A Brit living in Korea...

Living in Korea as a British expat has introduced me to many different personality traits that I was unaware I even had. So far I have learnt a lot about myself and about my own countries culture too. I have also gained a better understanding of what the rest of the world actually thinks of the Brits, and how we react in different circumstances. What is sometimes okay for me, is sometimes not okay for others and I’m not just talking about the Koreans. I think when it comes to the human race its safe to say that one rule definitely does NOT fit for all. Those HSBC adverts had a good point!

Adjusting to this has been a real challenge, and I have to admit that for the first time I don’t think it has really helped being from a Performing Arts background. At university we were literally taught to be as open and honest as possible and this has sometimes gotten me into a bit of trouble here. I think its important to remember not to change who you are when moving abroad, but just to judge certain situations you may find yourself in and act accordingly. There have been moments here when I have realised just how British I actually am, and below are just a few of the things I've picked up on so far...

 

 1. Getting overly excited about wearing a raincoat!

 

In England I HATED the rain, here its just another thing that reminds me of home and so I have learnt to absolutely LOVE IT! It doesn't happen that often but when it does you can be sure that the smiles will come out with it! Say YES to the RAIN!

2, Any time I see a Mcvitie's digestive or rich tea biscuit...

 

 

It genuinely excites me and although the tea isn’t up to scratch and there isn’t a crumpet to be seen, this is certainly one thing that is guaranteed to turn even the dullest days back around. Its all about the home comforts you see.

 

3, Becoming annoyed at myself for saying things like elevator and zucchini...but secretly loving it!

 

Being surrounded by different nationalities day in and day out has meant that my vocabulary has definitely started to change. I catch myself saying some of the weirdest things sometimes...take the classic dressing gown for example, in America they call it a robe and in Canada, they call it 'A HOUSE COAT'! Hilarious!

4, The queuing system...

 

Oh wait...there isn’t one. Ajummas (older people in Korea) get prority over EVERYTHING! None of them queue and it genuinely drives me insane. I can’t help but to release several tuts and huffs every time this happens. Steam usually starts to protrude out of both eardrums and if I had a bow tie it would no doubt be spinning, mark my words - queing is NOT a thing here!

5, Taking your shoes off...

 

When you walk into restaurants, someone else's house and even the changing rooms of clothes shops, you take off your shoes. I have gotten use to this now, but I do sometimes like to reminisce about the good ole times when I never had to do this. Ah memories.  

6, Public Bathrooms...

 

 

If you’re lucky you’ll get a hole in the ground and soap that resembles... well its just bizarre. Using these facilities is something that I now refuse to do, thankfully it isn't all that bad though. There are usually normal toilets too and sometimes even a ‘flush sound button' - for those moments when you just don’t want people to hear your movements! Classy! But always remember to take toilet paper with you - the stuff is rare and hardly ever available. Pop some hand sanitizer in your bag aswell and you'll be just fine.

 

7, The weather...

From day to day (unlike the UK) it doesn’t really change much, so therefore conversations about the weather are kept to a minimum. Sometimes I find myself going a whole day without even mentioning the weather. Its strange and very un-British.

8, Understanding sarcasm...

 

 

Sometimes people don’t get it and it genuinely hurts my feelings. I have nothing more to add on this...its too painful.

 

And finally...

 

9, My white legs...

 

 

 I know its Halloween soon but they really are too horrendous to show! Funnily enough having white legs in Korea is actually a massive benefit. The Koreans love a bit of pale white skin and I’ve even received compliments! I knew there was a reason I’d been hiding them for years!

So there you have it, just a few of the things a Brit notices when living in Korea. Its a funny old world but one that is thankfully packed full with diversity and constant surprises, so 'here here' to that! Oh and one final thing to clear up for anyone who isn't sure...

...we don't all eat BOILED MEAT!!

Seoraksan Mountain

After a less than comfortable night sleeping on the beach, we woke up and threw some grilled cheese sandwiches on the Barbecue before heading off to Seoraksan National Park. The park itself is huge and covers an area of about 163 square kilometres. It is listed as a World Heritage spot and was made into a nature reserve by the South Korean government in 1965. Situated on the east central Korean peninsula, the park itself has many different peaks to climb, and it is a great location for novice and experienced hikers alike.

