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Day 85b, Jan 18 - A long way back to Home Sweet Home

- So my parents had 5 bags to check along with 2 boxes

- apparently most of it are food items for relatives

- They had taken a couple of the broken and disregarded luggages that they found at the place we were staying

- I took a pic of each one because I knew there was no chance they would be able to recognize them again

- we had almost a 3 hour wait for our 11pm flight since we wanted to get there early in case anything weird happened while trying to check in

- it was fairly smooth, except having to pay regular prices for drinks (ie 5 times it would cost in the city), just felt so ripped off, but we had some extra Vietnamese bills and we were thirsty

- we had seats in the back of the plane where the rows were 2, 2, 2 which meant I had to sit by myself

- wasn't too bad since it was only a 5 hour flight, the meals on Korean Air are quite tasty

- Lynkin fell asleep so he didn't eat his meal, which I didn't mind, the boy needs his rest

- we got to the airport in Korea at around 7am local time which meant we had to wait only about 3 hours for our connecting flight

- The boys played some games while the adults slept

- so here's the strange part to wrap your head around: our flight took off on Friday at 10 am and was in the air for over 12 hours, and we landed in Toronto on Friday at 9 am

- we sat in the last full row, the cool thing was that it meant our row only had 2 seats instead of 3, so I had some extra space between me and the window and we had extra luggage space underneath since the row in front of us had 3 people

- Took some photos over Korea, Japan, Thunder Bay, and Southern Ontario, lots to see and marvel at

- 3 meals were served including a rectangular slice of pizza

- we all tried our best to take naps, I know it wasn't enough because my eyes were burning, never had them feel like that before

- I got to watch Antman and the wasp, Venom, Crazy Rich Asians, and the Teen Titan Go Movie

- I know that sounds like a lot, but in total, that's about 7-8 hours of a 12+ hour flight

- after being at so many airports (about 12 flights), I can say that Pearson is so plain, ugly, and not efficient

- luckily for us, this was our destination, otherwise you have to get your baggage before getting to your connecting flight

- that's after you walk 15-20 min to use the new automatic custom stations which we had to try more than once to get a receipt

- then after we showed the receipt to the person, we still had to lineup and speak to a customs agent

- The baggage took forever (felt like close to an hour) as it felt like they were only releasing 5 bags at a time

- didn't help that my parents couldn't recognize their bags, so Layson had to check the tracking stickers on all of them

- and the 2 boxes my dad had, he had to go to another area to claim them

- as you can see, Lynkin feel asleep waiting

- after all that, Linda then used her Uber app to get my parents home, and then we used the airport website to get us a minivan to get home

Things we were glad about being home:

- The cats recognized us and were very purry

- normally after a trip we go get pho because we are homesick and it's comfort food, this time we got pizza, good delicious glorious pizza

- Santa had come by and left the kids a chromebook for Christmas, they were very pleased

Things we had to deal with

- had to call CAA since our car battery died and needed replacement

- called Lynkin's school to find out that he can just start next week without having to reregister him (not what we were initily told)

- searched for 20 minutes looking for my wallet, eventually found it where I looked for it initially, but had not recognized it since there was so much dust on it

- cleaning up after the cats as they recently decided the carpeted dining room was their urinal

- Linda had to go to Costco as we have no food and tmwr is Saturday and it's supposed to be a snow storm

- so overall, quite pleased about our return home and the condition of eveything which was mainly due to Doug and Susan helping us out during our absence

- started up my work phone and noticed I missed some emails, usually I am able clear my emails instantaneously

- we are all very tired since for most of the last 30-40+ hours we've been awake

- 4 countries and about 18 cities in 85 days, just wow, can't believe we (let's be honest, Linda) was able to plan and pull it off

- I'm really glad I was able to blog it as it'll be a nice reminder of some of the many adventures we had

- thanks for all those that read and followed along, I may put up another post in a weeks time

- hope to see everyone soon after some.more naps

#2018trip

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Day 85a, Jan 17 - Goodbye Vietnam

- The day started with us waking up, and except the occasional short nap on the planes, most of us will be awake for the next 30-40+ hours

- spent the morning walking around so that Linda could get the last of her shopping in

- she had found a store that had exactly what she wanted (unpainted cocunut bowls), but when we finally got there, it was a small bookshelf of items in front of a cafe, and they were sold out

