morning and have enjoyed our time in Ho Chi Minh, being fed, pampered and having left a lot of baggage behind us.
Sorry this one is a bit long, but there is just so much I want to communicate!
Thursday 13th March
It's an early start (5am) as we make our way to Tan An to meet the school and see where we will be living. We arrive hot and tired, but are immediately handed a worksheet and given 15 minutes to prepare a lesson to deliver to the staff. My lesson is on the family and with a few ideas up my sleeve I think I did a good job considering I had little more than the student handout to work from. I'm sure we will have the teacher notes and opportunities to prepare when we are doing the job for real.
By the time I come out 30 minutes later, Mark has been told that we are not staying here long, but are going to My Tho 40 minutes drive away for our training. Its not a great start but we suck it up, another town visited and more of the region explored right?
We arrive to our basic house and are given our schedule for the weekend; a list of classes and references to textbooks. Eventually we find the textbooks which are designed for the students to fill in, no lesson plans and no resources. We ask if we need to design the lessons and we are just told to get them talking.
Our anxiety levels begin to rise again. We've been looking forward to delivering exciting and engaging lessons. The goal posts keep moving and its becoming more difficult to keep up.
Friday 14th March
Today we enjoy a lazy morning and review the class content for our first lessons this evening.
By the time our first lessons come around we are a bag of nerves. Will the children like us, what will our purpose be alongside the Vietnamese teacher? Are there any other native speakers around? The staff at the schools speak very little English so we are finding communication very hard.
We soon realise our role in this class is just to correct pronunciation, but at least the teacher has what looks like a plan, yippee!
Saturday 15 the March
Its our first full day of classes, another early start and a day of mixed emotions.
By the end of the morning classes I am emotional again, and this time I can't keep it in. Its pretty clear now that no one is expecting us to teach any grammar, just drill pronunciation and lead classes with only seconds to see the lessons teaching objectives. This leaves us having to think on our feet and I find myself making mistakes.
I don't feel like this place is quite right for us and I desperately wish there were some other native speakers we could talk to. We feel alone in this new place and job and need support.
The afternoon is a little better and I optimistically think we might be OK, but its not long before we are talking about whether a different location might be better for us.
We really are taking each day as it comes, but the rollercoaster of emotions is beginning to take its toll.
Sunday 16th March
Today is another long and emotional day. (I know you are most likely getting bored of me saying this, trust me I am too!). We have another full day of classes.
The morning goes well as thinking on my feet gets a little easier, but in my heart I wish I had more time to create a great lesson instead of a good lesson. Anyone can drill pronunciation!
We have a long break in the afternoon and use this to research places we could reach on our time off. The closest beach is Mui Ne, a short 8 hour drive away. A quick look in the guide book reminds us the best sites in Vietnam are nowhere near us.
Back in school I have my worst class yet; have they remembered anything from their last lesson? The teacher in the class says most of the classes get to meet a native speaker once a month, and in her year at the school she has known more than five different native speakers.
I confide in my mum about how hard its been and how I'm not sure this is the right place or school for us. Its good to finally admit this to someone other than Mark who is feeling the same. As always she is supportive and understanding.
Perhaps things will be better when we arrive in Tan An tomorrow.
Monday 17th March
Surprise surprise we are picked up later than planned, 7 hours later! At half three we are on the road again and praying the new location will be better.
Arriving, the new house is larger, but there are less facilities in the kitchen; just a sink, fridge and kettle so it will be impossible to cook at home. Hopefully there are some nice places to eat near by.
There isn't and we are disheartened as we take our seats in a rather dirty establishment for dinner.
When our schedule arrives we find out that we will in fact be teaching another 40 mins up the road for the week. After a little back and fourth via email we confirm that we will be teaching in a different location each week. We knew we would be visiting different schools, but we expected them to be closer by. Our main frustration with this is that we never get a chance to build a good relationship and rapport with the students as we will see them so infrequently.
The disadvantages of this school and location are beginning to mount up to the point where we aren't enjoying ourselves at all.
