VietJet to Vietnam

With the new year it was time to leave Tokyo and head into Vietnam. We started 2023 in SouthEast Asia. A place that our dwindling dollars will stretch a little bit further. If only we had some of those dollars on us for the flight from Japan. The VietJet flight. An international airline. And it was cash only. Yes, I haven’t got this the wrong way around. In recent times, as a result of the COVID pandemic, most flights have transitioned to card payments only. A welcome move away from pesky cash. But here, in the air, between countries, our cards were of no use. And we had no Vietnamese currency. Why would we? We always pick some up on arrival. 

So, despite almost pleading with the stewards on the plane, we could get no food or drink for the next 6 hours. And, we had missed breakfast, thinking we would get it in the airport in Tokyo. That plan hadn’t worked out. Hitting the worst queue for check in I have ever experienced, once we had waited 2 and a half hours to check our bags in, we had to rush to the plane. So, if you are keeping count, this means that we had no food from last nights dinner, until we managed to get somewhere in Hanoi, Vietnam. A total of approximately, well, I was too tired to work it out.

Hungry in Hanoi

We arrived tired and very hungry, which resulted in overpaying for some street food. The smells of roast pork drifting up off the makeshift BBQ, we asked for two bahn mi. Vietnam’s finest sandwich. Walking away, devouring the sandwich, enjoying the heat of the chilli and the fragrance of the coriander, we didn’t pay too much attention to what we had paid.

We never saw the street vendor again after that night. I can only assume he retired and is living at the beach with what we paid him. We will never see that $11 again. Settling down on to a tiny blue plastic stool later in the evening, the $1.50 beers (86p) somewhat made up for it. I was reminded of a refrain I had heard previosuly from a traveller to her partner, “this is Asia, babe.”

Hanoi traffic and the art of crossing the road

Crossing the road in Hanoi is an art form. And it goes something like this. Whatever the situation with oncoming traffic, just start walking. And walk. And keep walking. For your safety, do not hesitate, or stop. It is like a form of magic. Drivers know what is ahead of them, which is you, and start adjusting accordingly. They anticipate your walking speed and drive around you. And it works. Trust me. There are even videos on YouTube explaining this. Crossing is a little easier when it is “only” a train that is due. Although we never did get to see one passing when we visited Train Street.

We were crossing the road to go and buy tissues. Victoria had a nose that seemingly refused to stop running. Tissues were required. The first pharmacy we entered, blissfully chilled from the air conditioning, came up trumps. A pack of 6. The price looked good and so we took them to the counter. However, we found out that the price was per individual pack, and so, for all 6 it would be 49000 Vietnamese Dong. We both sucked through our teeth, “ooh, I’m not sure about that”. And promptly walked out. 

There was no way we could afford $3.05. Not when we needed that same $3 (£1.73) for two beers tonight. Victoria’s nose would just have to run.

Halong Bay

Hanoi is a great place to visit. It feels welcoming. And small, despite its size. Walking around the lake. Wandering the Old Quarter. Drinking egg coffee (yes, egg coffee. It was delicious. You will just have to trust me on this one). And strolling through the French quarter, marvelling at the original architecture. That said, there is more to northern Vietnam than just Hanoi, and so we took ourselves off on a few excursions.

One that should be on everyone’s list is an over night stay in Ha Long Bay. A UNESCO World Heritage site, every hotel in Hanoi offers tours here. We chose a 1 night stay which involved a bus pick up from our hotel in the city, a few hours drive to Ha Long, and then overnight on a boat, sailing amongst some of the most amazing scenery you will ever see. Of course, this is very popular, and you won’t be the only boat cruising the waters, yet, the experience remains tranquil.

That is until later in the evening. When the ubiquitous karaoke comes out. And if you have a mob of drunken Australian backpackers on your boat, as we did, sleep is not guaranteed. I was happy to see how hungover the young travellers were the next day, with all of them missing the 6am Tai Chi session on the top deck of the boat as the sun rose.

Nimh Binh 

A little closer to Hanoi is Nimh Binh. Close enough for us to do a fabulous day trip there. A trip that did not invlove any karaoke. Just beautiful countryside and a river that winds through rice paddy fields that we got to take a boat trip on. I am not sure why we had to stay on the bus and have a separate boat trip to the rest of our fellow passengers, and I am sure they thought the same as we were driven off by ourselves, into the unknown.

After what felt like the shortest bike ride in the world, we were taken for our “included buffet lunch”. We had some experience of these infamous buffet lunches so were not surprised to see cold rice, spring rolls, and instant noodles. Augmented with plates of fruit, and a nod to Western tastes, (fries), you could quite easily lose weight if you did enough trips. 

The delicious food of Vietnam

Whilst the Vietnamese buffet lunches really are a sight to behold, it would be grossly unfair to let this cloud your judgement of Vietnamese cuisine. There are some excellent dishes to be had. You know that the National dish is pho (pronounced “fur”), but did you know there are unlimited varieties of the famous noodle soup dish? 