- so we haggled at some other merchants to get some painted cocunut bowls

- had my last Banh Mi in Vietnam, I'm going to miss such a tasty inexpensive treat

- trying our best not to have too many gastrointestinal issues for our long flights, we decided to go back to the cafe we went to the other day to get some waffles and smoothie bowls

- Logan really enjoyed his purple dragon fruit smoothie

- saw some courful street murals and had to take a pic

- hilariously on our last day we finally found a shop that sold Nintendo and PlayStation stuff, but we didn't go in

- we then checked out of our hotel, went back to mom and dad's place and spent the afternoon packing the rest of our stuff

- for dinner we went and had, what else, pho

- The broth was divine and in a surprise move, Lynkin actually finished his meal

- my mom didn't join us because she just had her eyebrows done, which for some reason meant she wasn't eating

- just soaking in the traffic as we headed to the airport, there's just this chaotic beauty to it as long as you are not driving

- we were able to get two 7 seater cabs to take us since we had 5 pieces of baggage we are checking and my parents have 7, that's not a typo

- our taxi driver's name was Loi, which I thought was fitting

- we got to the airport at 8pm for our 11pm flight

- we did have to spend 20 minutes eating all the fruits my parents had brought since they didn't listen when we told them it's not permitted

- have to post a huge thank you to our hosts in HCMC

- without them accommodating us for over a month rent free, we probably are not able to afford this trip

- The next post may be my last about the trip as we now embark on a 20 hour journey home

#2018trip

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Day 84, Jan 16 - Last full day of our trip

- slept late last night as I finished the second book in the Reckoners series, bought the third book right away

- The boys taught Lynkin how to play President, then they taught Linda how to play Signal

- we found a pho place up the street, the workers were really friendly helping us order

- very delicious and the kids also had some salty donuts too

- we then found a Ten Ren's to get our bubble tea fix for the day

- Took some more pics of city life

- one interesting scene were two workers using long bamboo poles to manipulate some wires

- really sunny today (the older two have sunburns)

- Linda joined the kids in the pool today

- during our walk to dinner we saw a cute school bus that was transporting elementary kids

- The wheels were smaller than the ones found on scooters

- as promised we went back to the Japanese restaurant that Allan had taken us a couple months ago

- this location was closer to us but everything about it was the exact same

- we ordered the family combo which started with salad and meat to grill

- and it ended with seafood noodle hot pot

- Layson said his stomach was feeling a bit funny, so he just had a bit of rice and meat, which meant more for the rest of us

- back to the hotel for some Netflix, the kids watched some Teen Titans Go, and we started to watch Agents of Shield

- tmwr we check out, go to my parents and then prepare to catch our late night flight back home

#2018trip

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Day 83, Jan 15 - Shopping & Eating in HCMC

- Linda was on a mission today to buy some items and eat some great Vietnamese dishes

- we started by visiting some cafes as she was looking for coffee beans

- didn't find what we wanted but did get some yummy fruit smoothie bowls and waffles for brunch

- walking around you can see the contrast between the high tech modern wealth and some of the older and poorer areas

- at one point we walked past some people sleeping on and under the bridge as they were homeless, all in the shadow of the massive skydeck

- although we didn't go in, there was an interesting apartment building that has been converted to all restaurants

- ended up buying tshirts, dried mangoes, coffee beans, and some other small items at the Saigon Centre and Ben Thanh market

- Shopping tip, some of the merchants a block away from the market sell for cheaper

- we then walked for 20 minutes trying to find a restaurant that we found online

- at one point we went down a narrow alley and had to turn around as it looked like a dead end

- Eventually we found another alley that lead to the restaurant

- really glad we did find it because it served the Banh Beo individually that we were looking for since Hue

- Logan got a crab noodle dish, Lynkin had pork and rice, while I also ordered the Bun Bo Hue

- what's surprising is I've ordered that dish a couple times now in Vietnam and its nothing like the spicy red soup we get in Canada

- I still prefer the Bun Bo Hue at a place that SK introduced to me in Brampton, hits the spot everytime

- we then walked back to the hotel taking in the sights

- we were really sweating from the 30 degrees weather so we took a dip in the hotel pool

- used Grab to meet up with family for dinner, there are so many scooters, you just can't get used to it

