Bye bye and thank you South East Asia

Today we are leaving Hanoi.  Our three month trip in South East Asia is at an end.   The morning was spent catching up on blogs and packing in The Light Hotel.

Before going to the airport, we went out to sample ‘Hanoi’s best vegetable hotpot’ according to Jean and Rich from Minnesota (Tripadvisor).   And it was.  We had a slightly odd trip there in a taxi, which drove so slowly it almost went backwards and we weren’t sure whether the driver was a man or a woman.  She/he could barely see over the wheel and she/he seemed keen to engage Kelty in conversation even though she/he couldn’t speak a word of English.  Then arriving at the restaurant I heard someone say ‘nice body’.  I looked round and saw one of the waiters, who then  repeated this in case I hadn’t understood.  I should have been flattered but instead found this a little weird as he was supposed to be welcoming people into the restaurant and this wasn’t the way to be doing it.

Back at the hotel we said our goodbyes to the staff as we had stayed there for five nights.  Kelty took a wad of notes from his wallet and told me it was a tip.  I asked the manager if there was a tip box and she told me to take it to the reception.  I handed it over with a little speech ‘here’s something for all your kindness and help.  Please share it around.’  They all looked delighted and I felt good to be showing our gratitude.  What I didn’t know was that Kelty was getting rid of his spare small notes and he told me in the taxi to the airport that I gave them the grand total of $3 as he had intended it for the porter who was helping us with our bags.  So embarrassing.  No wonder they were all laughing.  

It feels fitting to ask my fellow travellers some questions about our trip: (and we have a 5 hr wait in Dubai airport)

Q.        What was your highlight?

T.         Diving

K.         Quite a few of them really.  Visiting Tanzania again and feeling comfortable again with my choices from 20 years ago.   Arriving in Koh Kood.  It is hard to choose.  So many.  I also loved staying with Thea and Veasna.

J.          Snorkelling and safari.  And staying with Thea and Veasna in their Cambodian home working in the school.  Teaching my first class. 

Q.        What was most surprising and why?

T.         Masai tribe culture shock.   How odd and unjust their customs were to the Western eye.

K.        How thrilling and absorbing I found the diving. 

J.          How much I liked Hanoi and Vietnam.   I found Hanoi to be such an easy, exciting place to walk around and visit.  A vibrant city full of fascinating sights, more beautiful than I expected.

Q.        Is there anything that this trip taught you?  What have you taken away from it?

T.      Yes, I have learnt how easy it is to settle into an Asian/African community (coming from the west) compared to a European country when you don’t speak the native language.

K.         That I still love travel

J.          Like Kelty, I am reminded about how many other lives and people are out there in the world.  All of them have something interesting to say. 

Q.        Favourite place?

T.        It depends; favourite country: Tanzania, favourite place: Little Okovango, Best accommodation: Anantara Dubai, greatest city: Battembang.

However, we’re now off to England and that, I hear, is to be our most exotic stop yet so those answers may soon dramatically change.

K.        The diving and reefs in Apulit.

J.       Hard to choose.  I think Apulit – the water and ocean life was so mind blowingly beautiful.  It transported me into a dimension of pure joy .  I also loved my aerobics classes in the park in Battambang and staying with Thea and Veasna and helping them with the school. 

Q.        What would you have done differently if anything?

T.        Itinerary frames, I wasn’t given much of a choice. But Honestly I would try to say yes to more local tradition and food.

K.        Not take out my annoyance with computers on my travel companions.

J.          Taken less stuff with us.  Been less grumpy when tired.  More half glass full.

Q.        Most memorable character/person you have met ?

T.        Most likely Max our stand-up bus worker comedian from Sapa to Hanoi and back again.

K.        Juan – because if everyone was a bit more like him the world would be a better place

J.       The taxi driver Mr Huot who picked us up in Phnom Penh who has taken in 10 orphaned kids.  He is a person with such good intentions to others with very little himself.  And Paolo who owned the houseboats as he is such a risk taker and adventurer.

Q.        What would you recommend to others?

T.        Diving and safari, I believe, cannot be beet.

K.      Koh Kood for a guaranteed nice beach holiday and roughing it on a volunteering project is not as scary as it sounds.

J.          All of it.

Q.        Funniest moment?

T.        You have very recently had an account of this; when Mum made such a big deal about giving out a $2.5 tip between the six people at the front desk (she seriously misunderstood the currency).

K.        Jo leaving a $3 tip to share around the staff at the hotel when she thought it was a huge wad of notes and that she was being very generous

Q.        Three words to describe your feelings about it now you are at the end of it.  

T.        Exotic, lively, circus.

K.        Exciting, worthwhile, educational

J.          Motivating, satisfying, inspiring - and gratitude.

Thank you South East Asia!  Europe here we come...