Blissed out in Bali part 2: Kuta

5-15 May

We'd heard mixed reviews about Kuta; an Australian ghetto, a nightlife centre, just plain horrid. Regardless we decided to give it a go, as the beach was well reviewed and we knew we would surely find gems as we do anywhere.

Arriving we discovered Kuta is truly about as different from quiet, sleepy Ubud as you can get. The hawkers were more aggressive, there were more tourists and it wasn't as pretty. We found our place, Hotel Bakung Sari and settled in before going for a walk.

Soon enough we found the beach. It was long, deep and sandy and even had a few lifeguards. The beach was a great place for first time surfers, and it's curve reminded me of my local beach in Bournemouth.

The following day we headed back to the beach. We intended to hire a few beds for the day, but at 200 idr we instead flopped on the sand. It was really hot, around 34degrees, so it wasn't long before the crash of the waves beckoned us in. The water was amazing. It was cool and clear and didn't have any seaweed! I was in heaven jumping over the waves and splashing about like a kid. There were a lot of people selling things, from handy things like ice cream to more unconventional beach paraphernalia like bows and arrows, but we'd mastered our "no" face by now so it wasn't much of a bother.

In the evening the road near us was closed and full of people in traditional Balinese dress participating in some kind of ritual. The street smelled of incense and the sound of the gongs rang out. It was nice to know there are still parts of traditional Balinese life in Kuta.

On Wednesday we decided it was time to try out something new, and this time it was body boarding. Mark hadn't done it before and it had been a long time for me. We managed to negotiate hire on one board for the day for 80 idr. After a while I got my sea legs back and rode my first wave all the way to the shoreline. The waves were big enough to surf on, but I held my own amongst the surfers I think. It's such a great feeling when the wave picks you up; all the tiredness from your paddling is instantly replaced with excitement. Mark was a natural too, of course, and I get to thinking about if this could be a new hobby for at home?

We enjoyed a few more lazy days before Marks birthday on the 10th. He'd decided he wanted to go to a water park and it turns out we are only a hop skip and a jump away from Waterbom, Asia's number 1 water park! I'm dubious about how good it will be, but I'm so pleasantly surprised! The slides are great quality and the park is clean and safe. We have a fantastic day racing, dropping and swirling around on the flumes and slides and burn countless calories climbing all the steps.

In the afternoon we chat to our friends before going for a sunset drink on the beach. We eat at Havana, a Latino restaurant which lured Mark in with it's temping chicken wing challenge. I'll let him tell you about that! Afterwards, we thought about finding some nightlife, which we hadn't done since leaving the UK. We were given info on the beach about the Sky Garden and decide to give it a go. It was a mostly empty super club and we eventually found the 'VIP traveller lounge offering free drinks and tapas' or 'room for drunk teenagers with free blue vodka drinks from the sticky bar'. It isn't long before we decided to leave, and when we did we found a different world outside. Kuta had become Ibiza! We had no idea this was where it all happened, only a few roads from where we had been staying. Its surprising, but no where could tempt us in.

The rest on our time in Kuta is quiet. We enjoy the beach and pool at the hotel and discover some great places to eat, namely pizza from Pizza Pronto on Poppies 1, and Fat Chow for a mix of Asian cuisine on Poppies 2.

Before we knew it it was time to pack. We'd come to the end of our time in Bali and South East Asia and we are going to Italy for the summer. Looking back its amazing how much we've seen and done in the past 2 and a half months; going south to north in Vietnam, the temples of Angkor, island hopping in Thailand - its been amazing.

I came travelling, giving up a safe secure life at home because there was something inside me that needed to get out there; go where the wind took me and find out what I liked. I've learnt so much, a few of which I've already mentioned, but I'll leave now feeling I've done what I came to do. That's why I decided to remove my anklet. I bought it and put it on in Mexico on our honeymoon, when our travels were just an idea. I promised myself it would be a daily reminder of what we would be working towards, and I've done it.

Ko Phangnan and the journey to Indonesia

19-28 April

After a somewhat irritating wait and ferry, we arrived on Ko Phangnan around lunchtime and against all odds found a man from the hotel waiting with a transfer for us and anyone else checking in that day. It was a good start!

The heavens opened as we meandered through the island to our hotel in Haad Yeo,  but it didn't detract from the cosy and neighbourly feeling I got.

Our beach was quiet and relaxed. No one is playing music and even the water melted silently into the sand. It looked like the perfect way to spend a week.

