If you plan on visiting Vietnam be prepared for....
* welcoming people
* heat
*pho
*strong coffee
*millions of scooters
*dragon fruit
*rice paddies
*lush green
*traffic
*horns
*pollution
*face masks
Saturday, 24 June 2017
Tourism Gone Bad
June 23, 2017
The Mekong Delta
I had read the trip advisor reviews. I had read the travel blogs. I had only paid $8/pp for a full day tour. I knew to keep my expectations low. My expectations were met.
Seeing the Mekong Delta in only one day is an example of tourism gone bad. Oh, so very bad.
The upper branch of the Mekong Delta consists of 4 islands named for animals found in Buddhism along with entangled water ways. We wanted to see these water channels and the people that lived on them. Vietnam has capitalized on every aspect that can make dollars off of tourism. It is void of any government or other ruling body that would step in and limit what is being done to the country and its environment in order to make those dollars. This is yet another example.
The day started with a 2 hour mini bus ride to the Delta. We were corralled into large boats that lined the port all exuding large amounts of diesel fuel, enough to make us feel effects of carbon monoxide. First trip to an island to see honey bees and the profit people are making from the products they make from honey.
Tea with honey. Nate not totally loving it.
Next to another island to see what the local people are doing to make products from coconuts (candy, jewelry, bowls). Then whisked away to what PETA would be up in arms with. These poor ponies could barely walk pulling the weight of the carts. I don't know what this had to do with the life of people along the Mekong.
Then the customary 2 km boat ride along a water way. This could have been so beautiful in another part more remote. As it was we were bow to stern with every other boat.
I liked seeing the homes along the river and the lush tropical appearance.
Of course, a food stall along the way.
An unappealing lunch was served with the most comical entertainment. It was not meant to be comical, but if you do not have an ear for Asian singing and the guitarist cannot figure out what the singer is singing, it sounds hilarious. The end number was a rendition of "if you're happy and you know it." That was icing on the cake. We all kept a straight face and Jack left a tip.
After lunch we could "enjoy the island". This was a sign found outside the restaurant and underneath the sign was the irony of it.
Dealing with garbage in any country is difficult, but especially so in developing countries.
The bus ride back to Saigon went through streets that had 12 inches of water standing from the recent downpour. The tour was not one to recommend, but we all could laugh at it.
Luke found a tasty supper tonight.
With extra dong to burn, McDonald's serves sundaes that taste just like home/
Our last night in Saigon and Vietnam. By staying in District 1 we are in the hub. Going out for supper within blocks of our hotel we pass several spas offering massages and manicures. From the scantily clad girls and Jack getting far more offerings at night than me, makes me think these spas offering massages by day may offer more than massages by night.
Early wake up call tomorrow of 4AM. Taxi will be picking us up at five to go to the airport. We need to allow half an hour to drive the 7km to the airport at that hour. This city never really sleeps, it just slows down a little at night.
The Mekong Delta
I had read the trip advisor reviews. I had read the travel blogs. I had only paid $8/pp for a full day tour. I knew to keep my expectations low. My expectations were met.
Seeing the Mekong Delta in only one day is an example of tourism gone bad. Oh, so very bad.
The upper branch of the Mekong Delta consists of 4 islands named for animals found in Buddhism along with entangled water ways. We wanted to see these water channels and the people that lived on them. Vietnam has capitalized on every aspect that can make dollars off of tourism. It is void of any government or other ruling body that would step in and limit what is being done to the country and its environment in order to make those dollars. This is yet another example.
The day started with a 2 hour mini bus ride to the Delta. We were corralled into large boats that lined the port all exuding large amounts of diesel fuel, enough to make us feel effects of carbon monoxide. First trip to an island to see honey bees and the profit people are making from the products they make from honey.
Next to another island to see what the local people are doing to make products from coconuts (candy, jewelry, bowls). Then whisked away to what PETA would be up in arms with. These poor ponies could barely walk pulling the weight of the carts. I don't know what this had to do with the life of people along the Mekong.
I liked seeing the homes along the river and the lush tropical appearance.
Of course, a food stall along the way.
An unappealing lunch was served with the most comical entertainment. It was not meant to be comical, but if you do not have an ear for Asian singing and the guitarist cannot figure out what the singer is singing, it sounds hilarious. The end number was a rendition of "if you're happy and you know it." That was icing on the cake. We all kept a straight face and Jack left a tip.