- so we show up and my dad has reserved a dozen seats for us, and at the same time, Linda's uncle did the same

- since they didn't know each other, we had 2 rows of tables waiting for us, kind of funny but easily fixed

- my uncle from Canada, and a person that is apparently a cousin joined us along with Linda's side of the family, including a nephew that had come home for a vacation from his schooling in Australia

- we've been to this Banh Xeo place before but for some reason it tasted really good this time, the kids ate their fill

- 15 of us ate and it cost $45, that's just so ridiculous

- I've definitely gained weight in Vietnam probably due to the taste and price of the food, that's my excuse and I'm sticking with it

- tmwr is our last full day of our trip, so many emotions right now about that

#2018trip

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Day 82, Jan 14 - HCMC on our own

- woke up around 4 so that we could check out of the hotel at 5am to get a taxi to the airport

- The hotel packed us all a breakfast to go which we ate at the airport

- this was our tenth flight and the first time the stewardess told us that the boys could not all sit together because there needed to be an adult in the row

- it was only a 45 minute flight so we didn't complain

- The funny part was the captain made an announcement to welcome everyone on board after take off and then immediately told us we would now be starting our descent and that the stewardesses should start prepping the plane for landing

- when we got into HCMC, we were pros now to get to the correct taxi stand where they just used the meter instead of negotiating a price

- all 3 boys fell asleep on the ride

- we went to have Banh coun as always, but our regular guy apparently travelled home for Asian New Year so we ate across the street at another vendor

- not too bad, and again only $1.75 a plate

- Linda spent the morning packing as we are headed to a hotel for 3 nights with the boys and then return on Thursday to collect our stuff to go back home

- my mom went and got us some sticky rice, mangoes, and orange juice for lunch

- we talked to them and they were very happy with the trip we had taken them on as they had never visited any of those cities before

- my dad was pretty psyched that his brother was here from Canada and staying with them (part of the reason we are going to a hotel)

- Took some photos on the cab ride and while we were walking to try and capture the architecture and busyness of HCMC

- our hotel is in another part of HCMC we haven't seen yet, kind of halfway to Allan's place

- it's quite new and fits our needs for the next couple nights

- we went to a local area known for being the food street

- every shop was a seafood restaurant, we chose one and ordered crab claws, mussels, veggies, and fried rice

- it was tasty (a bit spicy for the kids) but they forgot our rice and it took at least 30 minutes before we got it

- we noticed the waitress had went and bought some buns from a nearby vendor so we bought 2 off her as we waited for our rice

- The kids wanted some bubble tea, we walked down a narrow street (maybe it was a wide alley) and found a place

- on the way home we stopped at a popular dessert stall that specialised in flans

- No English on the menu so we just guessed

- we had kiwi, blueberry, peach, chocolate and a Longan dessert which cost us in total about $4

- While we were eating, a kid set up in the alley with some fire sticks and started eating fire

- we gave him a small donation and reminded the kids to never try that

- only 3 more sleeps before going back, let's see what tmwr brings

#2018trip

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Day 81, Jan 13 - Last day in Nha Trang

- I think we've slowed down at breakfast but my parents kept eating more and more

- I think it's because last night they did go to the free outdoor concert at 9 and didn't come back till around 11, party animals

- decided to splurge and get 2 loungers again at the beach, well worth the money

- The other day Linda lost a pair of googles due to the strong waves, and today Logan lost his pair

- I walked across the street and was able to get 2 pairs for $3 each, the boys were happy

- we saw the same corn lady, so this time we bought 5 off her, she gave us quite the discount

- then on cue, my parents showed up with enough sugar cane juice and pineapples for all

- BTW, my dad spends more time on his phone then me, and it's not even close

- The kids built up a small mound and then took some action shots jumping over it, Lynkin cheated the first couple of times

- it was finally time to say good bye to the beach, the boys had a blast here

- all 7 of us went to dinner and ordered the large seafood bundle and once again it hit the spot

- Lynkin was happy that it came with garlic bread, while Layson ordered a sandwich

- for dessert we got some ice cream, Linda and I had a Korean treat which was vanilla ice cream with strawberry jam shaped like a fish

- we've been to a lot of beaches these past 4 months, but Nha Trang stands out in my mind as the one that fit us the best