After relaxing for the afternoon and going for a short walk we ate dinner and watch the sunset. Not long after the sun had disappeared we noticed loads of crabs were jumping, sparing and moving about beneath us. It wasa bit like something from a nightmare but I was happy to be safely perched on the decking!

We spent the next few days working hard... on our tans. We were in a nice and comfortable hotel and it feelt like a holiday (though we avoided spending like it was a holiday by eating lots of cheap microwave pizza from 7/11 and Pad Thai for dinner). Other than snorkelling and scuba trips, and very wild parties, there isn't a lot to do on the island so we were happy to keep the week really cheap by making our own fun, mostly by jumping in the pool!

One day we walked to neighbouring Haad Salad beach to go goggling (snorkelling, without a snorkel). It was a steep climb over the hill but the beach was gorgeous. Unlike ours the sea was full of some kind of sea cucumber and lots of small fish. Whilst it was shallower than Weymouth we had a good time and got to recreate a picture of my brother who stayed there some years ago. This was also the moistest day on record for us. As we led on the beach my whole body was soon covered in beads even though the heat was more tolerable today.

Towards the end of the week, feeling a bit like we'd been lazy, Mark decided to go for a run on the beach. I've missed running whilst we've been away, but the thought of even trying it in this heat makes me feel dizzy. Even so, I feet very jealous as he bid me fair well!

We spent our last day of Thailand island hopping by the pool, eating magnums and having dinner at our favourite spot before we packed and spent a sleepless night worrying about the journey ahead of us.

Ultimately, our next destination was Bali, but to get there we had a long journey that involved ferries, trains and planes through 3 countries and a time zone.

On 26 April we caught the Raja ferry to Surat Thani and spent the night in a hotel made from brightly coloured container units whose interior resembled an aeroplane toilet complete with blinding white lights.

I still couldn't quite see that we were on our way to Bali, the place I'd been looking forward to most. In my mind all I could see what a hellish journey.

After a bad nights sleep we were up and on our way to Surat Thani train station at 7am, only to find the train would be delayed. At 9am we boarded the train to Hat Yai not far from the border with Malaysia. We entertained ourselves by playing 20 questions and a game where you have to link 2 movies based on the actors who stared in them. I was a little too scared for my health to use the toilet, so by the time we roll in to Hat Yai around 1.30 I was tired, and bursting!

After a KFC lunch in the shopping centre we were back on a train by 4 and on our way to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. We stopped for a short while at the border to pass through customs, immigration and the loneliest looking duty free you've ever seen. From here on it was non stop to KL for us and after another pretty sleepless night we arrived at 6am and stumbled wearily into Mc Donalds for pancakes. This was our base for a few hours before the coach to the airport, more McDonald's and our flight to Bali.

Its not until we were flying over the island as the sun was setting that I finally realised I'd made it to the other side of the world. I'd crossed the equator and was about to land in paradise! It may have been the journey from hell, but hopefully it was all about to be worth it!

A change in the wind

There's been a change in plans!

I'm learning new things about myself every day on this trip, and whilst we were in Vietnam, where we thought we were going to build a new life, we realised something.

Ever since leaving Tan An and our not-what-we-expected jobs we busily applied for other teaching positions in Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia. We had two offers on the table to work in Thailand, and the Indonesian role was progressing well but we both had this strange lingering feeling that none of them were what we wanted anymore. It wasn't so much the work; we'd enjoyed the kids and subject matter of teaching English. It was more the idea of contracts, targets and results. We were having too much fun travelling by now and didn't quite want to give it all up for the lifestyle we will most likely have for the rest of our lives in the UK.

So, whilst going through these application processes, I explored other options that could help us extend our travels. What I found was WorkAway. Its a website for people looking for free help (hosts) and people looking for food and lodging as payment for their work. It was perfect! We could help renovate a Tuscan villa, or garden in the south of France.

In Hanoi we had our first responses, and whilst our dates didn't match with the need of many hosts, one was perfect. A few emails later we were happily accepting an offer to work in northern Italy for 6 weeks as au pairs for a 6 year old boy and a 10 year old girl. I was ecstatic, not only would we have the time to travel through Italy after our stay in Bali, but we would also get to live there which has been a dream of mine for years that I never thought I'd see realised. And what a better way to do it than with a charming and already friendly and helpful family!