 

It’s also a great place for people who aren’t that keen on hiking, as there are some fascinating gardens, temples and of course the good old faithful cable car if you’re feeling a little lazy. It was quite easy to get to from our base (on the beach) as the number 7 bus which departs from opposite the main bus station on the other side of the road, takes you directly there. The journey took about 20 minutes too, so it was super convenient. However, be prepared for the bus ride (especially on the way back) as it can get quite busy at times.

 

Seoraksan Mountain

 

Once we arrived at the foot of the mountain, it was clear to see why this place draws such a crowd. The stunning surroundings on this gorgeous sunny day were breathtaking and I couldn’t wait to pop on my sunglasses and start exploring. Admission to the park itself is about 3,000won, and once inside there is so much to see that you may find that one day just isn’t enough. We decided to hike up to the Biryongpokpo falls, which was about a 2 hour round trip and totally worth it. On the way up, there were many different sights to see and spots to relax in. The guided pathway leads you through forest land, rocky terrain and at one point across a pretty impressive suspension bridge. For the most part stairs have been put in place along the way, however there are some areas where you have to navigate around a couple of huge boulders but its not too difficult. Seeing the beautiful waterfall at the top makes this the perfect place to just sit down and take everything in. It's totally mesmerising.  

 

 

 

The main attraction of the park is of course the peak of Seoraksan mountain itself. We decided (due to time restrictions and part laziness) to take the cable car up to the top and that was definitely a highlight in itself. If you’re thinking of going I would suggest getting your tickets for the cable car as soon as you arrive, as you may have to wait up to 3 hours for your allocated time slot. You ARE able to go off and come back again though so it's not really too bad at all. The price for the cable car is 10,000won, and if you’re going to Seoraksan then this is something that you absolutely do not want to miss.

 

 

Once we got to the top, the view was just spectacular. The rolling mist and incredible scenery made it look like something out of a Hollywood blockbuster, and I imagine that this would be the perfect location for perhaps the sequel to a film like Cliffhanger. Due to the high altitude it did feel slightly nerving at times and my ears definitely did pop once or twice, but I hardly noticed as I was very much in awe of the entire place. After some time we eventually returned to the bottom of the mountain, and made our way to the mahoosive bronze Buddha of Sinheungsa. This is perhaps the biggest Buddha statue that I have ever seen, but then that’s not really hard as I haven’t seen many. The whole place felt quite spiritual at times and it was wonderful to see so many Buddhist monks wandering around the area.

 

 

 

Seoraksan National Park and Sokcho truly are two beautiful places to visit in Korea, and I would totally recommend them to everyone and anyone who has ever lived! The whole trip was rounded off the next morning by watching the glorious sunrise on Sokcho beach at 6am. Looking out at the horizon over the East Sea after an absolutely epic Chuseok weekend away, I wondered when my next adventure would be and where it will lead me. Until then...

 

Sunrise on Sokcho Beach

Chuseok weekend on Sokcho Beach

Last weekend it was a national holiday here in Korea. Chuseok (as its called) is a major harvest festival that is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. Traditionally most Koreans spend this 3 day holiday by travelling back to their home towns and sharing a huge feast with family and friends. Yum. Most also wear the traditional hanbok (dress) and play various folk games, so its similar to Thanksgiving in that it’s a great opportunity to spend some quality time with your nearest and dearest. Others (especially the foreigners) use this time off as a chance to travel around the country and even further afield too. So me and some friends thought what better way to celebrate this holiday then to do something totally Korean, and go camping for the weekend on the east coast.  

 Sokcho Beach

 

Sokcho is a small beach side town on the north east side of Korea. It has a huge military presence due to its close proximity to North Korea (just 30 miles in fact) and it was actually once part of the North right up until the end of the Korean war. Therefore most of the residence here have family that are unfortunately still in North Korea, but regardless of these circumstances I found most of the people here to be extremely friendly, happy and welcoming. We arrived in Sokcho after a 4 hour bus trip from Express Bus Terminal in Seoul. It usually doesn’t take this long, but due to the chaotic holiday traffic, we experienced a bit of a delay. As soon as we got there we headed straight to the beach, which is about a 5 minute walk from the bus terminal itself, and set up camp. The weather was literally perfect, not too hot and not too cold and the sky was completely clear. 

