Day 37 - 31.08.15 - Back to England

Our flight took off on time. The flight was 12 and a bit hours, but with the in flight entertainment and trying to re accustom to GMT, it flew by. Pun intended. We landed in Frankfurt at about 06:55. This is where Kelsey and I, left Sophie. Sophie had a connecting flight straight to Manchester, but for some reason, Kelsey and I had 2 connecting flights - one to Düsseldorf, and then one from Düsseldorf to Manchester. We took off from Frankfurt at 08:55. The flight was exactly 27 minutes which made it even more pointless. Then Kelsey jinxed everything by saying "so far none of our flights have been delayed!". Our next flight was at 14:50, so a wait of around 5 hours! We had some brunch at the airport and our bank balances cried at the prices compared to Asia. We then went upstairs and found a quiet area where we attempted to sleep until our next flight. We slept for about an hour, but then decided to get a hot chocolate. It was one of the nicest hot chocolates ever, although we're not sure our stomachs appreciated this sudden injection of milk after not having it for 5 weeks!

Our flight was delayed by an hour. Cheers Kelsey. Apparently germanwings (the company we were flying with) had overbooked every flight today so some people were being turned away. Thankfully we already had allocated seats on our flight so we were fine. When we eventually took off at 16:00, it only took an hour to get to Manchester. We picked our bags up without a hitch. We walked through to the arrivals hall and there was my Mum, Dad and yougest sister Anna with a welcome home banner!! 

We took Kelsey home and then started our journey to Preston. In total from start to finish the journey took about 33 hours!! Very much looking forward to my bed! 

We have had such an amazing once in a lifetime trip to South East Asia. It has been one of the best trips of my life, and although I'm looking forward to coming home and seeing everyone, I really wish I could stay longer. South East Asia is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited and so diverse. Each country has its own charm and character and so different from each other. The people can be strange (staring and whistling men) but the majority are nice and helpful. Malaysia is calm, green and tropical but with lots of modern infrastructure, Thailand is tropical but with more poverty and more of a party country, Cambodia is mainly farm land, flat and with lots of history and unfortunately is riddled with poverty, and Vietnam is one crazy place! This trip wouldn't be the same without two of my closest friends - Kelsey and Sophie. They have made this trip and I don't think I could have done it without them. So thank you so much girls! We've shared so many incredible memories and along with this blog (for when we lose our minds) we'll be able to relive our travels forever. We've had our tiffs and we've had way more laughs and I'll be sorry to be apart from them, as I'll be moving to Preston for the rest of my studying and they'll be staying in Manchester. The quota of bad things happening I think is Sophie: 10,000, Kelsey: a few and me: a few, but we're all still very much alive and well (apart from Sophie)! Unbelievably!! We've been chased by monkeys, eaten scorpions, lost our luggage, many delayed flights, gone to the wrong airport, been ill from all ends, stung by unidentified sea creatures, eaten alive by Mosquitos and flesh eating grasshoppers, caught in storms, spent all of our money, caught in a riot, scammed by countless taxi drivers and separated, but we're still alive to tell the tale. 

Picking our favourite place is so difficult, I've loved every single place we've visited but for very different reasons. 

Finding the words to describe South East Asia is very difficult. Words really don't do it justice and I could babble on about it for years, so really you have to go out and see it for yourselves! 

Thank you all so much for reading and commenting on the blog, and putting up with my awful humour! I'm very glad you've enjoyed it! 

Day 36 - 30.08.15 - Last Day In South East Asia 😭

We checked out of our hostel at 12pm and headed to the local central market to do some last minute spending.

Sophie didn't feel very well so she wet back to the hostel whilst Kelsey and I had some lunch. We went to the food court and ordered. It was the most disgusting food we have ever had in Asia. Kelsey had a stir fry and I had a sizzling chicken. It looked sort of nice, but tasted disgusting. 

And we're pretty sure the chicken wasn't chicken. We left and headed to a pancake parlour. Well, we had to cleanse out palate!! And look how happy we are about it! 

We went back to the hostel to chill out an Kelsey taught be how to play draughts. Kelsey thrashed me the first time but she got we commupance the second time. And I completely and utterly thrashed the pants of her (although Kelsey will say otherwise). I'm black:

We then headed out for dinner. I ha trip advised an old Chinese cafe just around the corner which and I quote "is not good for the aesthetic, but food tastes amazing". And it was true. I had seafood chicken noodles and Kelsey had spicy chicken and rice. It was very spicy. 