After lunch we could "enjoy the island". This was a sign found outside the restaurant and underneath the sign was the irony of it.
Dealing with garbage in any country is difficult, but especially so in developing countries.
The bus ride back to Saigon went through streets that had 12 inches of water standing from the recent downpour. The tour was not one to recommend, but we all could laugh at it.
Luke found a tasty supper tonight.
Our last night in Saigon and Vietnam. By staying in District 1 we are in the hub. Going out for supper within blocks of our hotel we pass several spas offering massages and manicures. From the scantily clad girls and Jack getting far more offerings at night than me, makes me think these spas offering massages by day may offer more than massages by night.
Early wake up call tomorrow of 4AM. Taxi will be picking us up at five to go to the airport. We need to allow half an hour to drive the 7km to the airport at that hour. This city never really sleeps, it just slows down a little at night.
Thursday, 22 June 2017
Cu Chi Tunnels
June 22, 2017
Saigon
The Cu Chi tunnels are an expansive network of underground tunnels dug by the guerilla forces during the Vietnam War. They twist and wind to a length of 122 km, three layers deep. They were a place to live, eat, meet, even perform surgery. The tunnels were so expansive they went under the American forces base. The entrances were well hidden and built for the Vietnamese small, compact frame.
The booby traps were well engineered, but looked like they were designed for a slow painful death. The Vietcong would mark trees to indicate to their side where the traps and entrances to the tunnels were.
The bamboo shards tipped with poison originally used for trapping tigers, were fashioned for killing opposing soldiers.
Luke was hoping to try firing an AK47 but available today was an M1. It was the most powerful gun he had ever shot.
The guide was amusing and insisted on taking the family photo alongside the tank.
The jungle posed many hazards to soldiers as well - venomous snakes, scorpions, malaria.
All in all, an interesting "museum" led by an informative guide.
Back to the busy city in the late afternoon traffic.
Saigon
The Cu Chi tunnels are an expansive network of underground tunnels dug by the guerilla forces during the Vietnam War. They twist and wind to a length of 122 km, three layers deep. They were a place to live, eat, meet, even perform surgery. The tunnels were so expansive they went under the American forces base. The entrances were well hidden and built for the Vietnamese small, compact frame.
The booby traps were well engineered, but looked like they were designed for a slow painful death. The Vietcong would mark trees to indicate to their side where the traps and entrances to the tunnels were.
Luke was hoping to try firing an AK47 but available today was an M1. It was the most powerful gun he had ever shot.
The guide was amusing and insisted on taking the family photo alongside the tank.
The jungle posed many hazards to soldiers as well - venomous snakes, scorpions, malaria.
Back to the busy city in the late afternoon traffic.
Supper was finally spicy. A stir fry for Luke and myself. Jack enjoying his seafood noodles. Vietnamese food has been more oily than I was expecting and far less vegetables. Levi still stuck on the burger and fries and often disappointed. American food is better in North America. Stick with the local stuff to avoid disappointment. Burgers to me mean mystery hashed up meat.
Wednesday, 21 June 2017
Saigon Surprise
June 21
Saigon
We have not walked long distances with our backpacks since Brussels. The sun was down and there was a bit of a breeze last night as we made the 20 minute walk to the train station.
The train ride from Nha Trang to Saigon did not disappoint in terms of being uncomfortable, smelly and long! This time we were prepared for the AC.
The problem was the AC was only on for short bursts leaving us freezing, then it would shut off for long periods leaving the air so heavy and close. Good for the boys to see that this was not even the lowest class the train had to offer. They had a peek into the hard seats and realized it could be worse.
Our car.
People slept on the floor of the aisle. The train would stop for periods of up to one hour during the night. This meant arriving later in Saigon. Our guy from the hotel did not give up on us though. He was waiting and gave us an entertaining ride through the morning rush hour traffic. Saigon (now that we are in the south we will call it Saigon) has just over 8 million people and every second person must own a scooter. The driving skills continue to amaze me. I was just thinking today how it is unbelievable we have not seen one accident. Later in the day we saw one taxi bump into another. Tempers flared with one driver hitting the other with a metal baton. That complete they both drove away. Case closed.
Thick traffic. I'm glad we entered Vietnam in Hanoi. It was a gentler introduction to the country. We have built up confidence to cross the street and it is not nearly as busy as I was expecting. A pleasant surprise.