I did meet this lovely pooch though!
Tuesday 18th March
We wake up and decide to explore the city more, perhaps we've missed an important area which could change everything. We make for district 1 with true hope in our hearts but find nothing; no park, no scenery and no sights of interest.
Today is also our first day of real paid for lessons. It doesn't start well as the man meant to drive us to Ben Luc is 45 minutes late. When we arrive we are handed a folder with the register and shown to the rooms. The staff member who shows me the way then goes to close the door and leave before I get to ask her about the computer and if there is any supporting material for the class. It takes about 15 minutes for them to find the password and a working mouse for the PC. After all this I'm told there isn't actually any supporting material for this class. With the last 35 mins of my class I rush through the workload and leave the rest for homework (not that I will be able to mark it!)
On the way home, Mark and I finally admit to ourselves that this is not working. There aren't enough positive aspects to keep us here. As I write this now, I can't think of any. Even the teaching experience will be minimal as we won't be assessing or monitoring our students progress.
We draft our resignation letter outlining the issues we have been having and explaining that we would like to leave.
It isn't a decision we make lightly; we wanted to make a new life here in Vietnam and were completely invested in it. We trained for months, sold everything and left all the comforts of home and its just not been what we wanted. We are exhausted, depressed and craving to see more of the country.
I am so worried about what you might all think, and I hope you will be understanding. A close friend said "there's no point in doing all this if it isn't making you happy. You have the world at your finger tips". This was echoed by our family which has helped us feel so much more comfortable with the decision. We might never get an opportunity to travel the world again, so we have to make this time count.
What's next?
It's now Wednesday 19th March. 2 weeks into our trip. We've made our arrangements and will be heading back to Ho Chi Minh in a few days and then on to Mui Ne for a relaxing few days on the beach.
Our plan now is to make our way up the country to Hanoi, taking in the sights. Afterwards we will consider our next steps, and whether we feel we want to find work in Vietnam, or continue our travels.
We already feel much better, planning our itinerary and digging out the guide books from our bags. This is where our adventure resumes, with the open road and a few tickets!
So there you have it! I'll leave you with the song I've heard most in my first two weeks in Vietnam, enjoy!
We are up bright and early for our meeting at the British Consulate. We arrive a little nervous as we don't know exactly what's going to happen for our documents to be legalised and neither of us have ever visited an embassy before. Our nerves are put to rest though as we speak comfortable English with the lady behind the counter and indulge in some BBC world news, which isn't on the normal TV.
After the necessary stamps and signatures we are off to Can Tho, some three hours down the road on the bumpy back seat of a bus. There are so many bridges over the river and the bus bounces hard over each one waking me from my dozing!
We arrive in a not so comfortable hotel (not even a shower curtain) and start to wonder exactly what we have let ourselves in for. We are both riding a wave of emotions at a time we wanted to be exciting.
Tuesday 11th March
We wake up feeling a little more optimistic and head to the water front with the intention of hiring a boat to take us out on the river. We are starting to feel a bit claustrophobic in the cities and think some time on the water will lift our spirits. Oh boy does it! Immediately we are happier being splashed and swayed by the waves and start to feel more like tourists on holiday than stressed employees.
Our driver takes us to the smaller backwaters people don't usually venture down, and we get a chance to catch a little sun and wave to the locals.
Wednesday 12th March
It's our last day in Can Tho so we decide to test out the water park. It's a bit of a walk but we don't mind. However, when we arrive it's clearly closed (and for longer than lunch). Disappointed we turn to the guide book, which we realise is becoming more out of date every day, and see there is a hotel close by whose pool we might be able to cool off in.
It's a different world inside the resort. Everyone speaks English and the towels are thick and fluffy. We enjoy a relaxing afternoon of reading, swimming and general layaboutness but also realise how far detached resorts are from the real life of a country. I'm glad we have been experiencing the real Vietnam, but wish there was more balance between these two worlds.
We are back to reality just in time to meet our connection for dinner and hear we have a 5am start in the morning, so quickly head back to get packing and glad we let ourselves relax all day.
