Day 91 - Friday 9th September 3.58pm
Xin chào!
Currently sitting at the arrivals hall in Hanoi, waiting for Megan to burst through the doors at any moment armed with her shiney new backpack!
I can't quite believe I am back in Vietnam, it feels distantly familiar but still a world away from being in Sri Lanka. Hanoi is a marmite city - you really love it, or can't stand it. Personally I love it, but can see why some people would be put off. Coming to Hanoi attacks all your senses - the roar of a thousand motorbikes, the smell of weird and wonderful delicacies, the millions of people bustling around the small streets. But if you just take a small step back, open your mind and embrace the madness, you can learn to love it's quirkiness!
As the end of my time in Sri Lanka drew to a close, I made sure to make the most of every moment. After our luxurious night in Chaaya (where I couldn't handle the aircon and missed being hot), we were presented with the ultimate all-you-can-eat breakfast of champions. You name it - they had it for breakfast. Fresh juice, pastries, cereal, full English, pancakes, waffles, egg hoppers, curry, noodles - the lot! It was probably the best thing about our stay, definitely no need to eat for a few days. I made the most of good wifi and Skyped with Mum for a long catch up and to sort out my life for Vietnam. It's handy having people coming and going to see me on my travels - there's always more I need from home in exchange for my new souvenirs and boring outfits!
My final week was pretty chocka, trying to squeeze in moments of packing and present shopping when I could. On the Tuesday was Thamari's Birthday, so at 7am Callie and I joined her to the local temple where we gave special offerings and experienced the surreal peaceful atmosphere of hypnotic chanting with the monk. In the evening the whole family came over for a little party, filled with fish patti's and samosas and tonnes of our favourite cake!
I was also able to finally have the opportunity to volunteer with the elephants. After the tasteful chore of clearing the dung and chewed papaya leaves, we were able to hand feed our male elephant some fruit snacks. For anyone who's not come close to an elephant before, they are fascinating. Their skin is so leathery thick, with coarse black hairs and gorgeous long eyelashes. Their mouths and tongues are incredible - bloody weird but incredible! They only have two teeth and as you hold up the fruit the huge alien tongue will digest it and crush it, it is very bizarre to watch. Then the rest of the morning was the best part - walking the elephant down to the river for a good old scrub! He very willingly sprawled out sideways in the water as instructed by his mahout, allowing us to scrub away all the dirt and dry skin with coconut shells. It was great to get up close and personal - elephants are truly brilliant beings.
On the Wednesday I was fortunate to be able to arrange a meditation session with one of the local monks who speaks English. He guided us through what meditation means for Buddhism, reflecting the core beliefs around positivity, openness and reducing desire. I only wish I'd had the time to visit more regularly, it was extremely interesting to hear from his perspective and perhaps it would have helped me reduce my stress levels recently!
Thursday was back on the turtle project for one last day, this time sprucing up the sanctuary with a lick of paint. The owner also taught me how you should bury the fresh turtle eggs in the hatchery, away from danger, replicating the mothers nest in the wild. I was gutted it was my last day with the turtles, I have really enjoyed taking part since I've been here, especially with the company of a great coordinator like Saniru!
Later that evening was time for us to host our leaving party, celebrating our summer with all the fantastic staff who became our friends and family. Of course more cake, patti's, cake, samosas, ice cream, waddi and cake to mark the occasion...
We were lucky enough to witness Ambalangoda's annual perahera festival on our last day - a Buddhist festival for celebrating the local fisherman communities. The parade comes complete with marching elephants, traditional dancers and costumes, drummers, then a selection of the most bizarre concoctions! Any group from the local community can play a part in the parade, so you can go from delicate peacock dancers to masked characters on stilts to topless men banging metal jumping around 'dancing'. Rather odd but amazing to see the whole community come together down the street to celebrate each other!
Then all the goodbyes came flooding in at once. I think I'd been putting off the thought for so long, not quite ready to leave, feeling particularly emotional saying farewell and thank you to Callie, Ashika and his family. I had thought about it before, but at that moment I knew I was going to return to Sri Lanka again soon enough. Waving goodbye one last time out the tuk tuk, I felt a fond sense of belonging to all the people I'd met. "Paradise isn't a place; it's the feeling you get when you're part of something."