There were a few other people in the area that were also camping but for the most part it was pretty empty. There is a campsite that is set back slightly from the beach next to some red and white dome buildings that we discovered after the first night, but as we had already set up camp we decided to stick it out on the beach. It was free after all. That afternoon we mainly just chilled out on the beach and explored the local area. We found the cutest little café that served an ice cream beer that was beyond delicious. The people in this café were so friendly that we went back on more then one occasion over the duration of the trip. It can be found right next to the dome buildings on the main road so if you’re in the area be sure to pay them a visit.

 Ice cream beer! Yum!

 

 Exploring the local area

 

Footprints in the sand

 

As we eat out quite a lot at restaurants back in Seoul, we decided to grab some food from the local supermarket and have our own little Bar-BQ on the beach. We bought an array of different meats including pork, duck and chicken aswell as some Kimchi and lots of other vegetables too. After dinner and several bottles of the famous flavoured Soju, we roasted some marshmallows on the fire and stargazed whilst listening to the moving tides. There was a constant display of fireworks and lanterns to be seen and so we of course had to buy some sparklers to celebrate the Chuseok holiday. One thing I love about the beaches in Korea (or at least the ones I have been to) is that there always seems to be people setting off fireworks. This makes every beach visit seem like a constant celebration of some sort and one that I will gladly take part in. 

Sparklers

 

Sokcho Beach at night

Sokcho beach is the perfect place for a relaxing weekend away, not only because of the amenities and natural beauty of the area, but also because of its proximity to the famous Seoraksan Mountain. The next day we had planned to take the short bus trip up to Seoraksan National Park itself to do some hiking, and so off to sleep we went with a head empty of thoughts, and a heart full of happiness ready for the next days, mini adventure.

To be continued...

Teaching in Korea

I don’t really spend much time writing about the actual teaching aspect of my life here in Korea, so I thought it was about time that I gave you all a little insight into the actual Job that allows me to continue to gallivant around this side of the world. First off let me start by saying that I have been extremely lucky with my school, not that most schools are bad or anything but I have heard of some horror stories. So if you are thinking of trying this teaching abroad thing out then I would definitely recommend going with a good recruitment agency (especially if its your first time) and remember if something sounds to good to be true, then it probably is. As some of you know I personally went with Teach ESL Korea and I can not praise them enough. They were excellent from start to finish and supported me through everyone of my decisions. Check out their website HERE if you’re interested.

Another thing to bear in mind when going through this process, is to just go with your gut feeling when it comes to accepting offers and do not feel rushed in to this. Sure, things do move quickly here but if they are asking for an answer before you’ve even received a response from the current teacher, then that to me signals massive red flags. Remember, you’re giving up a lot to move to the other side of the world on your own, so I can not stress this enough, it needs to feel right! Of course there are always going to be things that you cannot be sure of until you actually arrive, but if the location, benefits and the school seem good then just jump in head first and go for it.

Seven months ago I found myself doing exactly that and now here I am still loving living and working in South Korea, so most of the time things really can work out, but if they don’t then at least you can say you’ve tried and there are always other options. I myself work at a Kindergarten and Elementary School in the small city of Anyang, which is about a 30 minute ride from the centre of Seoul on the subway line. It’s an easy commute and most of my weekends are spent up in Seoul exploring, so it suits me down to the ground. I have a lovely little loft style apartment that is literally a one minute walk from my school, and here I am basically the only foreign teacher. I say basically because there is actually another foreign teacher who I work with, but this is only for a couple of hours a day, so for the most part I am on my own.

 School lunch!

 

 Classroom

 

School hall

My working hours are 9:30am - 6pm (Monday - Friday) and I have a good few breaks during the day. The work itself is pretty easy and I even get a free school lunch, which at home might scare me to my very core, but the food here is amazing so it really is a massive plus. I have all the materials I need and I basically just follow a book for most of my lessons. I do have to plan my Drama classes though and this is a bit more work, but it is work that I really enjoy so therefore it doesn’t feel like a chore at all.

The children I teach are aged between 4 - 12 years old and (for the most part) are lovely. They are very respectful and genuinely do what I ask of them. Of course there is always going to be ‘that one’ but I have learnt not to let it get to me too much as they’re just kids after all. It's also important to remember that this is a business as much as it is a school, so it’s crucial to make sure the kids are all having a great time, so that they continue to come back. Most children in Korea go to school from 8am - 10pm at night, which makes their school days ridiculously long. Because of this I am pretty lenient when it comes to the kids not doing their homework. They have it bad enough without some westerner shouting at them for not completing one tiny piece of work.