A lot of the food is regional. Such as Bun Cha in Hanoi. Pork with rice. In Hoi An they have Cao Lau, a pork noodle dish. And everywhere they have the delicious baguettes that I mentioned above, Bahn Mi. What we did find was that these were of varying quality. And our favourite ones were the ones bought off street vendors. Simple fillings of pork, cucumber, coriander and chillies. Yum. And now we know what these should cost.

I mentioned egg coffee earlier. And yes, I pulled a face too. Then I tried it. Oh my, it is delicious. Strong, bitter coffee slowly coming through the sweet, whipped egg yolk. My mouth is watering as I write. If egg coffee is not your thing, try coffee on its own. Vietnam is the world’s second largest exporter of coffee and the options blew me away. From the traditional Vietnamese coffee pot, to some of the best espresso based coffees I have had, and I have had a lot, living in Australia.

Happy in Hoi An

Leaving Hanoi we headed south. Opting to eschew spending 17 hours on an overnight bus with smelly backpackers, we flew. Call us decadent but a 1 hour flight suited us just fine, thank you very much. 

Hoi An was really busy, and this doesn’t surprise me. The place, hugging the river, is beautiful. And so busy, which after 2 years of COVID must be a blessed relief for the locals. Much of their livelihood relies on tourism. Large numbers of tourists also leads to lots of easy going hassling from street vendors and tuk tuk drivers. If you have travelled in Asia you will be smiling now at the memory. 

“Tuk tuk, sir?”, is a common refrain. Very common. A short walk to town can have you fending off dozens of over eager drivers. And if I see another fancy unfolding greeting card I may scream. Crawling spiderman? Flying bird? Over priced coconut? It does get a little tiresome. Do people actually buy these things?

Visiting Golden Bridge in the Ba Na Hills

Set by the riverside, with glorious old French houses lining the streets Hoi An is a delight. Great cafes and restaurants. And when you want to venture further afield take a day trip to the Ba Na hills near Da Nang. A short 1 hour drive from Hoi An is a strange theme park. On the top of a hill. There is a Mercure hotel and loads of amusements that seem incrogruous with the area. To get there you take the worlds longest cable car. In fact you take two of them. And they are very high. 

At the top you get to see Golden Bridge. Which really is worth seeing. In fact, this was the sole reason we were on the trip. There are no options for a half day so we were in, boots and all, to the full day. Golden Bridge opened in June 2018 and I guess will already be one of the most Instagrammed spots on the planet. Go on. Check. Type “hand bridge” into Insta. I’ll wait. 

Impressive isn’t it? And I’m sure it is even more impressive on a clear day. Being the time of year that we visited, we had fog and mist. Still. We managed to get a few shots to join the millions already on social media. 

Ho Chi Minh

Our final stop in Vietnam was Ho Chi Minh city. Previously known as Saigon, it was renamed after the revered former leader of Vietnam in 1975. So revered in fact that the Vietnamese don’t want to say goodbye to him. So, the body of Ho Chi Minh now lies, fully embalmed, on open view in a mausoleum in Hanoi. That itself is worth a visit. 

Back in the land of the living, HCM city is a vast urban sprawl. If we thought the traffic in Hanoi was bad, HCM was on steroids. There are approximately 7 million scooters and moter bikes. And don’t you know it. They drive both ways down one way streets. Zip in and out of cars without a thought. And, if the traffic lights are red, they mount the curb and just drive down the pavement, cutting the lights out altogether. You really need your wits about you just walking down the street.

Escaping the sprawling city for the day we had a trip down to the Mekong River. Visiting some small islands down there and meeting locals who live a much simpler life. Growing and exporting coconuts is big business down in the Mekong region and we got to try fresh coconuts and also the candy that they make from it. 

Eating rat in the Mekong Delta

We also got to try other, more exotic foods. I had my first taste of rat. Very reminiscent of the guinea pig that I once had in Peru. Not something I would want to eat every day. Or, ever again. The rat, or the guinea pig. Victoria declined the offer of a rodent lunch and we both had a shot of “happy wine”. Very strong rice wine fermented with a whole menagerie of reptiles. Snakes and lizards galore in the bottle. The shot wasn’t that bad. I am just not sure why I have started growing scales on my body.

In two weeks we had seen a lot of Vietnam. The cities. The countryside. And the very friendly, very smiley Vietnamese people. It is a country that is easy to travel around and somewhere you are always made to feel welcome. Considering the history of this country, and the terrors of the Vietnam/American War in the 1960s, it has rebounded in a very positive way. Walking through the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh is a very sobering experience. Reading of the atrocities caused by the USA through use of Agent Orange brings tears to the eyes. Generations have suffered, and continue to suffer. With a heavy heart we take a moment to be grateful for the lives we have been fortunate to have lived.