We arrive in Ho Chi Minh at 7am, with very little sleep and a few strange meals in our stomach's from the flight. After getting our visas sorted we find a taxi to take us further into the city; the airport is already pretty central. I immediately realise that everything you hear about the traffic and driving in Ho Chi Minh is true, and Mark and I giggle nervously in the back seat all the way to the hotel. There is no order, just honking and swerving.
After dropping our bags off we head into the city with no idea where the best sights are or what to expect from the city. Our street is crowded with street food vendors and scooters and we spend much of the walk dodging one or the other and hopping over tree roots! Its noisy, smelly and humid.
We bravely cross the road making a beeline for a park and somewhere cool to sit. Nearby an older Vietnamese lady is doing some sort of gentle exercise which consists of wiggling on the spot and shimmying her arms back and fourth. A man is fishing in the lily pond.
Later, after a long nap, we stumble into the backpacker district for happy hour cocktails and n*sync in the rooftop bar. We find out more things are true; the beer is cheaper than water, and the pho really is about £1. Around 11pm the traffic dies down and we finally sleep.
Day 2, March 7th
We wake up rested and eager to see more of the city. We grab a taxi to Notre Dame Cathedral which is beautiful. Around the square 3 separate brides are having their wedding photos taken with their new husbands. After our first delicious iced coffee and a little breakfast we mosey to the lovely Tao Dan Park past the Reunification Palace.
Then more iced coffee and scooter watching before planning out how long we might survive based on the days spending and another bowl of pho. We spend the afternoon in the War Remnants Museum which is sad, shocking and so recent for many of the other visitors.
Cheering ourselves up, we saunter down the pretty boulevards towards the river front, passing the Ho Chi Minh statue, fountains and designer shops. This really could be Paris and we soon realise the restaurant prices are similar. Its a beautiful part of the city though.
Staring out across the water, the eastern bank is empty except for a small church. Its green and quiet. I start to look forward to seeing our new home in Tan An.
We head back to the backpacker scene for dinner, discontented with the idea of paying more than £3 for a meal, and treat ourselves to some of the beautifully decorated cakes from the bakery near the hotel.
Day 3, March 8th
After a disturbed and restless sleep we are awake before 6am. Isn't it strange how couples do that, feel each others feelings, be it not sleeping, wanting something or thinking something together.
This day is more relaxed. We pop for morning coffee and a pastry, I nap for an hour. Then we buy our sim cards and visit the awe inspiring Xa Loi Pagoda, a Buddhist temple. The air here is filled with incense and Mark and I must use separate stairs to reach the entrance. Its a moment of stillness in a city of chaos that I wish I could bottle and carry with me down the busy street. I say a prayer to myself then visit the shrine to the many Buddhist monks who have sacrificed themselves through self-immolation including Thich Quan Duc.
In the afternoon Mark gets to nap, and is excited about the Southampton game he will be able to watch later that night.
So you've got your awesome TEFL certificate, what next?
Book your flight, pack your bags and kiss your mama goodbye?
For me, and many other TEFL graduates I'm sure, you will find getting your certificate is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to starting a new life abroad.
Here, I'm going to give you an overview of the preparation I had to do to move from Bournemouth, UK to the Mekong Delta in Vietnam in two parts* ; preparation for at home, and away. Read Part 1 here.
*These are my own experiences to date. I am in no means an expert.
Part 2: Preparation for Vietnam
Vaccinations. As soon as you know when you are going, get yourself to the nurse to talk about vaccinations. Some courses take a few months, but there are usually options available if everything is happening a bit last minute. The NHS Fit For Travel website is the best 'by country' resource to help you out.