Once a week we also go on field trips with the kindergarten kids which is a massive benefit to the role too. All this and I get a decent wage and my accommodation and flights paid for. Great right? RIGHT! I know what you must be thinking, there has got to be some negatives to this - it sounds like a dream job! Well I’m not going to lie, as far as things are going at the moment, it really is pretty good and I am definitely enjoying teaching immensely. Of course we all have our days and it can get a bit dull at times (like any job), but I think as long as you have the right attitude, remain positive and remember that Koreans do tend to spring things on you at the last minute, then things should work out quite well. If you’re seriously considering this as an option then my advice to you (although I’m no expert) is to do your research, plan ahead and just go for it! So, see you all soon? SOLD!

6 months and counting...

So its been a busy few weeks as you may have noticed. This is the first time I’ve actually managed to sit down and string a sentence or two together in what seems like FOREVER! Life just sort of got in the way for a while there, standard of course but completely unacceptable. I have come to realise though that Korea is genuinely quite tough! Its amazing and then its tough, and then its amazing again, and then its tough again...and then just when you think everything is going well, a landmine suddenly explodes in your face! BOOM! The expression ‘A roller-coaster ride of emotions’ is especially relevant here, and I don’t just mean Korea as I’m sure its a similar story in other parts of the world too.

Who knows why people choose to move abroad. Is it for an adventure? To escape or to find yourself? Or maybe to become the person you want to be? Or to change the person you already are? Or just simply because nothing else is going on back home. Everyone has their own reasons, and if they don’t then I’m sure they’ll find them soon. I was looking for an adventure and that’s exactly what I found, but what I didn’t realise is that it definitely does not come without its compromises, everyday stresses and standard dramas that life so often brings us wherever we may be.

As I have now gone passed the 6 month mark in Korea, everything has started to settle. People have come and gone, the weather has changed and the tides have turned. Everything is as everything was but with a slight difference; I now think I understand what this place is all about. There is always more places to visit and of course more things to learn, but I think I’m finally beginning to realise what living here really means for me. This experience is something that is almost unexplainable, you can have moments where you feel utterly lost and then 5 minutes later completely accomplished. You can feel proud, happy, empty, sad, vulnerable, liberated, carefree and sensible with a small dash of insecurity all in the space of perhaps just one hour. Its crazy, but I know now that it is all 100% worth it.

Over the last few weeks I have celebrated my 30th birthday, taken a trip to Daegu, missed a pals wedding from back home and said farewell to a few good friends I’ve met along the way. So with all these mixed emotions going on, I wasn't really sure what to actually write about in this post, perhaps that's why its taken me so long to do so. I do know however that I want to continue this journey and so I'll just leave you with a brief synopsis of things to come...

Last week I found myself once again in front of skyscanner, contemplating my next mini adventure. My winter vacation will be on and around Christmas Day and I luckily have a tremendous 10 days off in a row. So I have decided to simply throw caution to the wind and book a trip to that wonderful land down under, yes thats right folks...I’ll be celebrating Christmas and New Years in Australia! The last time I visited this place I was but a wee nipper around the age of 4 and so I don't really remember much. This time however I will be making the most of my 8 days there and I genuinely can not wait.

107 Days to go!

So watch this space as I’ll be sure to keep you all updated on my quest for pavements, in faraway places...

Halong Bay, Vietnam

Just a short 4 hour coach journey from the hustle and bustle of Hanoi, lays a different kind of scene all together. Now a world heritage spot, Halong Bay is for sure one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. With each individual island coated in its own luscious green plant life that continues down to the waters below, any movie fan would be hard pressed not to relate this tropical paradise to any one of the Jurassic Park franchises. Among the huge rocky mountains an abundance of caves rest steadily waiting patiently to be explored, and it doesn’t take long to see why this place draws such a crowd. 

 View from our boat!

 

This was on the top of my ‘things to see’ list whilst staying in Hanoi but unfortunately due to the weather, all trips going in and out of Halong Bay were cancelled for my first 5 days there. Flooding caused huge problems that even culminated in people becoming stranded and sadly a number of fatalities too. However on the Thursday, the sun popped his head out as the clouds moved aside making it possible for us to take a trip to this wondrous land. There are many trips on offer from the centre of Hanoi, so many in fact that it can be hard to know who to go with. I would suggest booking your trip once you arrive in Vietnam though, as bizarrely internet bookings tend to be a lot more expensive. Also do shop around and perhaps don’t go for the cheapest, unless (that is) you want to end up on a rowing boat with an umbrella for shade.

