Queen of the mountain

Happy Tuesday everyone, 

Unfortunately, I am writing this post from the bottom of my bed because the winter flu has finally caught on me. Not to worry, earlier this week I went all in on buying Christmas chocolates, cookies and tea for the cold evenings and now all of that has proven to be very useful. 

Lets talk about the weekend ! It was really one of a kind. 

We had a little Christmas party on Saturday so we gathered up at a friend's place to have some red wine, cookies and to practice singing Christmas songs. From there we headed to our normal Saturday spot where we were had Santa hats, mulled wine, Guinness and Christmas songs - just a very happy, cozy evening. 

I headed to bed early because I had arranged a hike for Sunday !

Got up early Sunday morning, had breakfast with my hiker buddies and luckily, headed towards Yen Tu mountain with a car. It is actually an interesting experience to be in a car in Vietnam; the roads are clearly designed for motorbikes and cars have no privileges in the traffic, just louder honks. We were looking to climb 8 km in three hours so it was very good that we didn't have to start the day by navigating through the cities on a motorbike for an hour and a half. 

The landscape in Vietnam is stunning, endless rice fields with distant mountains casting their blue shades on them. We found a beautiful temple resort before we actually found the root of the mountain where the hike starts. 

I bought myself an authentic 'rice hat' (unfortunately, this is the nickname I have always called them. Cannot remember the Vietnamese name) for the hike up. We were trying our best to hold back our excitement and pace ourselves. Prior to our trip we were advised to put aside our pride and buy a bamboo stick as soon as one was offered so that's what we did ! And for a good reason. The highest pagoda on top on the mountain is about 2 km above the sea level. The hike there is 8 kilometers long, full of steep steps and some pagodas on the way up. It is also possible to take a cable car up but in that case, you would miss all the pagodas and views on the way up. 

We got hot, sweaty, it started to ache muscles a little bit, and was dehydrating. But most of all, it was breathtaking and worth every second of it. We played some word games on our way up to keep our mind occupied as we continued to lift our feet rhythmically. We did stop at every platform to have another  'Oh my gosh' moment and some pictures. 

The final resting stop is 500 meters from the top by a 1.5 ton bronze Buddha statute. We bought some ice creams and water and sat down to enjoy the view. This is the first stop that is actually completely on top of the mountain allowing you to have your first 360 degree view. Turned out it is actually also possible to shower here ! I was desperately looking for a restroom so I could wash my hands and splash some water on my face. What I found appeared to be an army bunker with a shower; shampoo and towel hanging right there. I didn't actually shower but managed to transform myself from a drenched rat back into a human being! What an experience. 

Final 500 meters and there we were; on top of the world. I won't even attempt to do justice to the view by words. Everything is put to a perspective when you stand on top of an enormous mountain marveling the view; blue mountains reaching further than you can see, clouds surrounding you from all sides, the vales echoing an ancient tune. 

  Mira

Lovely Pre-Christmas

One more week and it's all over.

But lets enjoy it while it lasts !


We had a very lovely, productive pre-Christmas week here in Hai Phong.

On Tuesday I actually randomly got together with an old friend from South Africa  who was traveling around Vietnam ! It was very refreshing, and of course, fun. Had a lovely hot pot dinner and moved onto having some coffee and drinks with some live music.

A friend of mine had organised a Christmas celebration at a local orphanage for Wednesday. We wrapped up gifts and headed there after work. The kids were absolutely adorable, and the event worked out really well. We played some games and sang songs. At the end we gave the kids new toys and everything. It really boosted up my Christmas spirit and was a great experience.

After dinner we moved to my friend's house to have a little dinner party together. The boys had been promising to feed us some eyeballs, but until I saw the pig heart, eyeballs and brains on a plate I didn't believe them. Well, all I am going to say about that is that you have to try everything once, right?

On Thursday we were developing our pool and poker skills again. Pool is starting go quite well ! Poker not so much.. Friday was my first girls' night in here ! It was great; some yummy red wine in an old cigar club. Not exactly what the boys thought we were up to !

Now I am off to do some more Christmas shopping.  I found myself a perfect Christmas tree dress so I am excited to wear it later for our special live Christmas music evening.


Love,


Mira

Ten days to Christmas

Happy mid-December everyone !


The fact that it is the end of the year and nearly Christmas has definitely added up the pace at work and brought pressure for all social events. It is rather obvious that the homesickness is hitting all of us and that the fact that we don't have any days off is wearing on us. Lately, our social events have been great and I feel that we have relied on each other more now that we are fully able to comprehend that this is the family we have for this year.

We did a road trip on our bikes on Sunday. I just had Bob checked up and oiled so he was running like a Ferrari. We started the morning with a cozy breakfast at our favorite rotation cafe ; The Universal Cafe. From there we headed to the highway and towards the Do Son beach town.

We were blessed with a nice, warm day and good, clear roads. I am quite proud of myself and my driving, I am happy I drove myself - the traffic in Vietnam is crazy with 16 dead motorbike drivers a day. The boys were a good sport and the pace was chilled so we had some time to actually enjoy the drive. 