Cambodia beckons

Vietnam is a country we would have loved to have stayed longer. However, our visa had only one day left, there is a story there too, but for another day, and so we were booked on a bus out. We were leaving Vietnam, crossing the land border on our way to Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia. Just a seven, which turned into nine, hour journey between us. 

Leaving Laos and heading into Thailand

Luang Prabang had been great. A wonderful place to close our Laos travel chapter. And it was time to hit the road again. Return to a country we have previously visited, and both love. For the people, and the food. We were headed to Thailand. 

Despite several trips to Thailand, neither of us had been in the north. Today we would remedy that. Our flight from Luamg Prabang was to Chiang Mai, a city some 700 kilometres from the capital, Bangkok. We boarded our plane at Luang Prabang international airport and before we knew it we had wheels down in Thailand. 

Chiang Mai 

The airport in Chiang Mai is only a very short distance from the city and within minutes we were checking into the Pissamorn guest house, run by the highly talkative and multi lingual Pissamorn herself. In subsequent conversations over the next few days we learned of her history in running large guest houses, her husband getting his PhD in America, and how the maid has an afternoon job making burgers for her sons cafe. Never a dull moment with Pissamorn, not least when we checked in. Now in her 70s, she has downsized and runs a guest house of only four rooms. As she walked us upstairs and showed us our room, she very proudly told us we had the most comfortable bed in the house.

As she left, I bounced on it to check. Before I had even bounced back up again we had a breathless Pissamorn at the door. She had run up the steps to tell us she had made a mistake. The “most comfortable bed in the house” was a double. We had booked twin beds, being the only option when we booked. She had shown us the wrong room and we had to move. Thankfully, I hadn’t stripped off and got between the sheets.

Still smiling, we went to have a wander around the streets of Chiang Mai. It is immediately obvious why it remains a favourite destination for digital nomads. A low cost of living and some very modern co-working (and co-living) spaces, makes it an ideal proposition. I was itching to get my laptop out and earn a few dollars for beer money. In the years since I was last in the region the coffee shop scene has also exploded. There are so many coffee shops that wouldn’t look out of place in Melbourne. Needless to say, I had to try as many as I could.

Checking the watch before buying beer in Thailand

When I am not drinking coffee, I am usually drinking beer. Alcohol in Thailand is more expensive than neighbouring countries. It is often more expensive than a meal at dinner. “Family Mart” and “7 Eleven” remain a travellers best friend, being able to pick up beers much cheaper. As long as you are within certain hours. It was in Chiang Mai that we became aware of an arcane, and slightly bizarre rule concerning alcohol sales. Having visited Thailand quite a few times in the past I am sure I’ve noticed before, but I can’t honestly remember. 

It turns out that, by law, shops are not allowed to sell alcohol between the hours of 2pm and 5pm. Researching this strange law we discovered it was enacted to prevent civil servants going off for lunch and getting drunk. Impairing their performance in the afternoon. How draconian. I wonder if this resulted in people getting drunk before work? All it meant for us was that we kept forgetting and had shop assistants tapping their watches when we tried to buy our Singha beer outside of the allotted times. 

Chiang Mai and the temple of Don Suthep

No trip to Chiang Mai would be complete without a visit to the temple of Doi Suthep. So, one morning we set off walking, stopping for coffee along the way (of course). We knew we couldn’t walk all the way there, due to it being located on the top of a very high hill, quite a number of kilometres away. But, we figured after coffee we would flag down a red taxi van. Which you see dozens of plying the streets of Chiang Mai. These are shared taxis, people jumping in the back, and pressing a button when you want to get out. The cost being almost pennies. 

On this particular day we couldn’t find any going in our direction. So we walked. And walked. And walked. When the sun got too hot and our legs felt they wouldn’t walk any further we flagged down a tuk tuk to take us to where the red vans to the temple go from. 100 baht he said. 50 each. Sounding reasonable, in we jumped. He proceeded to drive us around the corner, to the end of the street, and dropped us off. Yes, we were that close to the vans. 

Night markets and the street food of Chiang Mai 

Around town there are many other temples, even if not as eye catching as Doi Suthep. You can spend a whole day just meandering through the streets and visiting the temples. The old city is in a perfect square, and one can imagine it being surrounded by fortified walls at one point. The entrance gates remain at the four points of the compass. At the South Gate we visited the night markets.

Food is always a massive highlight of a trip to Thailand. We just love so many Thai dishes it would be hard to get bored. And the night markets in Thailand are some of the best places to eat. Visiting at dinner time you are spoiled for choice and you can get some very tasty, very cheap, street food.

The small, local restaurants are also a great bet for dinner. As I always do, I tried the local specialty. In Chiang Mai this is Khao Soi. A yellow curry noodle soup dish. With chicken. Good lord, it was spicy. I couldn’t feel my lips at the end if it. And so delicious. Every mouthful was a taste sensation. Victoria had a minced chicken, basil and chilli dish. And if I thought mine was spicy at least I was still able to talk at the end of it. 