Everyone is wearing yellow as there is a rally on where they want the PM to resign. Apparently he has stolen public money or something like that. Feeling quite good to be heading out of Kuala Lumpur, although very sad to be going home. We got the train to KL central which is a nightmare on its own, let alone when I get caught on the train, whilst Kelsey and Sophie are still on the platform and the doors shut, separating us. But have no fear, we are all back together and currently sitting on the bus to the airport. 

It was a great start - WE GOT THE BUS TO THE WRONG AIRPORT!!! So we had to catch another train to take us to the correct airport!! Stress levels were very high! But no problem, we have checked in and now sitting in a cafe having a hot chocolate (prosecco was too expensive). The airport is massive and very very posh. Our flight is at 00:05, so trying to keep myself awake! 

Day 35 - 29.08.15 - Ho Chi Minh to Kuala Lumpur

Today I threw away my trusty flip flops which have carried me around South East Asia. They have helped me trip over anything possible, including absolutely nothing. They have waded through God knows what and still survived to tell the tale. Apart from now. It is a sad day. 

We left our hostel at 09:00 and headed to the International airport for our flight to Kuala Lumpur at 13:25. We arrived at the airport at 09:40 and eventually got through security at 10:30. There has been much shopping and eating done.

Our flight was slightly delayed and so we took off at 13:40 (Vietnamese time), but landed in Kuala Lumpur at 16:35 (Malaysian time, 15:35 Vietnamese time). We caught a coach from the airport to KL central train station, and then a train to the station next to our hostel. We got to our hostel at about 19:00, dropped our bags off and went out to the markets for dinner . We are staying at a hostel called The Explorer's Guest House. 

As its our last night I wanted to go out or a few cocktails but firstly nobody seemed as keen as me, secondly there are no bars nearby, thirdly we're all very tired and last but not least, there is an illegal rallet going on right outside our hostel so it is not 100% safe outside!! I guess it's a night in of playing scrabble and watching movies. 

Day 34 - 28.08.15 - "I do not like egg, and I do not like coffee and I definitely do not like them together"

Did not have a great sleep on the night bus. We had single beds this time and with a rucksack as well as not having an Asian sized body, it was a squeeze. My legs did not fit in the bed. Uncomfortable is an understatement.

We arrived in Ho Chi Minh at 06:30 apparently "a perfect time for breakfast". More like a perfect time to go back to sleep. Thankfully we could check into our hostel early, so the girls are napping. We are staying in the same hostel as last time we visited Ho Chi Minh - Saigon Backpackers. Although this time we are in a 8 bed dorm which is much better as it is a lot more spacey. 

We walked to the markets to do a bit of shopping but we are all tired / under the weather so are not planning on doing much else other than sleeping! 

Day 33 - 27.08.15 - Back to Ho Chi Minh City

We went back to the restaurant where Kelsey had left her water bottle the day before. Sophie and I had a "make it yourself" egg and beef baguette called Banh Bo. So yummy! Traditional Vietnamese breakfast accompanied by a traditional Vietnamese coffee. (I seem to have misplaced the picture). We got chatting to a very well travelled man called Henry. He was Vietnamese, but now lived in America. He gave us whiskey and told us how to ride a motorbike. 

Henry is on the left, and the restaurant owner who returned Kelsey's water to her, is on the right.

We then spent the rest of the day on the beach. We bought coconut water served in a coconut. We'd seen them all over Asia and eventually it seemed appropriate to have one. 

We then wondered through Dam Markets and had dinner. I had a pork dumpling which unfortunately I did not enjoy. The lady also gave us a chilli each, which we cockily "cheers"ed and ate. It reduced us to tears. 

We are now waiting for the night bus to pick us up at 20:15 to take us back to Ho Chi Minh City. The start of our journey back to England had begun :( 

Day 32 - 26.08.15 - Mud Bath

Today we decided we would spend the day at a spa. I had found one called Thap Ba Hot Springs which also offered a mud bath too. The itinerary was 15 mins of mud bath, 15 mins of mineral hot pool and hydrotherapy, and then unlimited use of the water falls and swimming pools. 

