Good morning, Vietnam.

Golden Week is a time of many public holidays in Japan. However, this year was special. After 30 years on the throne, Emperor Akihito became the first emperor to abdicate since 1817, in place of his son Naruhito. Both the abdication and enthronement days, along with the regular work day sandwiched between them, became public holidays. This turned the usual Golden week into a special ten day holiday block, marking the imperial transition from the Heisei to Reiwa era.

Golden Week is insanely busy at the best of times, so we didn`t need more encouragement to get out of the country. Cue Olivia and I booking a lovely two week getaway to Vietnam, travelling northwards via night trains. They were an experience in themselves, with us having to take anti-sickness tablets and running the fine line between being rocked to sleep or jostled awake. Every place we visited varied so much, so here is a little snapshot of each.


Ho Chi Minh
My first taste of Vietnam began with the crazy downtown area filled with obnoxious clubs and scooters weaving their way through the tightest of spaces. This was the more historical filled part of the trip, with the day spent visiting the War Remnants museum, and visiting famous local markets for some local lunch experiences. Frankly, it was too bloody hot to do anything else, but it was a fleeting 24 hours in Saigon.


Nha Trang
What can only be described as a beach town where we really embraced the holiday vibes. We took a snorkelling boat tour through the islands, complete with a floating bar (aka our wacky tour guide floating a punch bowl on a life jacket in the water).

I also had my first ever Vietnamese coffee experience at a rainforest themed cafe. If you're going to do it, do it properly right? I was off my rocker for hours after and thus begun the daily obsession with a morning caffeine fix. We also headed to Thap Ba Spa, a famous mud bath area that was hilarious until you got some in your mouth. I can't say it did anything to my hair or skin, but I was washing mud out of places I never thought I'd have to for a long time after...


Hoi An
After taking a night train to nearby Danang, we got the bus staight to Hoi An, a world heritage site located in the centre of the country. I didn't sweat so much the entire trip as I did here, but the abundance of beautiful lanterns everywhere really made it worth while. Once the sun set, the city lit up with a warm glow, and the amount of lanterns doubled from the reflections in the river.

We cycled through the more 'inaka' parts of the area, through rice paddies before reaching some basket boats. Three of us in the boat, Olivia and I were gifted banana leaf rings and hairbands from our feisty little old lady driver, who was a woman of few words but a sweetheart all the same.

Top pick:
Streets Restaurant - a project providing disadvantaged youths with training and education in order to work in the booming tourist and hospitality industries. The restaurant was full of bright souls embracing the 18 month progamme, and the food was amazing too.


Hue
A change of pace and a much quieter city. We took a motorcycle tour through the areas surrounding the Citadel and Perfume river, met some locals who handcrafted traditional hats and incense, and even saw remants of Vietnam's past at the Empresses' tomb and an old arena used for tiger and elephant fights.



Halong Bay
After our third, final, and most rocky night train, we headed to Halong Bay for a day cruising through the world famous rock formations. We also got a chance to do some kayaking whilst there, which was pretty fun but did give me a slightly damp arse. That day was a little cloudier than it had been, but that just created a mysterious atmosphere, somewhat adding to the lore surrounding the bay.
If you don't know, local legend has it that during a battle, the Jade emperor sent a family of dragons from the heavens to defeat the enemies of the Vietnamese people. Halong means 'descending dragon'.

Hanoi
Full of life, days were spent exploring and evenings spent drinking. We visited Ho Chi Minh's mouseluem, and a loosely coined 'museum' about him that was more something you'd expect to see at the Tate. I'm not one to claim to understand obscure meanings within art, but the fruit sculptures were the last straw. Our final night was spent watching the traditional water puppet theatre, which was nothing like I expected but an experience all the same. Even the rain did't dampen our spirits wandering aroung the markets, and I'm proud to say my only purchase was a much needed fan.
One of my old teachers moved to Hanoi this spring, so we got to have a catch up over dinner. Him and his family were so welcoming to Olivia and I, and we got to eat at a very local cafeteria style restaurant , then enjoying coffee and dessert at his new home.

Top picks:
Omamori Spa - A massage shop that works exclusively with visually impaired youths to train them and give them jobs when otherwise they wouldn't be employed. It was the most fascinating experience to sense them feeling rather than just doing.
Lifted Coffee & Brunch - Pulled pork and feta cheese, says it all really. We ate here twice.
RailwayStation Coffee - A quaint cafe located on the tracks of the famous train line running through the main streets of Hanoi. Grab an egg coffee, wait until the 7pm train and flatten a bottle cap on the tracks as a souvenir.