Our step count is always high when we visit cities, and Chiang Mai was no exception. Our poor legs and feet having suffered through another hot day we finally went and had the foot massage we had been promising ourselves for weeks. Only 150 Thai baht each, for a 30 minute massage. It was bliss. Highly enjoyable. And left me wondering why we had left it so long. 

Heading to the islands

With my feet still grateful for the massage, and my senses full of the amazing sights and smells of Thailand, it was time to slow life down a little. We were heading south, to spend a week on the island of Phuket. How much will it have changed since my first visit in 1999?

From brawn to beauty

Although you could be forgiven for not realising this. There is a large portion of the WA population that seem to have a predilection for men in tight shorts and vests running in circles, chasing a rugby ball.

That the majority of these men look like they have been transported from the 1970s, with moustaches and unfinished haircuts, adds to my confusion. I find myself asking, just what is going on?

Searching out solitude

Thankfully, there is much to redeem the largest state in Australia. Places of pure beauty and solitude. Recently, we found ourselves enjoying a full weekend of unadulterated solitude, living off grid for a few nights in the middle of a very large field.

Narrogin is a small town in the Wheatbelt area of WA. And yes, we didn’t know where the Wheatbelt was either. It is a 3 hour drive south east of Perth. An area that grows a lot of, well, wheat, actually. Driving through you can’t help but be struck by the looming silos that dominate the landscape. It is easy to see where the organisational metaphor of teams working in silos comes from.

Tiny Cabin Joey

Our home for the weekend was “Joey”. An off grid tiny cabin, hosted by Heyscapes. We had stayed in a tiny cabin previously, but this was our first in WA. And we were excited. We had brought all our food supplies and plenty of wine to keep us entertained. The outdoor BBQ was going to get a lot of use, and I had my eye on the outdoor bathtub, too. We were so isolated I cheekily wondered if I even needed bathers.

Joey was just what we wanted. Very small. Very self contained, And with everything we needed. Granted, as we were off grid, we only had a drop toilet, but a flushing toilet is just a luxury, isn’t it? The small roof of the cabin was clad in solar panels and whilst there were no power outlets in the cabin, we did have a USB outlet, allowing us to ensure the batteries on our camera and Kindles did not let us down.

Slowing down

Immediately, life slowed down. We were a long way from civilisation. The nearest shop a 30 minute drive away. We opened a cold bottle of wine and got settled in the Adirondack chairs, breathing in the fresh country air, and taking in the sweeping views across the paddocks.

As we drained the last of the chardonnay, the sun started to set. Checking our watches I was pleased to see we had passed the fire pit embargo of 6pm. Time to light her up. Half of the fun is trying to get the fire started. I foraged around the paddock for bits of kindling, and selected a few choice pieces of wood that I felt would see us through the evening.

Stargazing

As darkness set in, we sat back and enjoyed one of the greatest shows on earth. The complete lack of light pollution meant we had front row seats to the night sky. Spotting satellites used to be a novelty, but with Elon Musk launching more and more of his SpaceX Starlink satellites every year, this has become less of a novelty. Our new game is spotting shooting stars. And we see a surprising number. Scanning the night sky, there is suddenly a quick movement of light. Shift your head fast enough and you get to see it as it shoots to earth. High five. A whisky nightcap, and time to return to Joey for the night.

Margaret River, where else?

If space was at a premium in Joey, for our next WA adventure we definitely had a lot more room. In fact, more than we originally planned. The week before we headed to Margaret River for the long weekend, (thank you King Charles), our AirBnB got cancelled. Cue a frantic evening searching for somewhere to stay in what is quite possibly the most popular place in the whole of WA. On a long weekend this left us with few options. 

Thankfully, one of those options was out at Gnarabup Beach. One of my most favourite spots in the world, and close to both the excellent White Elephant cafe and the Sea Garden cafe. Suddenly, our accommodation costs had shot up, but we were still going to Margaret River. That felt like a win in my book.

The Jetty

Our home for the weekend was “The Jetty”, and I am pleased to report that it even had a flushing toilet. And the even more important BBQ. This time we didn’t bring any wine from home. We were in the best wine region in the world. We wouldn’t go short. And Victoria had already told me she was planning to take much of it home with us.

How Margaret River stole our hearts

Long time readers of the blog will know how special the Margaret River region is to us. It was here that we eloped in April 2021, getting married amongst the trees of Boranup. We have only been back in the country since April and this was already our second trip down there. With over 200 cellar doors to visit, our quest to visit every one continues. Currently, our tally stands at 50(ish). A long way to go before we taste every cellar door’s offerings.

The wine spreadsheet had three new wineries added. And the wine rack looked a lot healthier when we got all our purchases home. In between we spent three blissful days starting with walks along the beach, visiting cellar doors, and eating some truly world class food. It is our opinion that Margaret River has it all. It is a shame that we ever have to leave, but until we get jobs as a sommelier, or grape picker, back to the city it is. That said, it may not surprise you to learn that we have booked a return visit in December. Oh, and another visit to a new tiny cabin, in October.