Me and a friend booked with a lovely little man called Tony from the Maison D’ Hanoi Hotel (where I was staying). He sat us both down and explained everything in full from pick up to drop off and any extras that were included. It sounded like a great deal and at only $50 (£25) for the day, we certainly could not refuse. Ideally I would have liked to have spent longer there and perhaps stayed on a boat overnight, but I just simply ran out of time due to the weather. However if time isn’t an issue for you, I would definitely suggest staying there longer as it is truly something to be admired.

 Another boat...so many boats!

 

 The beautiful Halong bay

 

The next morning we set off at approximately 7:30am. A taxi picked us up from the hotel and took us to a big old coach that had both air conditioning and hilarious commentary from the tour guides on board. I was the only British person, as my friend was the only American which was really great as we got to meet a lot of new people from all over the world. We boarded the boat at around 12pm, sat down and enjoyed a nice lunch as we sailed off towards the bay. We were told a bit about the history of Halong and also some rather interesting facts surrounding the total number of islands. Locals will say that there are precisely 1,969 islands, as this was the year of Ho Chi Minh’s death. When in fact the bay consists of over 3,000 limestone islands all spectacularly rising up from the ocean below. Wow, Ho Chi Minh would be turning in his grave if he had one...true story.

 Even more boats!

 

We soon reached a gorgeous little cluster of islands which was perfect for our first activity of the day, Kayaking. It was fantastic to experience delving in and out of the different coves and exploring what each one of them had to offer, and this is something that I would definitely recommend doing. In certain areas all you could hear was the sound of the paddle brushing up against the water as we passed through, which at times was quite moving. If you’re thinking of paying a visit then definitely make sure you do some Kayaking - it was by far the best part of the trip for me. We then jumped back on the boat and sailed on to the next island to explore the many caves of Halong Bay. A lot of the islands here are hollow and over time have created these enormous caverns that have huge icicle-shaped formations, that hang down from the ceilings. It really was quite beautiful.

 Jurassic Park much?

 

  Kayaking in Halong Bay

 

 Icicle-shaped formations called Stalactites

 

 Local people apparently call this section -'The stairway to Heaven'

 

After this we had a lazy boat ride back to the port and finished our day trip with a cheeky little beer on the top deck. Bliss. We were incredibly lucky with the weather although I do believe that this place would be just as wonderful if it was absolutely pooring it down with rain too. So, if you’re ever in Vietnam be sure to check out this little treasure. I’m telling you now, you won’t regret it!

 A most awesome time in the most awesome Vietnam!

Hanoi, Vietnam...

As soon as I step off the plane I’m faced with approximately 1 million people all waving scruffy pieces of A4 paper at me with different peoples names on them. As I scan through each and everyone of them quickly but carefully, I fail to notice my own. Oh no! (I think) there is no one here to pick me up! Taxi for one it is then...RUBBISH! Just as I started to make my way outside I heard a group of Vietnamese people shouting something at me that I didn’t quite understand. Suddenly a short man popped up as if from nowhere and asked ‘Is this you?’...

Pheeew...I‘d recognise that misspelt surname anywhere! And so off we drove down the highway and through the endless torrential rain to the soundtrack of 80’s love songs FEATURING ‘Unchained Melody’. Classic. Once I arrived at the hostel and checked in, first thing was first...where’s the beer?! At only 5,000D (which is about 20p) you can get a pint of Bia Hoi, which is a home brewed beer that was actually pretty outstanding. Sooo outstanding in fact that I had to have a couple more.

I was staying at a place called The Backpackers Hostel in the Old Quarter for the duration of the week. As hostels go, this one was actually pretty good. It was clean, tidy and had an okay kind of breakfast. The staff were quite helpful and most of the people staying there were around the 18 - 25 age group (so just slightly younger than myself - awkward). The downstairs bar basically turned into a club at around 9pm, and although the noise didn’t bother me, not being able to turn the lights on or blow dry my hair at ANY point did start to wear me down. So on day 3 I decided to check myself into a lovely little Hotel up the road instead. The Hotel was called the Maison D’Hanoi and I can not recommend it highly enough. The staff were excellent and I even ended up booking my Ha Long Bay trip with them too. On my second night here they also upgraded me, which was a nice little bonus. Usually when I travel alone I do like to stay in hostels so I have the chance to meet people relatively easily, and I think in the future I will continue to do this but perhaps only for the first night, as apparently I can’t handle it anymore. There is definitely something to be said for comfort, a bit of class and a room with a view.