All in all, we ate our body weight in cheap fruit and bougie brunches , and I had coffee withdrawal for about a week after. Egg coffee was my favourite, closely followed by the refreshing coconut cream versions which were to die for in the humidity. Thanks Vietnam for the pho, banh mi, ridiculously cheap massages and the most needed two week break.

A wisteria wonderland.

Ever since I became interested in Japan, many things have entered onto my subconscious bucket list, Kawachi Fujien being one of them. Back when it did, I didn’t think I’d be living in Kumamoto, not so far away, or that Kohei would literally live down the road.

The downfall of seeing the wisteria in full bloom meant that so many other people would want to do the same. Despite my fears of it being jam-packed and ruining the experience, we managed to time it perfectly and miss the crowds. The wisteria tunnels were just enchanting, making me feel like a princess in my own fairy-tale. 

You follow the trail under the tunnels, through changing colours from violet and lilac, bright and dusky pinks, to crisp white. Every so often was a little dome of hanging wisteria, which reminded me somewhat of little Hobbit homes in The Shire.

Once we reached the top of the gardens, the view down the hill was stunning. Under the green canopy you could see glimpses of the colourful wisteria underneath, all while the light wind was blowing some of the petals around us.

It’s hard to describe how beautiful this place is, since the pictures barely do it justice; you need the full experience of the sweet smell that just engulfs you upon arrival, and the abundance of bees enjoying the flowers just as much as we were. 

It’s not just the wisteria garden that is worth a visit, but also the surrounding area. I’m definitely planning to head back when it’s not flower blooming season anymore, to have a picnic and a paddle in the huge lake next door.

Golden Week in Busan!

During Golden Week (a time in Japan were three public holidays are back to back, and everywhere in Japan is bedlam) Kohei and I decided to take a trip to Busan, a first for the both of us.

The evening we arrived was spent wandering around the Jagalchi and Nampo area, famous for its bustling markets and street food. BIFF Square and Gukje Market had such a similar feel to Myeongdong in Seoul that it was easy to forget where we were. 

I’ve been craving strawberry daifuku in Japan for weeks now, but the season has already past, so I was utterly delighted to see a stall selling the same red bean and strawberry filled mochi balls. We also tried something that can only be described as a soft, sweet, egg-y bread with bacon. So wrong, but so right. The next day we also ate “Quattro-cheese topokki” which was practically life changing.

Brown Hands Café

Somewhere I’d stumbled across while stalking cute locations on Instagram, this café is hidden in the back streets near Busan station amongst some random nightclubs.  It’s located inside an old converted hospital, providing one of the most hipster settings to a café I’ve ever been to. Coffee (and more importantly the banana smoothie I had) were good too.

Centum City

Deemed the largest department store in the world, we had to take a visit to Shinsegae in Centum City. The food court is an experience in itself, and the abundance of every type of Korean and some Western foods will have your head on a swivel. Nearby is Café the Box, another quirky little joint overlooking the river with cardboard leaves on the walls and a chocolate block ceiling.

Another café we visited was The Pancake Epidemic in Haeundae. Although the pancakes were magical judging by Instagram, they were sold out by the time we arrived. The store itself is pretty cool, overlooking the beach and is also connected to a pretty cool clothing store which is worth a visit. I even bought a hat.  

Gamcheon Culture Village is a must-visit when in Busan. What is commonly referred to as “Korea’s Santorini” is a favela like area, given an update and is now one of the most quirky areas I’ve ever been to. Art installations are everywhere, hidden along tiny paths in backstreets, or brazenly painted on any surface in view. I didn’t truly appreciate the abundance of colours until looking at the pictures afterwards. I’d love to go back and explore when it’s less crowded and get a change to fully delve into hidden gems I’m sure exist. However, if you’re not a fan of creepy birds with human heads perched on buildings because it’s “artsy”, this place may not be for you.

That night we headed to Gwangalli Beach just after sunset and spent the evening wandering along the beach, drinking beer and soju, and watching the infamous lights adorning Gwangan Beach in the distance. Although we went to Haeundae Beach the next day, there’s something a little more special about Gwangalli as there are less tourists flooding the place. Even better, you can sit, watch the lights on the bridge, hear the waves and see people setting off fireworks.

 While I’ve been to Seoul three times and will inevitably always have a return trip planned, Busan was a completely different experience, but also so similar. I missed the famous lantern festival by a few days, and also never got to do some of the beautiful coastal walks because of the weather… Let’s be honest though, like I need more of an excuse to return; the Korean BBQ alone does it for me.

 I’m proud to say that Kohei and I didn’t want to kill each other either! It won’t be long Busan, and maybe I’ll squeeze in a trip to Jeju too. Although I do need a Korean skin care intervention, it’s getting out of hand.