Bustling Busselton

But, not without stopping off at another location that we struggle to drive past. Busselton is half an hour’s drive from the Margaret River region, and is a small town with lots going on. We planned to have a bite to eat at the gargantuan Shelter Brewery on the foreshore, but wouldn’t you know, it was full. Undeterred, we walked to what is quite possibly my favourite brewery. Rocky Ridge Taphouse. A microbrewery, in a converted cottage selling an inordinately massive range of fresh brews. And yes, I got my “go to”, Jindong Juicy.

Another long weekend doing what we do best. Eating and drinking. And not a thought about Aussie Rules, or moustachioed men in shorts.

Happy Elephants

“Look how her ears flap. This is a sign she is happy”, explained Tan, our guide  “Sun” had every reason to be happy. She had as many bananas as she could eat and piles of bamboo to gnaw on. A far cry from her sad, previous existence as a working elephant, dragging logs up and down hills all day in the logging camp.

We were in the sleepy, graceful town of Luang Prabang, a few hours drive north of the Laos capital, Vientiane. I wrote here about how much we loved Laos. Today, we would be spending a full day with the MandaLao Elephant Conservation team. MandaLao is one of a growing trend in this part of the world. A shift away from elephant exploitation, elephant rides, and treating these intelligent animals as slaves. There are no rides available at MandaLao, and this is a good thing.

MandaLao Conservation Camp

What they do have is passionate people. Our guide for the day, the ebullient Tan, had previously worked at such a camp. “It was all we knew”, he told us. “For many years, it was so deep in our culture.” And it is little wonder, in a country that has a motto of “Land of a million elephants.”

Working at MandaLao, and in particular, meeting the project director, Prasop, had changed Tan’s life, and his whole perspective on how we treat elephants. He used to view them as workers. His personal slaves. An income. This has changed and Tan’s mission now is to educate the rest of us, one visitor at a time.

We were his visitors today and he collected us from our hotel in the leafy outskirts of Luang Prabang. The air conditioning in the minivan was welcome, even this early in the morning. Our day would be spent with a traveller from Switzerland, and one from Canada. A young man who was on his winter break from planting trees across British Columbia.

A long way from British Columbia, and around 30 minutes from the centre of Luang Prabang, we we were soon sat around a table at the Conservation camp. Each of us engrossed in the enigmatic Prasop. An elderly Thai gentleman who has been helping elephants for over 30 years. He did tell us that he is of an age where he would now like to retire, but the owner of MandaLao does not share his enthusiasm. Listening to Prasop, and how he draws you in, I suspect that he is too much of an asset to let go.

From Thailand to Laos

Hearing Prasop talk about his work across the world, starting in his native Thailand and then wherever elephants were exploited, you could see how much these animals meant to him. He tells local elephant camps, the remaining few that still offer elephant rides, that we should treat elephants as we treat our friends. Not chained up. Not whipping them. And not having people carried on their backs. Put in such simple terms it is hard to disagree. Prasop has worked with Dr Andrew McLean of Australia, a pioneer of working with horses who introduced the “clicker” to the work with elephants. In place of the old fashioned stick to “encourage” an elephant, they were now trained to listen to a click as the command.

Slowly crossing the river, Prasop’s words bouncing around my head, we got our first sight of the two elephants we would be walking with today. MandaLao has rescued nine Asian (smaller ears than their African cousins) elephants to this point, and one more was due to arrive in the coming days. Today, Sun, of the flapping ears, was going to be one of our trekking partners. Not before we had fed them their morning snack. Dozens of bananas, seemingly inhaled, skins and all.

Meandering with the mahouts

The morning was spent slowly walking with the two elephants and their mahouts. A mahout is the person closest to the elephant. In previous times they would have been called a trainer, and we now know that a free elephant needs no training. The term, mahout has stuck as the person who is the elephant’s best friend. With the mahout leading, we cross shallow rivers. Trek down narrow paths. We wait whilst one or both of the elephants had found just the right tree, neck high, to scratch that irritating itch. And the best of all? Watching as both elephants stop in the river and bathe themselves. Their trunks acting as high powered shower heads, spraying mud and water all over themselves. The mud acting as nature’s screen.

Lunch in the forest

As the sun reached its apex, we found shade under the canopy of the forest trees. It was time for lunch. Sat around simple tables, Tan passed around warm parcels of food from the bag he had been carrying. In a game reminiscent of childhood “pass the parcel” we handed each other a parcel, exquisitely wrapped in a banana leaf. I could still feel the heat, trapped in by the leaf. As we unwrapped our “gifts” we got beautiful aromas of tomatoes, fresh vegetables, and the unmistakable sticky rice. Eating with our fingers, we each reflected on what an unforgettable morning it had been.