Our hotel is off a busy street, but down a quiet alley way.
The view from our window.
The bathroom with the shower unenclosed brings back prior memories of Asia. The type of bathroom that is so small there is not room for a shower stall, so when the shower is on, the entire bathroom becomes soaked.
When the room is only $20/night, there has to be some drawbacks. I was paranoid about bedbugs when we first started out in Amsterdam, but now I have mostly forgotten about them. Still have not seen/felt any.
Thinking of being soaked, we witnessed a torrent of rain this afternoon. The boys were thrilled we had to seek shelter in a McDonald's for 1.5 hours as the rain come down. When it rains in Vietnam, it pours. The roof leaked through the light and fan fixtures.
Waiting out the deluge.
The city of Saigon is much more western than that of any other city we have seen so far. More diversity in everything, including people. Walking in district 1, the center square is dedicated to Ho Chi Minh. A statue of him sits at the end of the square.
The day ended with eating pho at a food stall around the corner. Delicious.
Saigon
We have not walked long distances with our backpacks since Brussels. The sun was down and there was a bit of a breeze last night as we made the 20 minute walk to the train station.
The train ride from Nha Trang to Saigon did not disappoint in terms of being uncomfortable, smelly and long! This time we were prepared for the AC.
The problem was the AC was only on for short bursts leaving us freezing, then it would shut off for long periods leaving the air so heavy and close. Good for the boys to see that this was not even the lowest class the train had to offer. They had a peek into the hard seats and realized it could be worse.
People slept on the floor of the aisle. The train would stop for periods of up to one hour during the night. This meant arriving later in Saigon. Our guy from the hotel did not give up on us though. He was waiting and gave us an entertaining ride through the morning rush hour traffic. Saigon (now that we are in the south we will call it Saigon) has just over 8 million people and every second person must own a scooter. The driving skills continue to amaze me. I was just thinking today how it is unbelievable we have not seen one accident. Later in the day we saw one taxi bump into another. Tempers flared with one driver hitting the other with a metal baton. That complete they both drove away. Case closed.
Our hotel is off a busy street, but down a quiet alley way.
The bathroom with the shower unenclosed brings back prior memories of Asia. The type of bathroom that is so small there is not room for a shower stall, so when the shower is on, the entire bathroom becomes soaked.
Thinking of being soaked, we witnessed a torrent of rain this afternoon. The boys were thrilled we had to seek shelter in a McDonald's for 1.5 hours as the rain come down. When it rains in Vietnam, it pours. The roof leaked through the light and fan fixtures.
The city of Saigon is much more western than that of any other city we have seen so far. More diversity in everything, including people. Walking in district 1, the center square is dedicated to Ho Chi Minh. A statue of him sits at the end of the square.
The day ended with eating pho at a food stall around the corner. Delicious.
Tuesday, 20 June 2017
Beach Snobs
June 20
Nha Trang, Vietnam
Our last day in Hoi An was not spent in the pool. After the families cleared out of the hotel, the pool was deemed unusable. The staff dumped enormous amounts of chlorine in to shock it good. After seeing the amount of spitting and nose blowing in and beside the pool the night before, no one had much of an interest in it. This cultural difference I do not understand.
Cards were played, we hiked around the old city again and waited to travel to Da Nang to catch an overnight train.
The ride to Da Nang took an hour but we were still there in plenty of time for the 7:45PM departure. The train station all abuzz with streams of people and scratchy undecipherable announcements every 15 minutes amid the stickiness of a non air-conditioned waiting room.
The sleeping cars were full so we took the "soft seat" coach. This consisted of a vinyl seat with AC. I told the boys it would be like riding in an airplane. Limiting water consumption before take off to avoid the toilets no one wanted to use, books in hand, we were ready to go. OK. So I forgot it is not like riding in an airplane. The AC was turned to a maximum freezing temperature, the vinyl seats do not go well with bare skin (note to self - wear long pants next time), the smoke from the coach attendant was nauseating, the cockroaches kept crawling up my legs, and my bag needed to be held to avoid mice from getting in. Needless to say there was not a lot of sleep going on. Except for Nate. That kid is amazing. He can sleep through anything. Maybe because he only goes one speed all day and that is full speed. When it comes to sleep, he needs to charge his batteries.
A positive was seeing the sunrise over the mountains. The colours were beautiful.