There is no doubt in my mind that we have made the right decision, and the longer I am in Asia the more I can see is as the perfect holiday and sightseeing destination, but not somewhere I can see myself living. 'Its not you, its me'.

So, with that is mind, here is the travel plan for the next few months:

26 April: Leave the Thai islands for the mainland
27 April: Train to Malaysia
28 April: Fly to Bali
15 May: Fly to Rome via 23hour stop in Shanghai, China.
23 May: Train to Naples
30 May: Train to Florence
3 June: Train to Bologna
5 June: Train to Milan
10 June: Move in with family
7 August: Fly back to the UK for our next adventure!

Bangkok & some realisations

"Even the book stands all sold the same books, giving me the impression that travelling here to 'find yourself' could only result in you becoming another version of everyone else here."

10-11 April

I was nervous as we landed in Bangkok. I had visions of what it would be like, mainly built upon hundreds of viewings of the film 'The Beach' over the years. I told myself that if I could just about enjoy Ho Chi Minh City the second time around, Bangkok should be ok.

Landing and passing through immigration and customs was much the same as anywhere else in the world except the immigration officers were dressed in the brightest most colourful tropical shirts you can imagine. Perhaps this would be the land of smiles after all!

We quickly and easily found our way to the train station that would take us to the city. It was just like being on the London Underground except we were up above the city.

It was all going so well until we reached the end of the line and needed a taxi to take us to our hotel. I'd read that the taxi drivers don't have the best knowledge of the city, and there is a problem with finding metered taxis who will actually use the meter!  We had all these problems, even with a map of the city and the road we needed marked we were greeted with shrugs. Eventually we went back to the official looking taxi stand by the station. The signs all said 'metered' but buy the time we found a driver who could read a map/knew where we were going he simply quoted us price when we were out of the station and away from help. Tired and frustrated we accepted the extortionate fare 'because of the traffic'.

Finally we arrived at the hotel. They gradually found our booking, informed us the free tuk tuk service was finished for the day and that they could no longer offer baggage storage for free in the first 24 hours. 'Recent policy updates' since I booked about a week before.

This was beginning to frustrate me. Bad WiFi not helping, bed bugs finally pissing me off (sorry for swearing Nan).

Khao San Road

We decided to go get our bearings and find the famous Khao San road. Rambruttri Road came first, and it's bars and restaurants lured us in for a cold one. With their better internet connection we got the chance to catch up with our friends on a group chat which lifted our spirits a LOT and resulted in Mark eating a scorpion, 'crunchy' being his only way to describe it.

When we reached Khao San road I must admit I was a little underwhelmed. Sure it was big and busy, but with so many clothing stands all selling the same stuff it more resembled Primark on any given Saturday than what I expected the 'gateway to south east Asia' to be. Even the book stands all sold the same books (The Holy Cow, The Beach, Shantaram) giving me the impression that travelling here to 'find yourself' or become someone different could only result in you becoming another version of everyone else here; eating the same, dressing the same, reading the same. But isn't that why so many people come here, to leave behind their monotonous and repetitive lives for something different. Will they just find the same with spicier food and more humidity. 'Same same, but different' as they say.

I went travelling because I knew it was now or never. I would never again perhaps have the time, money or freedom to spend months away from home with no responsibilities. I wanted to quench my wanderlust and come home ready for adult life. House, dog, kids - they are all on my list alongside travelling. Deep down I think I thought I'd become the chilled our girl with baggy elephant patterned trousers and a basket of fruit from the market, happy spending a year or so wondering, but that's just not me (well I mean, I have bought the trousers, but its only because they are so comfy). I'm beginning to get the feeling that if life is the same everywhere, I'd much rather be with those I love whilst living. I don't think Asia has the life I want.

But I am so thankful for this realisation. At the end of all this I wanted to be ready to go home, and though I still have months on the road, when the time comes I will be ready.

Just one of hundreds of Buddha statues in Wat Pho, Bangkok

The following day in Bangkok we checked out of the hotel and checked our bags into the 3 hours of free storage we were allowed. We headed to the Grand Palace, but the £15 entrance fee diverted us to neighbouring temple Wat Pho, which houses the largest reclining Buddha in Thailand. Inside we said 108 prayers for our family, friends and life's pleasures.

Saying 108 prayers for those we love

We spent the rest of the afternoon dozing by the hotel pool with our bags before a hodge podge boarding of our coach to Ko Samui and the longest journey of all so far (even our flight from the UK)!