- everyone was healthy, the hotel was steps away from the beach and so clean, the sand was soft and we hardly saw any garbage or bugs, the water was warm and the waves were fun, the people were nice, the food was varied and inexpensive, there was a free clean washroom at the beach, the inexpensive loungers were right beside a vball court, and the weather was very comfortable

- tmwr morning we head back to HCMC early in the morning for a couple of days before heading back to Canada

#2018trip

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Day 80, Jan 12 - Exploring Nha Trang

- after breakfast, all 7 of us took a taxi to a famous temple in town

- if the beach was 95% Russian tourists, then this place was 95% Chinese

- I think it's why whenever a taxi driver or waiter or service industry person finds out we are Vietnamese, they are pleasently surprised and a bit shocked, we then get treated fairly nicely

- The temple was a bit crowded but manageable to see and take photos

- Layson and Linda put on a shirt so they could go and explore the inside

- my dad was able to capture one of my favourite photos of our trip, its usually so hard to get a good family pic

- we then made a plan to walk half an hour to another temple

- The walk started with crossing a couple of bridges

- The city was less developed then I thought, considering how developed the waterfront touristy area was

- it was a lot hotter then we anticipated so we decided to take a break, which meant my mom and dad found a sugar cane juice vendor and got us refuelled

- we abandoned our walk to see another temple and went to a local Banh beo place

- ever since we had the really great Banh beo in Hue (because of the flavour and served in individual bowls) we've been looking to recreate that experience

- this place wasn't it, but at least it was inexpensive and not out of our way

- decided to walk the 30 minutes back to our hotel along the beachfront

- They were setting up an outdoor concert for tonight, I let my parents know and my dad indicated they may come back there after a nap

- back at the hotel the kids enjoyed the pool which we had to ourselves

- had some beef hotpot for dinner along with some chicken wings

- Lynkin enjoyed chicken fingers instead

- The evening ended with us having some more rolled ice cream and then returnimg to our room

- The kids played on their devices while we watched the Shape of Water, an interesting movie, I really enjoyed the detail in the setting

- tmwr is our last full day in Nha Trang and we hope to be on the beach for most of it

#2018trip

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Day 79, Jan 11 - Some more beach time

- big hit at breakfast this morning was the fact that the noodles served were like the kind you get in a pack of instant noodles

- for some reason my bowl didn't get any meat, must have been lost in translation

- Found a spot with shade right beside the vball court so didn't pay the for a lounger

- worked perfectly as we used the tree nearby to hang some of our wet clothes, food, and garbage

- I actually went into the water today, and it was phenomenal

- too bad none of the stores around here sell mini surfboards

- my parents had gone for another walk into the city and then found us to give us sugar cane drinks

- then my dad went and got us pineapples and my mom told me the reason why she thinks pineapples are good for me

- she says that she knew a woman who lived to be over 90 years old and deduced that her good health must come from the fact that she owned a pineapple farm, so she must have had pineapples everyday

- she then asked me if I ever heard how an apple a day is supposed to keep the doctor away and since pineapples are basically apples, that's also proof

- I had no response

- today we actually did buy stuff on the beach, the first being from the donut salesman

- even crazier is that later I saw him driving a scooter with the tray of donuts on his head

- then we got some corn, it was so good, I think I'm going to buy some more this week

- we played vball again with a bunch of Russians

- at one point Linda and the boys were warming up on the side and a lady asked if she could join in

- she played for about 15 minutes, then an hour later when she left the beach she gave us a small Russian flag, a nice gesture

- around 2:30 we noticed the workers starting to put away the lounger cushions, seemed a bit early and we didn't really notice much weather issues

- well they knew what they were talking about because the winds picked up quickly and some rain started

- luckily we packed up quickly and didn't get too wet, although our beach mat almost flew away

- Linda had a huge portion of Tuna steak and the rest of us had our pick for dinner

- The kids had a strawberry and chocolate crepe for dessert

- you can see some of the vendors on our street including one of the seafood grillers

- tmwr we plan to venture into town

#2018trip

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Day 78, Jan 10 - Loving the beach life

- one of the concerns we had prior to arriving at the hotel was there were some reviews that the breakfast could be better

- well, we had no complaints, and my parents actually really enjoyed it, which was a great way to start what turned out to be an awesome day

- you can tell by the smiles on this beach selfie

- Nha Trang has a very large beach with lots of people but also lots of space for all