Lunch over it was time to head into the forest and chop down some banana tree. We may have been full by a simple, and rather excellent lunch. Our walking companions were still hungry. The surprisingly heavy, and very moist trunk is a favourite of the elephants. I marvelled at how the elephants just eat, and eat, all day long.

As the elephants kept on eating. we had the opportunity to visit a small organic farm. Leaving the elephants with their mahouts, we headed over to meet the farmer. Translating through Tan, the farmer walked us through his very impressive crops. Tomatoes, kale, ocra, cabbage, lettuce, spring onions. Some carrots that appeared to be struggling a little. With each crop proudly presented, the farmer gave us samples to try, smiling and nodding as we nibbled and replied with an approving thumbs up.

Time to head back

A quick glance at my watch told me, sadly, our time with the elephants was drawing to a close. Time that had gone all too quickly. Back at the camp we had a serendipitous meeting with Aaron, the CEO of Planting Peace. Aaron first began helping the elephants when, prompted by a story he had read, he decided to jump on a flight from his home in the US and come immediately to Laos. That resulting rescue story can viewed in a short YouTube video that now has some half a million views. Aaron’s new commitment is to save an elephant every year on his birthday.

Whilst it wasn’t Aaron’s birthday this week, it turns out that the latest rescue will be arriving tomorrow. After protracted negotiations with the logging farm owner. In conditions that Aaron described as “one of the worst states he has ever seen”, previously chained and used to drag logs up and down hills all day, the elephant was now in the possession of MandaLao, thank you in large part to a generous donor, Ash, who we also met. Wondering to myself how much an elephant might cost, I hadn’t figured on the amount being as high as the $32,000US that had just been paid for the new addition to the MandaLao family.

“It was quite a process,” said Aaron.

And I am sure it was. But, holding on to the thought that the new elephant will see out their days, free, out of chains, and able to choose which tree to scratch that itch and where to have a shower, we know that there will be no better sight than an elephants’ ears flapping.

Need to know:

MandaLao offers half and full day treks.

Half day – $100US

Full day – $150US

Website: https://mandalaotours.com/

Last minute preparations for the visitors to Perth

One minute you are buying a new mattress and another wine glass so there is one for everyone. The next minute you are wondering what to do with the extra glass. It all goes by in a blur. An exciting blur. A fun filled blur. But a blur all the same.

Recently, we said a sad farewell to Jane and Dave who have been over in Perth, visiting us from England. They have previously visited us in Sydney and this was their first trip to the wild west of Australia. Escaping the last of the English winter by baking in the remaining remnants of our Perth summer. In the time that they were here we gave the bottle recycling people a little more work to do. Increased the profits of the local pizzeria. And kept the Margaret River wine industry going for a little while longer.

Western Australia’s Wonderful Wine

It wasn’t all about wine. We also got to return to some of our favourite restaurants, enjoying them again, as for the first time, through the eyes of our guests. Who knew that we would enjoy crayfish, oysters, prawns, crab, and raw scallops with our beef loving visitors? There was once a rumour that “beef” was Dave’s middle name but I am not sure this is true. They also now know that the world grows more grapes than Pinot Grigio. Semillon became a firm favourite and I wonder if they will find a bottle on the shelves of Tesco supermarket?

Supermarket shopping was one of the highlights of the Perth trip, with Jane getting to explore the wonders of Woolworths. Not the same Woolworths that she recalls so fondly from England. A brand that no longer adorns the UK high street. Jane discovered that Woolworths itself is not very exciting. Another supermarket much like the Tesco and Sainsbury’s that she is so familiar with. Although, she got a little giddy to discover Brussels Sprouts on the shelves. Alas, there was not a fig roll to be seen.

Sliding Doors

One thing she was less familiar with, as was Dave, it seems, is the sliding glass door you see in every home. Something I have come to take for granted whilst living in Australia. Obviously, Jane and Dave are a little less well aquainted. Both of them tried to defy physics, and emulate the magician, Dynamo, by walking right through a closed glass door. Yes, on separate occasions. They both tried to walk through the very same, closed, glass doors.

A loud crack made me jump and look up from my book in time to see Jane rebounding off the glass door. With Dave, I actually watched him walk towards the door and wondered why he wasn’t moving to open it. He decided to try and walk straight through it.  I know this is not funny. Even remotely. But, once I had checked that they were not injured I could not help but stifle a giggle or two. It is not something you see every day. And we got to see it twice.

Swan Valley, Australia’s Oldest Wine Region

Walking into glass doors was not enough to take the shine off the holiday that they got to enjoy. And we got to enjoy with them. Exploring our little suburb of Leederville and the many eating and drinking options. A day trip to the Swan Valley, the oldest wine region in Western Australia, where we experienced both the large corporate winery, Sandalfords, and a couple of much smaller ones, Lancaster Wines and Sitella. And yes, of course we walked away with wine from all three cellar doors.

Resting our legs, we called in at Padbury’s restaurant in the historic suburb of Guildford where Dave devoured the “instagram worthy” stack of thick, fluffy pancakes. Post pancakes, we called in for a drink at what is reputed to be WA’s oldest pub, the Rose and Crown, a long time Sunday lunch favourite spot of Mr and Mrs C. 