At first we were a bit dubious about the mud bath but once we were in it it was lovely. 

We had our own mud hut with buckets to pour the mud over you. 

After our 15 minutes we showered off  and headed for the mineral hot springs. But first we had to walk through this almost tunnel thing that squirted us with powerful jets of water. Once we had made it through that we found a nice hot spring to sit in and unwind. After the hot springs, we headed to the waterfall and swimming pool where we spent the rest of the day. 

There was a hot pool (37 - 39C) and a not so hot pool with a whirlpool. We also had lunch at the spa - lasagne for me, Gnocchi Bolognese for Sophie and Penne Arrabiata for Kelsey, all washed down with a bottle of white. I think all the poering worked my skin now feels lovely and soft!! Would definitely recommend!! 

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It is our last proper night in South East Asia so we thought we'd go out for a nice dinner. I found a place called Lanterns nearby which had veery good reviews. It was aptly named. 

It was an inside-outside restaurant with a retractable roof so you could look up and see the stars (or hotel in our case). 

It was very pretty. Sophie and I ordered a set menu consisting of spring rolls, a clay pot with pork/vegetables (traditional Vietnamese dish), sautéed spinach, boiled rice, fruit salad and Vietnamese tea. It was delicious and we are now both full to burst!! 

I think emotions were running high tonight and rightly so. We have had such an incredible, once in a life time experience and although it seems a long time, it really has flown by. It feels like we've only been here for a couple of days yet we have done so much and experienced so much. It has been amazing.

Also, Kelsey left her water bottle in the restaurant we had real fast in this morning, and as we were walking to Lanterns, the restaurant owner came scooting up to us on his motorbike to return it. Kelsey burst in to tears. She's blaming it on the fact that she is shattered. 

Day 31 - 25.08.15 - "I definitely did not pay to be manhandled"

The alarm went off at 04:45 this morning which was disgusting. We headed to the beach at around 5am, knowing that sunrise was 5.30am. We arrived and it seemed like the whole population of Nha trang was also on the beach doing all sorts of exercise - swimming, beach aerobics and badminton. Quite the opposite from the peaceful, empty beach I had imagined. However, it did not take away from the sunrise which was truly beautiful. 

After the sunrise, we headed for some breakfast. The choice of breakfast in Nha Trang is Vietnamese soup or Pizza. We all ordered a Lipton tea with milk (remember this) and Sophie and I ordered a pizza whilst Kelsey ordered bread and jam. Our tea came in little cute cups with hats. 

We were all very excited for our tea. However they had brought us non-Lipton tea with orange instead of milk. We thought that perhaps they put orange in all tea as it had been in our previous cups too. We asked for milk (in Asia milk = condensed milk) and added it to our tea. Mine was fine but Kelsey and especially Sophie's curdled. 

We asked the waitress to replace it, which she said yes to. Half an hour the tea was still not replaced. We asked again, and a senior waitor came over. The two had a discussion and then left without saying anything. 15 mins later, still no tea, so we asked for the bill, planning on getting a tea at a beach bar instead. The bill came and they had charged us for the curdled tea. Naturally,  we were not having any of this. Sophie scribbled off the the curdled tea, left the amended amour and left the restaurant. As we were crossing the road we heard a screech and the waitress was chasing us. Kelsey had successfully made it across the road but the waitress dived at Sophie and grabbed her bag and refused to let go. Next she grabbed onto Sophie's arm and wrist and was trying to drag her back into the restaurant. When Sophie became too difficult to budge, she called the security guard over and at this point Sophie and I went back into the restaurant. We asked to speak to the manager, but the waitress replied no. However, we insisted and she told us to sit down. She came back saying no discount but Sophie told her that we were definitely not paying and that we'd sit here all day if we had to. I picked up the cup of curdled tea and asked the waitress if she'd like to drink it. She said no, so I said "great, because nor do we so we're not paying or it". She went away and came back again saying ok, you can go. No apology or anything but that's fine because eventually we didn't have to pay for the curdled tea. We are now having a celebratory majito on the beach. And yes, it is 9 am but it's 5 O'clock somewhere right? 

Attempted to get a take away coffee to wake me up. Take away cups are not a thing in Asia. 

Also, I thought you'd like to see a picture of the rather fetching, complementary slippers. 

They are comfortable though.