Siem Reap and the Angkor Temples, Cambodia

8 - 10 April

On the 8th April we left Vietnam. So much had changed since we arrived a little over a month ago, but we were excited to be moving on. At the airport we spend the last of our Dong on 2 hamburgers; we didn't quite have enough but the nice lady let us off! Soon we were in the air and on our way to Siem Reap, Cambodia.

I don't know much about Cambodia and need to brush up on my history, but everyone we'd met said the same thing - there's a lot of poverty. This had me a little worried as a have no way of trying to help anyone out of a bad situation at the moment. However, arriving in Siem Reap I thought maybe this town was some sort of exception. Due to the amount of tourism it gets. Everyone comes here (me included) to see the temples at Angkor.

The airport was small and perfectly formed and after visas and baggage claim we were warmly greeted at arrivals by a man holding a sign with my name on it. He was our tuk tuk driver sent by our accommodation to collect us. Mark and I are both getting excited as this is one of the best welcomes we've ever had and we've only just landed.

We had a short ride to our accommodation and get to see the decorations being put up for Khmer New Year in a few days. There were a lot of fancy hotels on the main road and I'm kind of glad to find that our guesthouse is tucked away near the river in a more local feeling part of town. We made our arrangements for our dawn start the next day and headed off for some early dinner. The riverside part of town is cute with its lights and music, giving the illusion of being in a small village! Vibrant, but peaceful.

The next day we were in the tuk tuk shortly after 5 and making our way to Angkor Wat to see the sunrise. Its a popular activity so we are not alone. Perhaps 150 other people crowd round the lily pond that is to still it will perfectly mirror the sunrise behind the iconic temple. Around 6am the sun made an appearance and it was definitely worth getting up for.

Unable to sit still any longer we headed for the temples whilst they were still quiet. They are so detailed its almost unimaginable. Each gateway, wall or ceiling has the face for the Buddha in one form of another. Old ladies guard the large Buddha statues which dominate the alcoves and offer incense and plaited bracelets to those looking to say a prayer.

The site is massive, made up of numerous temples. As we only had a day we opted to do the short route, which would cover the larger temples. Most remind me of temples I've visited in Egypt with grand entrances, columns and paths leading deeper and deeper inside, and Chichen Itza in Mexico with its symmetry and symbolism.

Each temple doesn't fail to impress me in some way. At Baphuon it's the long and narrow entrance flanked by ponds, and at Ta Prohm it's the overgrowth by the trees what are somehow absorbing the temple and creating it at the same time. It really was a scene from a movie that you never thought could possibly be real!

After just over 9 hours of temples and somewhere around 5 litres of water we call it a day and spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing in the courtyard of our accommodation, tired but still marvelling in the days discoveries.

We left Cambodia the following day. At the airport I noticed a tiny propeller plane next to a big jumbo and it suddenly downed on me that that could be ours! Sure enough it was, and I nervously held my breath on the hours flight to Bangkok, Thailand.

Halong Bay

5 - 8 April

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!

Hue

3 - 4 April

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!

Hoi An

1 - 3 April

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.

Perfect.  

Nha Trang

30 March - 1 April

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!

Can Tho

Monday 10th March

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. 

Chao

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!

Culture vulture

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?

Carpe diem.

Are you awake? Me too.

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.

Claire's top apps for travelling

So now that I've finally got a tablet (thanks Mum!) I'm deep in thought planning which apps to download for whilst we are away.

Here are my top 6 - because I couldn't keep it to 5.

1. Skype
Not only is Skype going to be critical for late night/early morning chats with the family, but so far all of our TEFL job interviews have taken place on Skype. We can only hope we can do the same when we are applying for jobs back in the UK!

2. Air BnB
Since starting a budget plan for our travels, Air BnB has stood out as a quick and easy way of finding cheap accommodation in even the most unlikely of places.

3. Skyscanner
Whilst we would like to do as much travelling as we can overland, there will be times when we will need to fly, and Skyscanner is the best way of finding the cheapest flights.

4. Instagram
It's finally my turn to take an amazing trip, and I plan on sharing some envy inducing 'grams!

5. First Aid by British Red Cross
My practical and cautious side tells me this app, which even works offline, will be a very important app to have in my repertoire.

6. Kindle
Even though I am a self-certified paper preacher, books are unfortunately bulky, so I'll only be bringing a few choice paper books with me, and will rely on the Kindle app for all other reading aside from what I can pick up whilst on the road!