The train needed to stop for extended periods at sidings to let other trains pass and this was a chance to see a woman go through her 5AM morning chores in the courtyard of her country home. She hauled water out of the well and proceeded to wash her dishes, swept the dirt of the courtyard to remove the leaves that had fallen, transplanted a plant to vine along the wall, and used the corner of the yard as an outhouse. So much living happening outside.
Our train arrived an hour late at 7:15AM. A man from the hotel picked us up and had a room ready for us. The cool shower felt great.
The main purpose for the overnight in Nha Trang was to break up the 22 hour train trip to Ho Chi Minh City. Websites advertise Nha Trang as having pristine beaches and the most beautiful coastline. I thought it would be great way to spend an overnight before carrying on to HCMC. I suppose if we weren't such beach snobs that might have happened, but I doubt it. The amount of garbage on the beach yesterday was astounding. The water itself had a stream of green guck running through it and overall it felt uncomfortably warm. It could have been due to being a Monday (many Vietnamese families flock to the beach on weekends) and no one had had a chance to clean it up. Even the sand was filled with cigarette butts and felt dirty. Ahhh gone are the days of squeaky Australian sand with cool refreshing, clean water.
The city itself feels fairly tame by Vietnamese standards and is lined with luxury beach side hotels. If I had booked in here for a week at the beach I would have been greatly disappointed. As it is, the break from the train was good.
Looks good from a distance.
With this many rules for a beach, you think it would be better.
Really? This needs to be posted?
Levi is keen to finish his math work and move on to grade 9 content. Lots of math being done these days. With school at home being finished, Levi thinks we should go home. For him, there is no point in the trip anymore.
The boys found these pup to help fill the dog void left by Willis.
We ready ourselves for another overnight journey on a "soft seat" in coach 2 on the SE1train bound for HCMC.
Nha Trang, Vietnam
Our last day in Hoi An was not spent in the pool. After the families cleared out of the hotel, the pool was deemed unusable. The staff dumped enormous amounts of chlorine in to shock it good. After seeing the amount of spitting and nose blowing in and beside the pool the night before, no one had much of an interest in it. This cultural difference I do not understand.
Cards were played, we hiked around the old city again and waited to travel to Da Nang to catch an overnight train.
The ride to Da Nang took an hour but we were still there in plenty of time for the 7:45PM departure. The train station all abuzz with streams of people and scratchy undecipherable announcements every 15 minutes amid the stickiness of a non air-conditioned waiting room.
The sleeping cars were full so we took the "soft seat" coach. This consisted of a vinyl seat with AC. I told the boys it would be like riding in an airplane. Limiting water consumption before take off to avoid the toilets no one wanted to use, books in hand, we were ready to go. OK. So I forgot it is not like riding in an airplane. The AC was turned to a maximum freezing temperature, the vinyl seats do not go well with bare skin (note to self - wear long pants next time), the smoke from the coach attendant was nauseating, the cockroaches kept crawling up my legs, and my bag needed to be held to avoid mice from getting in. Needless to say there was not a lot of sleep going on. Except for Nate. That kid is amazing. He can sleep through anything. Maybe because he only goes one speed all day and that is full speed. When it comes to sleep, he needs to charge his batteries.
A positive was seeing the sunrise over the mountains. The colours were beautiful.
The train needed to stop for extended periods at sidings to let other trains pass and this was a chance to see a woman go through her 5AM morning chores in the courtyard of her country home. She hauled water out of the well and proceeded to wash her dishes, swept the dirt of the courtyard to remove the leaves that had fallen, transplanted a plant to vine along the wall, and used the corner of the yard as an outhouse. So much living happening outside.
Our train arrived an hour late at 7:15AM. A man from the hotel picked us up and had a room ready for us. The cool shower felt great.
The main purpose for the overnight in Nha Trang was to break up the 22 hour train trip to Ho Chi Minh City. Websites advertise Nha Trang as having pristine beaches and the most beautiful coastline. I thought it would be great way to spend an overnight before carrying on to HCMC. I suppose if we weren't such beach snobs that might have happened, but I doubt it. The amount of garbage on the beach yesterday was astounding. The water itself had a stream of green guck running through it and overall it felt uncomfortably warm. It could have been due to being a Monday (many Vietnamese families flock to the beach on weekends) and no one had had a chance to clean it up. Even the sand was filled with cigarette butts and felt dirty. Ahhh gone are the days of squeaky Australian sand with cool refreshing, clean water.