I felt extremely relieved not to be heading to the airport at this point, I don't think I could deal with leaving the country altogether yet! Instead I spent a relaxing weekend Mirissa, with time to chill out, explore jungle beach and have a chance to get stuck in my book again. Saturday consisted of great seafood and snoozing; Sunday was the day the sea stole my favourite dress. The waves had been huge and particularly strong, tossing any paddlers under and at times reaching right up to the sun beds. One wave came crashing right over the top of me, then a few minutes later it completely took the sun beds, stealing my suncream and shoes from the chair and soaking my bag and book up on the table. I didn't realise until a moment too late that it had also managed to steal my new absolute favourite tye-dye dress, which I had searched weeks for previously. To this day I still can't seem to get over it. But I know that thinking about what people lost to the waves in 2004 obviously puts it straight back into perspective. I should be extremely grateful for what I still have.
After my weekend in Mirissa, I (literally) jumped on the white-knuckle express bus straight to Wadduwa, to spend my final few days with my lovely Sri Lankan family. As always, I was fed a ridiculous amount of mouthwatering food and treated like part of the family. I was extremely excited to be able to meet my sister Diana from the airport after returning from her year studying in England, even if it was the first of two long 2am trips to the airport in a row! I got my final 70p eyebrow threading and we made the most of the beach sunsets at our doorstep. Before I left Diana and I went to visit little Evin's family one last time, being invited to the tastiest traditional lunch at their home and playing cricket on the road outside.
It has been very sad to say goodbye to this beautiful country this time, but I know I will return again soon :)
Day 100 - Sunday 18th September 6.00pm
And there goes our first week in Hanoi! Adjusting ourselves to the humidity, food, constant sweat, culture and craziness, I think Megan's done pretty damn well.
We've taken it easy this week so Megan can acclimatise and get over her cold, so I've had a chance to find my feet again here. Navigating the maze of the Old Quarter, we've tried out the street food selections perched on low plastic stools, repeatedly going back for BBQ and Bún châ, found the best avocado and mango shake in the city, and learnt about the history of the war and women's culture in the city's museums.
On Tuesday I was able to meet Que, my previous volunteer project manager from CSDS, to visit my students at Phuc Tue special needs centre again. After two years I wasn't sure if they would remember me, but when my older class saw me I was grateful for their excitement! It felt strange walking the same route again from the bus along the river, passing the familiar sights of fruit vendors and fisherman. It didn't surprise me that everything else was still exactly the same, apart from a growth spurt from my little ones now towering over me! We stayed for a short while to play Uno and practice my Vietnamese again, but my teacher Miss Nhien was unfortunately not in that week so I'm looking forward to going back again to see her and Anh, the beautifully inspirational young girl who I became friends with.
The next morning I set off to meet one of the volunteer coordinators from CSDS, where she took me to visit her language centre on the outskirts of the city. We made Nem Cuốn fresh spring rolls for lunch and Moon cakes to celebrate the Mid Autumn Festival, flavoured with green tea and green bean mmm.
The next day for the festival we had offered to help out the staff from our homestay who organise charity events at a local hospital. We had absolutely no idea what to expect, and in hindsight should have asked more questions, as what we thought would be an hours helping hand ending up being an entire day out! They set up for a little show for the patients and children, with singing and a dance performance from children in the local area. After failing to persuade Megan and I to sing or dance, we got the kids up for some funny balloon team games which they absolutely loved, before giving out food donations and our freshly made tonne of soup for all the families. It sounds like fun, but at the time it was a very bizarre day, mainly as we were sat in the hospital reception, filled with balloons and children running around, with the occasional emergency body casually strolled through on a stretcher; even through the middle of the dance performance at one point... One of those things that you think "Only in Asia!".
At the weekend Amy and Maddie, my colleagues from NCS, arrived in Vietnam so we gave them a little tour of the city. We took them up to our favourite cafe, perched on a rooftop balcony overlooking the lake, then around the maze of streets to witness the variety of every day life in Hanoi. The next day we visited the famous Turtle Temple on Hoan Kiem Lake, where a legendary turtle offered a sword to the King to fight off enemies many years ago. Then a trip to the Temple of Literature, the first university in Vietnam, built by an emperor in 1070 and dedicated to the principles of Confucianism. We had a stroll around the lake in the Botanical Gardens and past Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum, standing tall and pride behind the Vietnamese flag. Ending the day at Fannys Kem, our favourite ice cream parlour in Vietnam!