The beach was nice, but rather shallow to swim in. We decided to head for the view point and secret pagoda on top of the Elephant Mountain. The climb was gorgeous; it wasn't too high, but the sun was fully grilling us on the way. The view from the top was worth every sweat drop; 

There were three pagodas overlooking the ocean and the city. You could hear traditional Vietnamese music echoing from the city entwining with the wind bells clinging. The vibe of the place was out of this world. Describing the serenity won't even do justice to it. 

Down the mountain back onto the beach to have lunch, swim and play football. We decided to take a secret road back through the rice fields. It was breathtakingly beautiful, we were lucky to hit the sunset perfectly. On the way we stopped for a beer and the guys were playing football with these adorable little kids. 

The rest of the journey home was rather dark, but I am happy with how smoothly it went ! Evening was spent watching my colleagues and friends playing their basic Sunday football match. 

Have  a lovely week, 

Mira 

Frosty greetings from Hai Phong

Happy mid-week everyone !


Winter has finally arrived to Vietnam, though, I should say Northern Vietnam. The temperature has definitely cooled down in the last two weeks, and now we have had a few very perky mornings. I usually leave for work at half six in the morning, and driving a motorbike truly requires a few layers of clothing. I have created this new habit to go buy a new soft, warm jumper after all my morning classes before cuddling a hot coffee cup in bed. Luckily, the prices are appropriate to facilitate this new habit.

I am now very settled in Hai Phong, I have my weekly routines and my classes are going well. We have been busy with speaking tests so I have heard many presentations about Vietnam, Hai Phong, Christmas and TET holiday in Vietnam, and Vietnamese foods. It has all been quite fascinating, and definitely very educational. It has also allowed me to lay back a little bit and develop new methods to teach and communicate with my students.

I have actually somewhat learned how to play poker ! I have become a regular football supporter at the Maritime University of Hai Phong. Hanging around at the Uni has allowed me to meet even more foreign people, but also some amazing Vietnamese people. I have somehow become an unofficial motivational speaker; a friend of mine and my teaching assistant both teach English privately, and I have been visiting various of classes encouraging students to talk to me in English and to focus on their studies. I have genuinely enjoyed this ! The students have been very welcoming, and I hope at least some of them took my words to heart,

I have a new hobby as well; we spent our days off hunting all the secret cute cafes in Hai Phong. So far found quite a few ! Even though it is getting cold, the days are usually sunny and quite lovely. I feel quite at home in this weather - I really love wearing jeans or skirts, a nice jacket with a scarf!Sunday was spent driving around to see some of the city centre sights; the war memorial, central park... We found a cozy book shop so now I have something to read in bed in the evenings while drinking some tea.

Sometimes I find myself sitting back and looking at my life thinking 'how on Earth did I get here' and how random is this all. I have studied some Vietnamese and I feel quite at home here. Had you asked me even six months prior I could have never even imagined being where I am now. I do feel happy here, the life style seems to suit me and I enjoy the lessons I am learning along the way. Many people have wondered why would I choose Vietnam over Thailand, and I can honestly say that I think I made the right call. It might take a little bit longer to get into or understand Vietnam but it is truly a beautiful, mesmerizing country with very curious, helpful people in it. Yes, there is a lot of corruption and the people are sometimes way too curious but that's just how it is and it's okay.

Lastly, I want to tell you about my plans for the future because I am very excited !

I am going to spend Christmas down south (where it's still hot) at a friend's house. They have a huge party planned and I am happy to get out of Hai Phong for a few days. It's odd how the weather is so different when the distance does not seem like that much.

For new years we are planning to go even further up north to Sapa. You may have heard of Sapa, I believe it to be the most beautiful part of Vietnam. Acres and acres of untouched rice fields and hills. Perfect peace and quiet in a cozy cottage in the middle of nowhere. It will absolutely be freezing  but that's okay !

Vietnam's favorite and biggest festival TET takes place in the first full lunar month of the year (end of January usually). TET holiday lasts for ten days and during this time everything closes and everyone runs off to the countryside and the coast to spend some quality time with their families. My plan is to go to Cambodia, meet my friends there and spend some days touring around to see the ancient temples and ruins. After that, we will fly to Northern Laos and enjoy the rest of our holiday zip gliding, trekking and cycling around the beautiful villages of the area.


Have a lovely, cozy week !


Mira

Big sissy

Happy Birthday Nora, you are my favorite. I hope you have a lovely day and that you get all the good that you deserve.


Reaching quarter century is awesome, and I am proud of all the things you have accomplished in it. You are my inspiration to the fact that geeks can be cute too. Without a doubt, you are the smartest person I have ever met, and we both know I would still be stuck in primary school without your help and guidance.

I thought I could reminisce our journey here together -

Koli National Park, Finland

We have been to some great places together. 

And some amazing places apart. I would have never spread my wings so wide without your example.  

We were together in the ups. 

And I was always the crazy one. 

But you had my back anyway. 

You taught me about kindness and caring - now we are both vegetarians and humanitarians. 

You showed me that quality amounts to more than quantity. Though, looking at those cakes we were clearly out of our minds on this day, haha. 

We could always have a piece of home with us on our travels. 

Nottingham, UK

And you made me fall in love with England. You took me to one of my favorite cities first, which led to the best decision of my life. 

Nurmes, Finland 

You are small and cute. 

Ja sä olet mulle todella rakas. 

I will see you soon, sissy. 

Love, 

The youngster