Vietnam 2018

Friday 20th April - Fly at 11am direct to Hanoi on a Vietnam Airways 787, with GE engines. We all sleep a bit. I am tired and quiet most of the way. Annette tells me about Holly asked her how did Daddy drive to the Petrol station to fill up the car if it was empty?

Saturday 21st - Land at 4am in Hanoi, get bags and then find the bus to the Domestic terminal. Fly to Saigon on an A321, we then wait five hours in the domestic terminal, drags a bit. We then fly to Phu Quoc, meet by the shuttle bus. Arrive at Chez Carole at 4:30pm, meet Thomas and Maléne by the pool. Enjoy cooling down by the pool. At 6pm we order a taxi to Mango bay, arrives by 7pm. Head waiter there is called Max, very attentive. We sit outside, I have duck legs. On the way back, we are stopped by a man lying in the street, who has fell off his moped. Annette goes to help. He is a large Russian, drunk and unconscious. He comes around after a while. All the locals just stand around and watch, reminds me of a scene from "The Time Machine". Home for 10:30pm.

Sunday 22nd - We go down to breakfast at 9am, enjoy an omelette sitting by the beach. Spend the morning in the pool, there is a little rain. Talk with Sam, he works in construction, from Grimsby, 10 years in Saigon. I drink from a coconut for the first time. Thomas and Maléne go out on the bike to Ecobeach, near Mango. We go to Coco Palm beach to meet them. We all enjoy playing in the waves, especially Holly. Watch the sunset then walk along the beach to Mango bay. Sit by the water, enjoy some great food and wine, Holly eats her fish fingers.

Monday 23rd - Lie in till 9:45, miss breakfast. Thomas has been awake from 6am. Me and Holly have some chocolate muesli. Down to the pool for 10:30. Me and Holly have a swim in the sea, walk out 100 yards, the sea is very warm. Me and Thomas go on the bike to Mango bay to get Money, he remarks that it reminds him of "Lost". Eat lunch at Carole and then more swimming till 6pm. Thomas and Maléne fly back to Saigon. Watch the staff getting ready for a wedding. We shower after the pool and then walk down to eat at the restaurant. The wedding gets going with dreadful music and karaoke.

Tuesday 24th - Down for breakfast at 9:10am. Very warm and cloudy with thunderstorms. Me and Holly play in the pool most of the morning, a Vietnamese family joins us for a while. Eat lunch in the resort, chicken skewers. Up to the room at 4pm, Holly has a little sleep. Get the resort bus to the night market, have a bit of a wander round. Have some street food, hot dog, honey pork stick and sweet corn. The pick-up is 35 minutes late, resort bar is closed when we get back, annoyed.

Wednesday 25th - Get up early at 7am and have for an early breakfast, check out of chalet 121. Get the resort transfer to the airport at 9am. Fly at 11:10 to Saigon. Get a Taxi to the Liberty Central Riverside, very nice hotel. Check into room 1901, great views of the river. Head up to the 25th floor for the pool, spend a few hours in there. Thomas joins us and we have a few drinks. Meet a boy called Jesse and parents, and Nadine from Sydney. Taxi with Thomas over to Sangria and Tapas, very good service, enjoy the tapas, all comes a bit at the same time. Have the steak as an extra. Drinks are complimentary. The resident mixologist makes us three special cocktails to finish.

Thursday 26th - Awake from 7:30am, early breakfast, loads of choice. Up to the pool on floor 25, almost all day there, I get too much sun. We get a taxi to meet Thomas at The Deck for 6pm, have a few cocktails as the sun goes down, £45. Holly sees some frogs playing in the bar pool. We move on to The Madhouse for 9:30pm for a Meet the Parents event with about 30 of Thomas's friends. I almost step into the pool under the dining area as I am taking my seat. I read Holly a story about the Emperor’s new clothes whilst Thomas is giving a speech. Annette reminds me that the play room was where I read Three Little pigs to her for the first time in Sept last year. Camilla serves the food, lots of small dishes, just ideal. We manage to leave bunny behind.

Friday 27th - Sleep well, breakfast from 9:30am. Up to the pool. After looking into some other options, we decide to stay in room 1901. There had been plans to go to Da Lat, but the long weekend makes everywhere too busy. Have lunch by the pool, pizza, chips and Tiger. After sunset we have a walk along the river, walk past Vesper and the statue of Tran Hung Dao, loads of motorbikes on the pavement, Holly falls asleep. We get back to the hotel and head to the roof bar. Annette notices that there is an offer on beer for only 20,000, so we go to the lobby and have about 7 draught Tiger each.

Saturday 28th - Early for breakfast, try the Vietnamese coffee. Go up to the pool for a couple of hours. We get a taxi over to the Snap Cafe in District 2. We order duck spring rolls and chicken wings, very good. Thomas orders the chilli, but cannot eat it, big bits of meat and very hot. Annette says that is what a proper chilli is like. Very popular with expats late on. I am tired and too hot, maybe dehydrated. At 8pm we get a taxi back. Up to the roof for a last one. Three local singers are performing..