Xin chào!
Currently sitting at the arrivals hall in Hanoi, waiting for Megan to burst through the doors at any moment armed with her shiney new backpack!
I can't quite believe I am back in Vietnam, it feels distantly familiar but still a world away from being in Sri Lanka. Hanoi is a marmite city - you really love it, or can't stand it. Personally I love it, but can see why some people would be put off. Coming to Hanoi attacks all your senses - the roar of a thousand motorbikes, the smell of weird and wonderful delicacies, the millions of people bustling around the small streets. But if you just take a small step back, open your mind and embrace the madness, you can learn to love it's quirkiness!
As the end of my time in Sri Lanka drew to a close, I made sure to make the most of every moment. After our luxurious night in Chaaya (where I couldn't handle the aircon and missed being hot), we were presented with the ultimate all-you-can-eat breakfast of champions. You name it - they had it for breakfast. Fresh juice, pastries, cereal, full English, pancakes, waffles, egg hoppers, curry, noodles - the lot! It was probably the best thing about our stay, definitely no need to eat for a few days. I made the most of good wifi and Skyped with Mum for a long catch up and to sort out my life for Vietnam. It's handy having people coming and going to see me on my travels - there's always more I need from home in exchange for my new souvenirs and boring outfits!
My final week was pretty chocka, trying to squeeze in moments of packing and present shopping when I could. On the Tuesday was Thamari's Birthday, so at 7am Callie and I joined her to the local temple where we gave special offerings and experienced the surreal peaceful atmosphere of hypnotic chanting with the monk. In the evening the whole family came over for a little party, filled with fish patti's and samosas and tonnes of our favourite cake!
I was also able to finally have the opportunity to volunteer with the elephants. After the tasteful chore of clearing the dung and chewed papaya leaves, we were able to hand feed our male elephant some fruit snacks. For anyone who's not come close to an elephant before, they are fascinating. Their skin is so leathery thick, with coarse black hairs and gorgeous long eyelashes. Their mouths and tongues are incredible - bloody weird but incredible! They only have two teeth and as you hold up the fruit the huge alien tongue will digest it and crush it, it is very bizarre to watch. Then the rest of the morning was the best part - walking the elephant down to the river for a good old scrub! He very willingly sprawled out sideways in the water as instructed by his mahout, allowing us to scrub away all the dirt and dry skin with coconut shells. It was great to get up close and personal - elephants are truly brilliant beings.
On the Wednesday I was fortunate to be able to arrange a meditation session with one of the local monks who speaks English. He guided us through what meditation means for Buddhism, reflecting the core beliefs around positivity, openness and reducing desire. I only wish I'd had the time to visit more regularly, it was extremely interesting to hear from his perspective and perhaps it would have helped me reduce my stress levels recently!
Thursday was back on the turtle project for one last day, this time sprucing up the sanctuary with a lick of paint. The owner also taught me how you should bury the fresh turtle eggs in the hatchery, away from danger, replicating the mothers nest in the wild. I was gutted it was my last day with the turtles, I have really enjoyed taking part since I've been here, especially with the company of a great coordinator like Saniru!
Later that evening was time for us to host our leaving party, celebrating our summer with all the fantastic staff who became our friends and family. Of course more cake, patti's, cake, samosas, ice cream, waddi and cake to mark the occasion...
We were lucky enough to witness Ambalangoda's annual perahera festival on our last day - a Buddhist festival for celebrating the local fisherman communities. The parade comes complete with marching elephants, traditional dancers and costumes, drummers, then a selection of the most bizarre concoctions! Any group from the local community can play a part in the parade, so you can go from delicate peacock dancers to masked characters on stilts to topless men banging metal jumping around 'dancing'. Rather odd but amazing to see the whole community come together down the street to celebrate each other!
Then all the goodbyes came flooding in at once. I think I'd been putting off the thought for so long, not quite ready to leave, feeling particularly emotional saying farewell and thank you to Callie, Ashika and his family. I had thought about it before, but at that moment I knew I was going to return to Sri Lanka again soon enough. Waving goodbye one last time out the tuk tuk, I felt a fond sense of belonging to all the people I'd met. "Paradise isn't a place; it's the feeling you get when you're part of something."