- we paid 200,000VND for 2 loungers underneath an umbrella

- I spent a good portion of the day with a kobo just soaking everything in

- my parents had gone on their own for a walk but then eventually found us

- They were more than willing to grab us some lunch, the hard part is convincing them to only buy exactly what we ordered instead of 3 extra dishes

- on another day, we may decide to buy direct from some of the vendors

- there were a couple of merchants selling lobsters on the beach, they finish cooking them on their grills in front of you

- it smelled so good

- we also set up right beside a vball court, it was pretty much used by different groups all day

- at one point team LamFam took on all comers while Lynkin took some photos

- after some time in the fast and high tides, Linda did some more vball with the kids to prepare them for them rejoining their teams in a couple weeks

- then after some motivational speaking, shy Layson was able to muster up enough courage to ask a bunch of huge Russian guys to join in their game

- he definitely played well and showed he belonged out there

- The hotel is only 5 minutes away, so after a quick walk and shower we went looking for dinner in the neighbourhood again

- ended up in a seafood restaurant that caters to Russians (they had 2 full pages of Russian meals that were all in Russian)

- we ordered their seafood special, everything you see in the left photo was only $245,000VND (that's $14) and it was so good

- our street once again was crammed with street vendors, this time we got some rolled Ice cream and Linda got some Tapioca roots (like the kind we had at the CC Tunnels)

- I got to tell you, the perception that tourists from China are rude is absolutely true

- They just butt in everywhere as if that's normal

- I was trying to buy a pancake and someone did it, so I left and went to the ice cream vendor

- another lady tried to butt in, so I said something and she understood and waited, then another lady waited behind them, and then all of a sudden another lady came to the other side of the line started yelling and gave the vendor some money, and he took it

- I was pretty peeved and was about to leave, but then he asked me what I wanted and so I stayed

- he makes it, and as he's handing it to me, the other lady tries to take it, he looks at her and tells her that it's not hers and she can wait behind him cause there are others in front of her; that put a smile on my face

- then back at the hotel, the consiege was talking to Linda about fixing an issue since they had messed something up, when another Chinese lady just walks up and starts talking to him

- arggghh, so rude

- but not enough of a damper since Linda was able to get us some free laundry, woohoo

- just one of the best days we've had

#2018trip

[vploilam]

Day 77, Jan 9 - Great Timing to Nha Trang

- Parents once again loving the breakfast buffet

- I've tried everything to try and explain to them how to look at the camera and smile when taking a photo, this was the best one

- checked out and got into our private 16 seater to get to the Danang airport

- was interesting to see the area bathed in sunshine

- The Danang airport was so efficient and calm, so different than HCMC

- the boys got back some of their appetite and had some pho while we waited for our flight

- only took an hour to get to Nha Trang which is known for being a beach town

- did some research on best way to get from the airport to the hotel which was 40 minutes away and the advice was to negotiate the price prior instead of using the meter

- Grab was showing it would cost over 500,000VND

- first company wanted 600,000 for a 16 seater van, we kept saying 350,000

- They came all the way down to 400,000 but we said no

- a taxi heard us and gladly took us for 350,000

- when we got to the hotel the meter read over 560,000 so yeah, good deal

- saw some great sites along the way, including school getting out, Durian sales, and a huge beach with volleyball courts that people were playing on

- The weather is 28 degrees celcius for the next week so for sure we hope to be playing on the beach and in the water

- we decided since it was our last new destination on our trip that we would splurge and stay at a 4 star hotel

- and wow, it's so clean and spacious

- great timing because as soon as we finished checking in, a whole bus full of Chinese tourists came in to get checked in

- also it started pouring rain

- we are thrilled with our room although we drew the blinds so no one could see into the bathroom

- we also made a rule that no one is allowed to use the urinal

- The boys want to all sleep on the 2nd bed in our room instead of one of them taking the extra bed in my parents room

- The other nice surprise is that our mini street has plenty of restaurants, marts, and street vendors even though Google maps shows none of them

- Dinner across the street was really tasty and everyone actually ate

- my favourite was the crispy pork and shrimp dish

- I could see us eating here again as they have quite the extensive menu and quite the affordable price, about $30 for all of us

- lots of positivity today, hoping to continue the trend tmwr

#2018trip

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Day 76, Jan 8 - Last night in Hoi An