Anti-malarials. I take the ‘better safe than sorry’ approach to anti-malarials. Depending on what your plans are, you may need one or another type of anti-malarial. For Vietnam and travelling around Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Cambodia, we were recommended:
Chloroquine/Proguanil (bargain at c.£15 for 7 weeks of treatment - which equates to 2 weeks in a high risk area)
Document certification. Be prepared; to get a work permit in Vietnam (to teach English) you may be required to have your certificates and criminal disclosure 'notarized'*. Here's how:
1. Call a local solicitor's office and ask if they can do ‘Document Certification’ and how much they charge per document. Usually this will cost anywhere between £4 and £10 per document. We were able to walk into the office and have the documents signed there and then in about 15 minutes.
2. Once you have a solicitor’s signature on either your original document or a photocopy, you can send your documents to be legalised at the Legalisation Office. The GOV.uk website tells you everything you need to do to pay and send your documents. It costs £30 per document and you also need to pay for outward and return post. The process is quick, but if the solicitor who signed your document doesn't have a signature on file, it may take a few extra days.
*It is worth noting that things are not black and white regarding which indeed, if any documents need legalising before you arrive in Vietnam. We've had a lot of conflicting information, but decided it's harder to get the documents certified once we've left the country, so better safe than sorry.
Police checks. You might have heard of CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) forms, and an employer might ask you for a Police check of CRC (Criminal Record Check), but in the UK, obtaining a criminal disclosure as an individual is now done through Disclosure Scotland, and is called ‘basic disclosure’. It costs £25 and takes about 10 days.
Gadgets. Travelling today is not as simple as throwing a few necessities in a bag and grabbing a guidebook; it takes gadgets. Our tablet will be invaluable whilst we are living in Vietnam as a way to Skype home, find places to stay and source valuable teaching resources. But tablets, iPods and cameras are expensive, so plan what you might need now and get saving/begging/borrowing. Remember, there’s no iTunes app for Android, so load up your iPod with music before you go!
Dress codes at work. Do not be fooled into thinking an English teacher/world traveller can go to work in a sarong right off the beach. Vietnam is at the end of the day a communist country and there are rules that need to be adhered to. You'll likely need smart closed-toe shoes, trousers, shirts and modest dresses.
Flights. It's fun booking a one-way ticket, but long haul to Vietnam is not cheap. Expect to pay upwards of £370 with Vietnam Airways, who are cheap and fly direct to Ho Chi Minh. Check Skyscanner for the best fares and be flexible with your departure date to get the best price.
Visas. If you are going to be working in Vietnam, you should be able to get a letter from your employer, which will grant you a business visa on arrival. It will cost about $45 for 30 days single entry (I think). If you are arriving in Vietnam as a tourist, the best I can suggest is to apply to the Vietnamese Embassy in London. Make sure you know your arrival date and they will be able to put the Visa in your passport before you arrive. The process can be done by post, or in person over 2 days.
The fun bits. Once you've jumped the hoops it's time to start learning about the culture, planning where you'd like to go and practicing some phrases. Here are some of the best blogs and websites specifically on teaching and the Mekong Delta that I’ve found:
Despite the fact I'm moving to Vietnam in a little over a months time, tonight I am taking my first lesson in Italian.
"Italian?!" I hear you cry.
Yes, dear reader.
You see, whilst I will have little use for Italian in Vietnam, (though I have been assured there is at least one Italian restaurant in the Mekong Delta) learning Italian is something I have wanted to do ever since I first visited Rome and began my love affair with the country in 2010. And believe it or not, I think now is actually the BEST time for me to start. Here's why:
1. I am about to start a new life an a teacher of English as a foreign language. I have almost no knowledge of Italian beyond the menu in Pizza Express and the phrase "bel far niente" which I learnt reading Eat Pray Love. With this in mind, I think it will be a great experience to be in the shoes of the student right before I become the teacher, refreshing my memory of the complex world of language and learning.
2. My husband and I would love to be able to end our time travelling by spending as long as we can in Italy. When we visited a Tuscan vineyard for a few days in 2012 we managed to squeeze seeing Sienna, San Gimignano and Pisa into one day en route to the airport in our hire car. It was one crazy day, but it gave us a taste of the Italian countryside, and left us hungry for more. With our TEFL qualification and some experience we might even be able to find work as teachers! I bet the Italian language classes will be useful then.