Magnificent Margaret River

It won’t surprise regular readers of this blog that we took our visitors to Margaret River for a long weekend. Of course we did. Did you expect anything else? We called for coffee at the cult classic “Crooked Carrot” cafe, breaking up the three hour journey south. The traffic was light and before we knew it we were pulling up at the beautiful Meelup Farmhouse where we had a delightful lunch. Share plates and a bottle of chilled white wine. Is there a better way to spend a Friday?

It got better, with a call at another favourite spot of ours, Wild Hop brewery. Cold beers all around, sat in the sunny courtyard, under the shade of a large parasol. Heaven. For our time in Margaret River we had a large AirBnB booked that was within walking distance of the town. And, importantly, within walking distance of West Coffee Co. for our early morning brew.  Our visitors continued to marvel at just how different the lifestyle in Australia is. With most people rising early, they were soon getting into the swing of things, sat in Margaret River drinking coffee before 8am.

Chicken Parmi, an Australian Classic

Perhaps just as importantly, within walking distance of the famous “Tav”. We could all have a few drinks at Settlers Tavern without the need to draw straws for who was going to be the skipper. The designated driver. We all had the opportunity to indulge in some of the best local beer around, from Beerfarm, and perhaps the best pub wine list in any pub across the country. Also, we got Dave to have his very first chicken parmi. He just had to, didn’t he? Myself and Victoria joined him. We knew just how good the parmi is at the Tav.

Morning walks along Gnarabup Beach from the iconic White Elephant cafe cleared any cobwebs away from the previous night. Spotting surfers catching waves, and marvelling at a pod of dolphins frolicking nearby. Life in Margaret River always slows down to a pace that I could very well get used to. The region has the best of everything. World class wines. Belting beers. Fabulous forests. And some of the best beaches you will have the privilege to walk on. I get the sense that our visitors started to understand why we spend so much time down there.

On the way home we called in at the seaside town of Busselton. Home of the longest pier in the southern hemisphere. A walk to the end is always good for working up a thirst. Which is fortunate as Busselton is home to two of our favourite breweries, Shelter and Rocky Ridge Tap House. We quenched our thirst, and had a great lunch at Shelter, before hitting the road back to Perth.

Beachside fish and chips on Rottnest Island

Closer to home, and impressive in a different way, Rottnest Island is truly a world class destination. Situated a short 30 minute boat ride away from Fremantle docks, there is so much more to “Rotto” than the ubiquitous Quokkas that Jane chased around the island trying to get her selfie. Whether it is quiet strolls along Pinky’s Beach, a walk up to the lighthouse, or simply having a great fish and chips with a few cold beers on the beachfront Hotel Rottnest pub, Rottnest is a must visit destination.

We were now into the final few days of the holiday. In the week we got to visit Sculptures by the Sea. Now in its 20th year, as at Bondi in Sydney, the beach is taken over by artists from all over the world, with sculptures, some more impressive than others. Much time, and head scratching prevailed as we tried to make sense of the meaning imbued by many of the sculptures. 

Checking the holiday spreadsheet, our final long lunch was at The Shorehouse in Swanbourne. Another favourite spot right on the beach. Our table order was simple. Four crab linguine dishes and a bottle of chilled white wine from the Swan Valley. Which turned into two bottles. Which might explain why Jane thought a surfer was carrying a musical organ, rather than his surfboard. Thankfully, there were no glass doors to negotiate.

Fond Farewells

Our last evening came around far too quickly. We decided to spend it just as we started, two weeks earlier. On the balcony at home with some of the best pizza in Perth (thank you Pappagallo) and a few drinks. Closing the circle. With the Uber ordered, our visitor’s bags packed, we said an emotional goodbye. A goodbye that was made a little easier knowing that we will be visiting the UK in June. 

I wonder if we can sneak in another trip to Margaret River before then…

The Bel Paese

Leaving Ostuni, we reflected on how different this part of Italy was from what we have travelled through in the North. The land is drier. The coastline is more dramatic. The air smells cleaner. A different Italy. Yet, still the bel paese. The beautiful country. An Italy we love as much as we love the rest of the country. These reflections brought a smile to my face. A smile that only a vacation in Italy can bring. A smile that I taste in the local food. In the wine of the region. And in the people we see as we travel throughout the South.

Florence of the South

Still smiling, we drove to a place we had seen called the “Florence of the South”. Quite the moniker. Would it live up to its billing? Spoiler alert. It did. And then some. Having visited, I wonder if it should be the other way around. That Florence is the “Lecce of the North”. Lecce was a revelation. Such a stunning city. If you haven’t visited, start making your 2025 holiday plans. 