The city itself feels fairly tame by Vietnamese standards and is lined with luxury beach side hotels. If I had booked in here for a week at the beach I would have been greatly disappointed. As it is, the break from the train was good.
Levi is keen to finish his math work and move on to grade 9 content. Lots of math being done these days. With school at home being finished, Levi thinks we should go home. For him, there is no point in the trip anymore.
The boys found these pup to help fill the dog void left by Willis.
We ready ourselves for another overnight journey on a "soft seat" in coach 2 on the SE1train bound for HCMC.
Saturday, 17 June 2017
A holiday from the trip
June 15 - 17
We arrived in Hoi An Tuesday and are already on our last night. It has gone by quickly, but long enough; time to move on. When we arrived the city was so busy. On Thursday I figured out why. A huge festival had been on and the city was overrun with visitors. Never having been here before we didn't realize there was a festival until it was over. Now that it is over though, something else has moved in. It seems like the Vietnamese version of "the Voice". Contestants sing on stage and music is blasted out into the crowd. Judges sit in the front row. The music is soooo loud.
We are staying in the Old City. It has beautiful architecture. Many buildings have the original exterior, but the interior has been renovated into chic restaurants and shops. Hoi An has historically been home to tailors. Today, there are hundreds. From what I have seen the quality is hit and miss. Most try to sell silk, but it feels like polyester to me.
The Japanese bridge was built in 1593 to connect the Japanese quarter with the Chinese quarter on the other side of the river. Legend has it that it was built to disable a disaster-causing dragon.
The Museum of Folk Culture was well done. It had many artifacts that depicted what life was like centuries ago in Vietnam. From shrimping boats to silk weaving looms to household and farming implements.
Luke and I went to a Vietnamese cooking class yesterday. Our instructor was quite lively and liked to use American slang and sayings that are not so trendy anymore. She was fluent in English, but spoke so quickly I had a hard time understanding her. She insisted she was 29 plus 1, not 30 years old.
We rode bikes to her local market where she showed us many ingredients used in Vietnamese dishes. She kept saying the importance of eating pig legs, but I couldn't catch why she was saying this. Finally I realised she meant that eating pig legs produced shiny boobs. I didn't know this was important. That is just one thing I learned yesterday.
According to Vihn, every food has a health purpose behind eating it. I don't go for a lot of these beliefs, but quite a few things left Luke and I giggling. Many things were for my for my or my boyfriend's cholesterol, or something else, but I am still not sure I understood everything.
Not having refrigeration at home makes daily shopping necessary. The food is fresh.
There are no grocery stores in Hoi An. I find the market shopping exhausting and too much work as everything seems to be negotiated. Luckily with the heat no one is very hungry. On the not so lucky side, my 3 boneracks do not have any weight to lose. We eat breakfast at the hotel and even by supper it is just a light meal.
Back at Vihn's family home (converted into a cooking school), we set out to make 4 dishes. One of the most common dishes, Pho (pronounced fer), is beef broth with rice noodles.
Pho
Luke and I both had aching stomach yesterday, but we tasted everything we made. The boys had the leftovers when we arrived back at the hotel.
Next up was lemon grass chicken. Luke thought Vihn was bossy getting him to read the steps aloud. I thought she was entertaining. She kept calling me Mommy-Girl. "Mommy-Girl, you not listening to me. Not like that Mommy-Girl."
Then, crispy pancakes made with rice flour and turmeric, filled with bean sprouts and quail eggs. The pancake was wrapped in rice paper with shrimp and herbs. Delicious!
Lastly we made fresh spring rolls.
Vihn, particularly fond of Abba songs.
I think we can create these at home. Since I will be teaching home ec. next year I wonder if I can claim this as a PD expense? Hmmmmmm......
This is the first cooking I have done since I left Australia. Daily hand washing of laundry has replaced the cooking. In Hanoi I sent the clothes out to be washed. When they returned smelling worse than when they left I decided to set up my own laundromat.
With the down time in Hoi An we have planned the next few weeks of our trip. A couple in our hotel have travelled extensively, especially in SE Asia. They have given us good tips for navigating Angkor Wat. I booked flights from Saigon to Luong Prabang in Laos and from Vientiane to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. We realized the overland time by bus through Cambodia to Laos and then out to Thailand would be too time consuming.
