To London and Back

Well the trip did include London, and it sounds better in the title than 'To Bournemouth and back'. Back to cool, cool Saigon weather, temperatures hovering between 20 and 28 degrees centigrade. A far cry from the -1 that was the ground temp when we landed. Actually I kind of enjoyed it and was pleased to remember that it isn't the cold that's the problem, it is the combination of cold with wind and rain that causes the abject misery.

Roads and space. That's what we have. Miles and miles of smooth, silent motorways. Yes, there's a lot of countryside in Vietnam, but it just seems so inhospitable. Too hot to enjoy it. England has gorgeous walks, public footpaths dissect through farmland, access is for all. From twig cracking to sunbathing, all seasons are outdoor friendly, on a nice day. People have such space down in Bournemouth -- houses laid out neatly with front garden and back. Birds twitter in the trees, and the off the main roads the streets are deserted. Where are all the people! The noise as well, is deathly quiet. Sit round the table with a hot cup of tea and all you can hear from outside is the clock ticking and the boiler creaking. You could hear a squirrel fart. Hardly HCMC. Cars drive in odd markings called lanes, and wait at red lights even when nobody is crossing. Why? Cause that's just what you do. People are so polite. Even a man with tattoes across knuckles, neck and skull would apologise profusely if he got in your way in the shop...listen in a British department store and you will hear Please, Thankyou and Sorry, within a few seconds. I guarantee it.

People call Britain the 'nanny state', because they feel the government does too much for the people. All I can do is to repeat the first loud speaker announcement I heard upon arrival at Gatwick airport - 'Please be advised that in the interests of safety children are not allowed to ride on the baggage trolleys. Thank you'. Totally random, I thought.

Some shots of the beauty of Dorset coming up.

Looking back towards Bournemouth and seven miles of beaches across the bay from Hengistbury Head

Christchurch Priory

Part of the UNESCO World Heritage Jurassic Coast, right on my doorstep. This is Old Harry Rocks.

More Jurassic Coast.

Corfe Castle from the gardens of the Banks Arms pub.

Old pub on historic Poole Quay. According to www.poolequay.com, the Quay has a history of ships docking and trading goods since the 16th century. Many of the original buildings still stand along the waterfront, as well as the beautiful old town.

The customs house in Poole, built in the 18th century.

The 'other half' enjoys the wildlife in Poole Park.

After enjoying the beauty of my local area, Christmas Day loomed, and with it some fantastic food, gifts, and a warm fireplace.

The table is set

Xmas Dinner waiting for gravy...

In the Lounge

After stuffing our faces, catching up with old (for me) and new (for Chi) friends, it was off to Londres, better known as Old London Town, the capital of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. We did the Eye.

Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey from the London Eye.

Westminster Abbey,
location of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, the marriage of Diana and Charles, and Princess Diana's funeral. Amongst many other things. Kings and Queens of England are entombed inside the Abbey including Edward the Confessor who died in 1066, Edward III and Charles II. Many other famous people are buried here, people such as Sir Issac Newton, Charles Dickens, Dr Samuel Johnson, Chaucer, Thomas Hardy, Rudyard Kipling, and Tennyson. Admission is 10 English pounds, or 320,651.47 Vietnam Dong.

The River Thames

The London Skyline - modest.

Crowds at Buckingham Palace - and I mean CROWDS. Forget it in the summer!

The famous entrance lobby of the Natural History Museum.

The Natural History Museum, the Science Museum and the National Gallery are all FREE. Incredible really for three fantastic attractions. The Museums can be found near Kensington just down the road from Harrods. The National Gallery is in Trafalgar Square. It has paintings by Da Vinci, Van Gogh, Michaelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, Rubens, Rembrandt, Constable, Turner, Renoir and Monet, amongst many others. Worth a stroll for free entry I tells you, and Chi was mesmerized with it all. It's all in London -- history, culture and food (we had a damn good Chinese for lunch one day)...

So all in all, a very satisfying, warm (yet chilly), comfortable yet hectic, fascinating yet familiar trip home. It's easy to see why sometimes life in Vietnam leaves me yearning for England.