I felt extremely relieved not to be heading to the airport at this point, I don't think I could deal with leaving the country altogether yet! Instead I spent a relaxing weekend Mirissa, with time to chill out, explore jungle beach and have a chance to get stuck in my book again. Saturday consisted of great seafood and snoozing; Sunday was the day the sea stole my favourite dress. The waves had been huge and particularly strong, tossing any paddlers under and at times reaching right up to the sun beds. One wave came crashing right over the top of me, then a few minutes later it completely took the sun beds, stealing my suncream and shoes from the chair and soaking my bag and book up on the table. I didn't realise until a moment too late that it had also managed to steal my new absolute favourite tye-dye dress, which I had searched weeks for previously. To this day I still can't seem to get over it. But I know that thinking about what people lost to the waves in 2004 obviously puts it straight back into perspective. I should be extremely grateful for what I still have.
After my weekend in Mirissa, I (literally) jumped on the white-knuckle express bus straight to Wadduwa, to spend my final few days with my lovely Sri Lankan family. As always, I was fed a ridiculous amount of mouthwatering food and treated like part of the family. I was extremely excited to be able to meet my sister Diana from the airport after returning from her year studying in England, even if it was the first of two long 2am trips to the airport in a row! I got my final 70p eyebrow threading and we made the most of the beach sunsets at our doorstep. Before I left Diana and I went to visit little Evin's family one last time, being invited to the tastiest traditional lunch at their home and playing cricket on the road outside.
It has been very sad to say goodbye to this beautiful country this time, but I know I will return again soon :)
Day 100 - Sunday 18th September 6.00pm
And there goes our first week in Hanoi! Adjusting ourselves to the humidity, food, constant sweat, culture and craziness, I think Megan's done pretty damn well.
We've taken it easy this week so Megan can acclimatise and get over her cold, so I've had a chance to find my feet again here. Navigating the maze of the Old Quarter, we've tried out the street food selections perched on low plastic stools, repeatedly going back for BBQ and Bún châ, found the best avocado and mango shake in the city, and learnt about the history of the war and women's culture in the city's museums.
On Tuesday I was able to meet Que, my previous volunteer project manager from CSDS, to visit my students at Phuc Tue special needs centre again. After two years I wasn't sure if they would remember me, but when my older class saw me I was grateful for their excitement! It felt strange walking the same route again from the bus along the river, passing the familiar sights of fruit vendors and fisherman. It didn't surprise me that everything else was still exactly the same, apart from a growth spurt from my little ones now towering over me! We stayed for a short while to play Uno and practice my Vietnamese again, but my teacher Miss Nhien was unfortunately not in that week so I'm looking forward to going back again to see her and Anh, the beautifully inspirational young girl who I became friends with.
The next morning I set off to meet one of the volunteer coordinators from CSDS, where she took me to visit her language centre on the outskirts of the city. We made Nem Cuốn fresh spring rolls for lunch and Moon cakes to celebrate the Mid Autumn Festival, flavoured with green tea and green bean mmm.
The next day for the festival we had offered to help out the staff from our homestay who organise charity events at a local hospital. We had absolutely no idea what to expect, and in hindsight should have asked more questions, as what we thought would be an hours helping hand ending up being an entire day out! They set up for a little show for the patients and children, with singing and a dance performance from children in the local area. After failing to persuade Megan and I to sing or dance, we got the kids up for some funny balloon team games which they absolutely loved, before giving out food donations and our freshly made tonne of soup for all the families. It sounds like fun, but at the time it was a very bizarre day, mainly as we were sat in the hospital reception, filled with balloons and children running around, with the occasional emergency body casually strolled through on a stretcher; even through the middle of the dance performance at one point... One of those things that you think "Only in Asia!".
At the weekend Amy and Maddie, my colleagues from NCS, arrived in Vietnam so we gave them a little tour of the city. We took them up to our favourite cafe, perched on a rooftop balcony overlooking the lake, then around the maze of streets to witness the variety of every day life in Hanoi. The next day we visited the famous Turtle Temple on Hoan Kiem Lake, where a legendary turtle offered a sword to the King to fight off enemies many years ago. Then a trip to the Temple of Literature, the first university in Vietnam, built by an emperor in 1070 and dedicated to the principles of Confucianism. We had a stroll around the lake in the Botanical Gardens and past Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum, standing tall and pride behind the Vietnamese flag. Ending the day at Fannys Kem, our favourite ice cream parlour in Vietnam!
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