From This...

 

 

To this...

 Nice!

One of the many things I wanted to do whilst I was in Hanoi was to check out Ho Chi Minhs Mausoleum. In 1969 when Ho Chi Minh (the former president of Vietnam) passed away, it was decided that despite his own wishes to be cremated, they would instead preserve his body as a mark of ‘respect’ for future generations, and so since 1975 his preserved body has been seen by people from all over the world. Bizarre right? Right! The Mausoleum is only open on Tuesday - Thursday and Saturday and Sundays from 8am - 10:30am, so you’ll have to get up nice and early if you don’t want to miss it. Shoulders must be covered and hands must be kept out of pockets at all times. The room itself felt like walking into a giant freezer but with armed guards for company instead of frozen peas surrounding the main ‘’attraction’’. It was a strange experience to see the body of a man who’s face is basically everywhere in Vietnam, and it was almost a little sad, but well worth a visit as its such a big part of the culture and history of this fascinating country.

Ho Chi Minhs Mausoleum



Next on the list was The Military History Museum and Hoa Lo Prison, both of which gave extraordinary accounts of some of the tragic tales that occurred during the Vietnam War. The museum has a wealth of information and is the best place to go to learn about the history of the event itself. It is 30,000D (about £1) entrance fee and there is a great little outside area displaying various tanks, planes and military equipment. The prison is a really interesting place to visit too, as it was here that a lot of the famous political prisoners including John McCain (US Navy pilot and 2008 presidential nominee) were held and tortured during the war. On the way to the museum we stumbled across a railway line that ran through the incredibly narrow streets of Hanoi’s old town district. Apparently trains come through here twice a day and regularly brush past pedestrians and children playing in the streets. It was so interesting and slightly crazy to see just how close the tracks were to the houses, and how people were just casually strolling along the lines like it was totally normal. I’m sure you’d be arrested for that in England, but this is Hanoi after all, where rules and order don’t really apply. True story.

 Hoa Lo Prison
 

 Cell block tango?!
 

 The Military History Museum
 

 ...hundreds of grenades!
 

Trains actually run through here...crazy!


Other notable touristy spots that I visited were the One Pillar Pagoda, The Temple of Literature, Ho Chi Minhs House on Stilts, Ho Chi Minhs Museum and the beautiful Hoan Kiem Lake. I also went to the famous Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre, and saw the show that the guide books rave about. It was pretty interesting and something that (as a fan of the performing arts) I very much enjoyed. All of these places are worth checking out if you have the time, but probably my favourite part of Hanoi was just wandering around the streets. It is mad, hectic and there is crap everywhere but it is extremely interesting and definitely tests your reactions. Crossing the road here is a challenge (mentally) to say the least. There are no traffic lights, no rules and in most places no pavements or particular side of the road that people stick to. You basically have to step out into oncoming traffic, going against everything you have ever learnt, and just slowly cross as cars and motorcycles drive around you. I have never felt so stressed whilst crossing the street before, but I must admit that after a couple of days it is something you do get use to.

 Ho Chi Minhs Museum
 

 One Pillar Pagoda
 

 Hoan Kiem Lake
 

 Traffic!
 

Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre
 

The food was incredible in Hanoi and I pretty much had one of the best sandwiches of my life there. I can’t even describe it, but just know that I was only there a week and I ate 4 of them (2 of which were on the same day)...it was THAT good. I had some lovely Pho aswell and some great coffee...but also some TERRIBLE coffee. It was pretty hit and miss with the coffee.

Good coffee!



Amazing Barbq...
 

 ...messy restaurant

 Coffee and a bit of pho pho!
 

 Best Sandwich EVER!
 

 EGG coffee!
 

Best Pho!

So overall I would totally recommend a visit to the Capital city of Vietnam, but perhaps not if you’re looking for a relaxing holiday. It’s go go go, a bit grubby around the sides but an absolutely fascinating city packed full with history, culture and not forgetting the greatest sandwiches known to man. EPIC!

Next stop, the beautiful Halong Bay. To be continued...