3. Why not? I am in the full swing of operation-pack-up and I will very soon run out of things to do. I've already worked out how many cups of tea I need to drink to get through this pack! Having something new and fun to learn will help me relax. I don't want to be waiting and planning things my entire life and this is one thing I can do now.
So there it is. I'm a British girl, moving to Vietnam, starting to learn Italian. (I am also learning Vietnamese too; Chào actually means hello in Vietnamese; Ciao is the Italian.)
Now, watch this amazing clip from the IT Crowd, which I think pretty accurately shows what I'll be like trying to use my Italian skills!
So you've got your awesome TEFL certificate, what next?
Book your flight, pack your bags and kiss your mama goodbye?
For me, and many other TEFL graduates I'm sure, you will find getting your certificate is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to starting a new life abroad.
Here, I'm going to give you an overview of the preparation I had to do to move from Bournemouth, UK to the Mekong Delta in Vietnam in two parts ; preparation for at home, and away (covered in Part 2).
*These are my own experiences to date. I am in no means an expert.
Part 1: Preparation for at home
Living arrangements. Currently Renting? Get in touch with your landlord as soon as possible to see when your current lease expires. We were lucky enough to be on a 6-month lease, which ends exactly when we need it to. It's always worth asking if you can leave your lease early. If you own your own home you'll need to think about the laws around renting it out or *gulp* if you're going to sell it which is a long and costly process.
Mobile phone contracts. With some forward planning you might be able to join a sim only month-to-month plan like these from Orange, leaving you free to cancel at anytime. If you are in the middle of a contract, it’s often hard to get out of them without paying off the rest of the term. This could be very costly if you've only just signed up for a 24 month deal to nab yourself the latest iPhone.
Debts. The last things you want to leave behind are any debts. They are likely to still need repaying whilst you are away and any issues can be tricky to resolve from the other side of the world. My advice is to start working them down as soon as you can. I worked in the background for 2-3 years to become debt free, but knowing there won’t be any surprises whilst I am away is worth it.
Insurance. A bit of a pain, but the last thing you'd want when you’re miles from home and sick is the added stress of how you're going to pay for it. Get insurance that will cover you for all the activities you might do. Try Explorer Insurance for a quote; for the two of us for 18 months cost circa £500 and included any paid work we did.
Savings. Whilst the cost of living is generally cheaper than at home, you will need savings facilitate your travels. $50 per person per day seems to be a reasonable guide, but it is always worth having back up funds for an emergency flight home. Working as a teacher will obviously make your money go further too!
Downsize. Make a little extra money before you go by selling off any bits you don't need. Gumtree and car boot sales are a great place to sell, and the more you shift the less you have to store. Make sure you are set up at a car boot sale early to be ready for the eager buyers and accept a certain amount at bargaining. Car Boot Junction gives you details of local sales.
Storage. My advice is to make friends with someone who has a large and mostly empty loft. Storage units are expensive (£1000 per year) and hard to manage if you don't know when you will be back. Sell, sell, sell and keep only the essentials and sentimental things you need for your return.
Jobs. There are a few options when it comes to your jobs. Depending on your current situation you might want to quit, take a sabbatical, or arrange remote working if you plan on only teaching part-time. Think about your options carefully and unless you are happy to leave your job, speak to your employer soon. They'll appreciate your honestly and you never know what kinds of arrangements you might be able to come to.
Cash. Think hard about how you are going to access your funds whilst you are away. Through my research I've found that accessing cash using my regular debit card will be expensive and I want to eat into as little of my savings as I can. I recommend a cash card of sorts e.g. this one from STA Travel. You can easily top it up online through the modern wonder of internet banking for no fee. Once you know where you will be teaching, you might also want to open an account with a local branch. HSBC are a truly global bank with a website (mostly) in English wherever you are.