With Asia being so crowded, Nate has not even asked to play tag since we arrived. What has been his daily staple request is now not possible. They wrestling continues.
Interesting daily life in the city. Instead of dying hair, grey hairs are removed by friends.
It's hot when the barber and his client both have their shirts off.
In Japan face masks are worn when one has a cold. Here they are worn to block out pollution. I think we need them.
Beautiful lanterns. Sadly too bulky to bring home.
Today being Saturday the hotel has filled with many families. The boys just came back from a quick swim in the pool. They could not understand the amount of spitting going on into the pool and along the side. Not sure if any one will go in tomorrow. I need to explain to them that people are not being rude or trying to disgust, it is just a habit they will have to get used to in Asia. Not Singapore though!
We arrived in Hoi An Tuesday and are already on our last night. It has gone by quickly, but long enough; time to move on. When we arrived the city was so busy. On Thursday I figured out why. A huge festival had been on and the city was overrun with visitors. Never having been here before we didn't realize there was a festival until it was over. Now that it is over though, something else has moved in. It seems like the Vietnamese version of "the Voice". Contestants sing on stage and music is blasted out into the crowd. Judges sit in the front row. The music is soooo loud.
We are staying in the Old City. It has beautiful architecture. Many buildings have the original exterior, but the interior has been renovated into chic restaurants and shops. Hoi An has historically been home to tailors. Today, there are hundreds. From what I have seen the quality is hit and miss. Most try to sell silk, but it feels like polyester to me.
Luke and I went to a Vietnamese cooking class yesterday. Our instructor was quite lively and liked to use American slang and sayings that are not so trendy anymore. She was fluent in English, but spoke so quickly I had a hard time understanding her. She insisted she was 29 plus 1, not 30 years old.
We rode bikes to her local market where she showed us many ingredients used in Vietnamese dishes. She kept saying the importance of eating pig legs, but I couldn't catch why she was saying this. Finally I realised she meant that eating pig legs produced shiny boobs. I didn't know this was important. That is just one thing I learned yesterday.
According to Vihn, every food has a health purpose behind eating it. I don't go for a lot of these beliefs, but quite a few things left Luke and I giggling. Many things were for my for my or my boyfriend's cholesterol, or something else, but I am still not sure I understood everything.
Not having refrigeration at home makes daily shopping necessary. The food is fresh.
There are no grocery stores in Hoi An. I find the market shopping exhausting and too much work as everything seems to be negotiated. Luckily with the heat no one is very hungry. On the not so lucky side, my 3 boneracks do not have any weight to lose. We eat breakfast at the hotel and even by supper it is just a light meal.
Back at Vihn's family home (converted into a cooking school), we set out to make 4 dishes. One of the most common dishes, Pho (pronounced fer), is beef broth with rice noodles.
Luke and I both had aching stomach yesterday, but we tasted everything we made. The boys had the leftovers when we arrived back at the hotel.
Next up was lemon grass chicken. Luke thought Vihn was bossy getting him to read the steps aloud. I thought she was entertaining. She kept calling me Mommy-Girl. "Mommy-Girl, you not listening to me. Not like that Mommy-Girl."
Then, crispy pancakes made with rice flour and turmeric, filled with bean sprouts and quail eggs. The pancake was wrapped in rice paper with shrimp and herbs. Delicious!
Lastly we made fresh spring rolls.
This is the first cooking I have done since I left Australia. Daily hand washing of laundry has replaced the cooking. In Hanoi I sent the clothes out to be washed. When they returned smelling worse than when they left I decided to set up my own laundromat.
With the down time in Hoi An we have planned the next few weeks of our trip. A couple in our hotel have travelled extensively, especially in SE Asia. They have given us good tips for navigating Angkor Wat. I booked flights from Saigon to Luong Prabang in Laos and from Vientiane to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. We realized the overland time by bus through Cambodia to Laos and then out to Thailand would be too time consuming.
With Asia being so crowded, Nate has not even asked to play tag since we arrived. What has been his daily staple request is now not possible. They wrestling continues.
Today being Saturday the hotel has filled with many families. The boys just came back from a quick swim in the pool. They could not understand the amount of spitting going on into the pool and along the side. Not sure if any one will go in tomorrow. I need to explain to them that people are not being rude or trying to disgust, it is just a habit they will have to get used to in Asia. Not Singapore though!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)