Our Lecce plans would start at our accommodation, which was a typical Italian bed and breakfast in the city centre. What is a “typical” bed and breakfast in an Italian city? You walk down a residential side street, cars haphazardly parked, at least I think they are parked, on either side of the street. A street full of dated apartment buildings. The usual cafes and bars, with groups of men sat around drinking espresso. You arrive at a nondescript large door, with a number of brass calling buttons. 

This is where we are staying? On our holiday! I used to doubt myself when arriving at such places. Are we at the wrong address? It doesn’t look like there would be any bed and breakfast here. In this building? Often, even getting through the big door, I am still unsure. Nothing suggests that after going up three floors in an old rickety elevator, and entering the door that is subtly advertised with the name of the bed and breakfast, a beautiful space opens up. 

More on that elevator. This particular one looked so old, that Victoria refused to get in with me. Oh yes, she was happy that I got in, and risked my life. With the bags. I could hardly close the old doors. It was a tight squeeze. There was a lot of rattling. Victoria turned and left me struggling. She would see me, hopefully, in a few minutes once she dashed up the stairs.

Duolingo and a bit of sign language

We both made it. And entering the apartment that obtained the bed and breakfast, we did indeed see a beautiful space. The space being a large room dominated by a perfectly laid out dining table. I knew where breakfast would be in the morning. We were met by a very friendly host. A host that spoke very little English. My Duolingo practice only got us so far. Smiles and body language got us the rest of the way. With our Fiat 500 safely tucked away in the underground garage for a couple of days, it was time to head out and explore Lecce.

Exploring the baroque architecture of Puglia

And where better to start than the old town, a 10 minute stroll from our accommodation. Entering via one of the four very imposing Roman gates that circle the city. Ambling through Porta Rudiae, we had discovered, as we had very early in this Puglia adventure, not much happens in the middle of the day in these parts. And Lecce, despite being a major city, was no exception. At times it felt like we had the city to ourselves. Turning a quiet corner we found ourselves awestruck. Stood staring at the ornate, and very beautiful Basilica di Santa Croce. This, my friends, is why Lecce often gets compared to Florence. Buildings of such beauty. There are some of the finest examples of Baroque architecture that you will find in the whole of Italy.

The Piazza del Duomo is breathtaking. We have seen a lot of piazzas. And not just on this trip. The one in Lecce is stunning. We also have the Roman Amphitheatre. Then, the Roman Theatre. Yes, Lecce has both, and I was also confused about the difference. Simple explanation is that a theatre has a one sided view of the stage, and an amphitheatre has all round views of the stage. Both are worth checking out and it is stunning to think that the amphitheatre was hidden, and not known about until the early 1900s as workers were excavating for a new Bank of Italy building.

Museo Faggiano

A very similar story can be found not too far away. At the Museo Faggiano. In 2001, Luciano Faggiano was undertaking some work to fix a broken sewer pipe. In preparation for his planned trattoria on the site. Through this work, and over several years, he ended up with a museum, not a restaurant. It turns out that his property was a Templar home from 1000 to 1200. And, up to 1600 it was a Convent of Franciscan Nuns. The excavation work brought to light tombs, cisterns, a well, templar frescos, an ossuary, underground escape ways, more than 5000 archaeological finds and other incredible things. A wonderful place to explore for the paltry cost of 5 euros.

Cooling down in Lecce

Exploring done for a while, we needed to sit down. And have a cold drink. Not as easy as it sounds when everything closes between the hours of 2pm and 7pm. We did find a cafe open, and the customer service suggested that having a monopoly on the afternoon trade was something that he took for granted. Sipping up swiftly we decided it was time for our siesta.

But, not before fulfilling a tradition I started many years ago, in a country I can no longer remember. With a final check of Google Maps, I discovered that where I needed to be was actually on the walk back to the B&B.

Mission accomplished…

The evenings in Lecce might just be perfect. The temperature is a lot more comfortable than the searing daytime heat. The numerous baroque buildings are lit up. And all the bars and restaurants have opened. There are more people. Lecce now feels busy. The streets actually look different.

“Didn’t we walk down here today?”

“Yeah, and every building looked empty.”

“Where did these dozens of restaurants appear from?”

Apparently, we weren’t the only people having a siesta this afternoon. Now, we were spoiled for choice on where to have our apertivo. And our biggest problem would be to narrow down the dozens and dozens of restaurants to just the one we were going to eat at tonight. Taking a chance on a place that looked quiet, but had the all important local dish, Orecchiette con cime di rapa, we took a seat. As we raised our wine glasses, chilled Pugliese local wine from the cute little carafe on the table, we said a hearty “salut”, and shared the three things that we were grateful for that day.

Reflections of Lecce

And as I tucked into my pasta dish of broccoli tops and breadcrumbs, I reflected that we had a lot to be grateful for. Lecce had been a revelation. Another highlight to add to our growing list of places in Puglia that we would definitely like to return to. We still had another day to explore Lecce, and a night to try dinner somewhere new, and I knew that it was another place that I would be sad to leave.

We will miss the Florence of the South.