Changing your address. You aren't only going travelling, you're probably moving house too. Don't forget everything that goes with it. Cancelling utilities, subscriptions, TV licences and registrations. One advantage you have is the pleasure of the perfect excuse. "Forget the sales pitch, I'm leaving the country!"
Lots of people go travelling because they want to experience new things, and I am no exception.
I mean, what better opportunity to try something different than when I'm living in a new country, doing a different job and surrounded by opportunity!
There are a lot of things I've read about that take my fancy, but some appeal to a side of me that's been waiting patiently to be awakened.
Like a cookery course in Thailand. It’s an untapped passion of mine to cook, and my brownies are notorious in my office. I recently went on an evening cooking class for a friend’s birthday and really enjoyed it; I even prepared the shrimps, poo removal and everything! Taking a cookery class in Thailand, one of my favourite cuisines would be great fun and a fantastic way to immerse myself in a small part of Thai culture, smiling all the way.
Like a day as an elephant trainer! I love a bit a nature and an elephant experience is right at the top of my list of must do's. Another friend who recently visited Thailand was shocked by some of the treatment of elephants she saw, so it's important to me that wherever we have our experience the elephants are property cared for and not exploited. Elephant's are beautiful, majestic animals and the biggest I think I'll ever be able to get close to.
Like a yoga and meditation retreat! I'm not a Buddhist, I don't have a yogi, I don't even attend a regular yoga class, but I am craving something. I love to stretch out after a run, and wish I knew how to calm my mind, so yoga with meditation sounds (and has always sounded) right up my street. But I also feel I need to explore my feelings around belief, faith and spirituality. It's these things that a yoga class in a sweaty gym might never be able to provide and if I'm perfectly honest, I'm too nervous to attend a real yoga class with so little knowledge of what its all about.
Like scuba diving! Nothing says Gili Island culture to me than a short scuba course, and with my awesome aqua shoes in my backpack, it's only the fear I get of inhaling water whilst submerged and wearing a weighted belt that I have to worry about! But hey, I'm not going to let that stop me!
So there it is, my culture vulture wish list, because if not now, when?
I led in bed last night wide awake and unable to turn my mind off. That's Sunday nights! All the rest from the weekend wiped out in a flash as I toss and turn all night thinking about logistics and a to-do list for the week, month, rest of my life!
I know Mark often goes through the same thing, lying silently next to me mulling over everything and nothing.
Last night though, we broke the silence and at 12.02am admitted to ourselves that we were awake and set about trying to remedy the situation.
Hot milk - Check
Few minutes reading - Check
Switching off - No way
The fact of the matter is we are just too excited about moving to Vietnam in just 8 weeks time! 8 WEEKS!!
We've got bags of equipment, clothing and luggage all waiting to be ripped open and packed; I have lost a full corner of my bedroom!
So, here are a few of my favourite things I have stored up so far:
1. Aqua shoes
These are quite possibly the single most important purchase I have made. You see I have a massive fear of stepping on some sort of poisonous animal in the sea, but no more with these babies! (And they totally match my bag!)
2. My watch
Mark bought me this beautiful watch for my birthday this year. One of my wishes from when we are travelling is to be less reliant on my phone, not checking it every 5 minutes, only using technology for research and entertainment. A watch was a must have (so much so I actually got 2). This one even has a turtle on it, to remind me of the amazing experience I had in Mexico watching a turtle lay her eggs on my honeymoon.
3. First Aid Kit
Again with the cautious side of me! I feel much better now I have a basic first aid kit and it is jammed FULL of essentials. Bandages, paracetamol, sterile wipes you name it!
4. My bag - A Berghaus Capacitor 35L
Mark insisted I got the more reasonably sized bag and let him do all the heavy lifting... and they say romance is dead.
After months of training, early morning interviews, and a little negotiating, we finally know where we are starting our adventure...
The Mekong Delta, Vietnam!
Yes, as of March 2014 - 10 weeks time - we will be living an working in the south of this beautiful country in either Can Tho or Vinh Long.
We've been planning our travels for a long time now, so its exciting to finally have a start point and date, and even better one that's not even very far away.