Sunday 29th - Have a light breakfast and then play in the room. We watch a scout camp setting up over the river. Thomas picks us up with David Sosa and the dog and we go to East West brewing company for brunch. Have a number of the dishes, all very good. David Sosa’s girlfriend, Vee and Mark Jolly, join us. We start drinking Saigon Rose, then move onto a Belgian Dark coffee and Vanilla beer, and then have the Independence one, 12.5%. Taxi, and then beer at the hotel. We take a speed boat along the river, downstream first, see the docks. Then upstream, past Louis’s Dad’s house, stop for cocktails at Villa Song. After the trip we head to Mad Cow at floor 30 of the Pullman Hotel, very good steaks.

Monday 30th - We watch a parade along the street. Lazy late breakfast, play in the room a little and then taxi over to Maléne’s Tropic Garden apartments. We go down to the Terrace and get all set up round the pool. Holly enjoys the two pools, 0.5m and 1.2m. A storm develops and becomes heavy rain and then hail. We go back to the apartment and play a board game called "Ticket to Ride". Taxi back to District 1 and we head to Tandoor, a good Indian restaurant. Everyone else eating there is Indian. We walk back to the Liberty, lots of people are sat on the street. It is Reunification Day. Massive loud fireworks from 9:00 till 9:15, after that traffic chaos. Maléne gets a balloon for Holly.

Tuesday 1st May - Labour Day. Late breakfast and then we set off to walk to the Ben Thanh market, head along the pedestrian street, take a detour and end up standing next to the Bitexco tower, after a little wander around we find the entrance. Lift to the 49th floor, fantastic views from the observation deck. We can look down on the Liberty Riverside. When we come down have a little wander and go down an open market street. We got very hot and get a taxi home. Head to the pool to cool down. Thomas joins us after his work meeting, good pool time. Back to the room for 5pm and then head out to a Japanese BBQ, Gyu-Kabu, with Thomas, Maléne joins us there. We have our own room, and a bell to ring when we need drinks. Cook our own meat in the middle of the table. Holly loses a doll down the back of the bench seat. We have prawns in garlic oil in a separate dish. Taxi back to the Majestic and walk from there.

Wednesday 2nd - Breakfast, Holly is still not talking to the head waitress, Lam. Set off walking, arrive at Ben Thanh market. Buy a Saigon Telecoms t-shirt, a couple of lanterns for outside. Taxi back to the hotel. Up to the pool, Holly does a lot of jumping in from the side with the ring on. Annette talks with Linda, Eugene (Russian) and son Isaac. We get a taxi at 6pm to District 2, Thao Dien, we go under the tunnel. Go to the Boathouse, part of a gated community. Sit by the river and have cocktails, Maléne’s comes with a slice of bacon on, which I have. We move on to Pendolasco, Italian restaurant. Maléne cycles there, Thomas on his motorbike. We sit outside, in the garden. Tuna and beef carpaccio to start, I have tortellini to follow. Annette has lamb. Two litres of red wine.

Thursday 3rd - Overcast all day. I go down for a late breakfast, bring some milk back up for Holly’s breakfast. Thomas comes at 10:30 on the bike. We go to Café Cong for some ice coconut coffee ice cream, take it with us on the bike. Drive to BuiVien, Thomas is surprised how much it has changed, we get cash and pay for the boat trip. Go to Brother’s for a haircut, they say come back at 12:30am. We go for a bite to eat, near Ben 10, called Nam Cra, talk about Kubla Khan. Back to Brothers, head massage and cut. Thomas goes off to a meeting. Walk back by myself. Annette and Holly are waiting at Lobby, but I don't see them. Pool till 4pm with Thomas after his meeting. At 6pm we get a taxi to Glow, meet Thomas, David Sosa, Dan Kings. We start with some signature cocktails, then they buy a bottle of Belvedere and we have cocktails. David tells a story about the LA trip where he could not stop winning money. Maléne joins us. We move on to a Mediterranean restaurant called Warda, opened by David Hodgkinson and My. We order some cold starters and hot main. Walk home, watch a group of lads repairing the road, no shoes, no hard-hats, large mechanical digger.

Friday 4th - Awake from 5am. All down for breakfast. Do the packing and we check out. Taxi over to Maléne’s place. We go down to the pool for about two hours. It starts raining so we rush inside. Taxi to the Snap café, heavy rain when we arrive. I have the chilli, fantastic. Holly plays on the equipment as soon as it stops raining. Taxi back to Tropic Garden apartments. Maléne is delayed, they go to a F1 event, Thomas gets a picture with David Coulthard.

Saturday 5th - Flight is a couple of hours delayed in landing, touch down at 7:40am.