Last Tuesday saw the arrival of Mr Amy. It’s been a testing 6 months being so far apart and even daily chats on Skype, emails and text messages just aren’t the same as being able to spend quality time with each other in person. His time here will see us exploring Hanoi, Halong Bay and Mũi Né together, as well as experiencing the many unique things Vietnam constantly offers up.
Six months down the line from my arrival in Saigon, it’s now difficult to remember the many things that immediately struck me as being so vastly different from home. I definitely noticed the smells here – they’re something you can’t quite put your finger on (and definitely wouldn’t wish to in the literal sense). Mr Amy’s observations and comparisons have, however, reawakened my consciousness and I’m noticing the differences all over again, in a very humorous way.
A prime example of this was when we ventured out to do an Amy-lou style tour of the city. Starting at the Opera House and working our way back to my digs required a xe-om. Mr Amy is no stranger to motorbikes, but it did make me chuckle when he tried to hold the driver’s waist rather than the handle at the back of the seat. Having been here for 6 months, I now perch nicely without the aid of handles (unless I have a particularly erratic driver). After pointing out an alternative to cosying up to the driver, we were on our way.
“I’ll bring my own cutlery” – the words of a defeatist Mr Amy at the thought of three weeks using chopsticks. It is now a rarity for me to use eating irons – wooden chopsticks have become far quicker and more convenient. It was, however, inevitable that my significant other would, at some point, have to bite the bullet. After a short demo and with a strong desire to fill his belly, I can proudly say that Mr Amy is now a chopstick enthusiast - even requesting to visit my favourite ‘chopstick-only’ Thai restaurant.
The traffic, scooters, heat, humidity, food, people and very different style of living all now seem to be the norm for me – it’s quite strange seeing these differences again through someone else’s eyes.
More travel tales from Hanoi and Halong Bay to come…
A xx
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