- my parents go out and come back to show us that they were really excited to buy such great scissors and other kitchen utensils

- we had to explain that we had to put the items with the checked baggage, they didn't quite understand at the beginning

- on the other hand, Linda went out and bought a pill crusher so that Layson could take some medication for his on going illness

- she had to return to the pharmacy to ask how to use it as it kept getting jamming

- The secret is to mash the pills up in some paper before using the pill crusher (seems like the pill crusher doesn't really have a purpose)

- luckily my parents had bought the huge vegetable peeler so we used that to bash the pills

- Lynkin agreed to have his haircut at the barber, I think my dad's gone there everyday to clean out his ears

- Logan and Linda did some more sightseeing and grabbed themselves some lunch

- me and the sick boys had some Pringles Salt and Seaweed chips, the flavour was too mild for me to recommend

- Linda came back with some more silk scarves

- I finished another book that I can recommend, it's like a Marvel superhero action movie

- really fast paced about people that gain superpowers but they all become evil

- especially since it was only $2 in the kobo store, just downloaded the 2nd book for the same price too

- Logan finally took advantage of the hotel pool, it was cold at first he said

- Lynkin had some more cup of noodle soup and we were hopeful that he was finally recovered

- so we took the risk of taking all the boys out to dinner at a steak place

- no one had to rush to the washroom or vomited so it is progress

- although Layson only ate half his soup and Lynkin had only a few bites of garlic bread

- Logan and I both enjoyed a steak each while Linda had a lobster risotto

- tmwr we head out of Hoi An, can't believe we will be on Canadian soil in under 2 weeks now

#2018trip

[vploilam]

Day 75, Jan 7 - Suits are finally done

- started the morning with a really cool photo from Yit

- unfortunately I also started the morning with what Layson has, ie. The runs

- Linda gave me some medication, the jury is still out if it's effective or maybe too effective

- later in the morning my mom brought me some pineapple because she claims she's been eating them and it's cured her cold (I've had a mild stubburn cough for awhile)

- we took the chance of bringing all the boys out to the tailor since they've been stuck in the room for a couple of days

- Layson did alright, Lynkin threw up when we left the store (I count that as a win)

- it was really hot today and I was having chills from my illness so the fitting felt like forever

- at one point I didn't think I was going to make it but was able to get to a washroom on time (sometimes you got to take the bad with the good when travelling)

- on the walk back we got another silk tie

- then Layson also went to get his hair cut

- Lynkin and I stayed in for dinner and shared a cup of noodle soup

- Linda and the boys enjoyed themselves at a Ramen place, we are purposely avoiding street food for a bit

- my parents went on their own for dinner nearby for a bowl of soup on the street

- the tailor dropped off my suits at the hotel, after 4 fittings, I didnt have the energy to go anymore

- one and a half more days in Hoi An, its too bad we've been under the weather as we have missed out on a couple of excursions

- but then again, can't really complain if this is our balcony in January

#2018trip

[vploilam]

Day 74, Jan 6 -some more shopping

- Logan we think is totally recovered so he was able to have breakfast with me in the morning

- we took some bananas up for his brothers

- then Linda and Logan took a walk around town to sightsee

- Linda also bought a couple of silk scarves

- They brought back some lunch for me and Logan really wanted instant noodles

- Layson and Logan were able to eat some bananas and chips, which they had on the balcony

- then Logan, my dad, and I got a haircut down the street

- without speaking to me, the barber cut my hair, shaved me, and cleaned out my ears

- Logan's haircut was 50,000VND, and my dad and I paid 70,000VND each

- not a bad outcome for haircuts that cost under $3

- we spent the afternoon watching Guardians of thr Galaxy 1 and 2 on the TV

- at 6:30 we left Layson and Lynkin with my parents and headed back to make more adjustments to my suits

- The greys we chose yesterday look a lot sharper than I expected

- we are back tmwr at noon for some more adjustments

- we walked through the old quarter again on the way back

- Linda took me to the shop she visited in the afternoon and I picked up 3 silk ties

- we ended up at the central market again and bought some dishes to take back to the hotel

- Layson was able to eat some rice, whereas Lynkin didn't bother coming downstairs and continued sleeping

- we are really hopeful that tmwr is the day we can all go out together

#2018trip

[vploilam]

Day 73, Jan 5 - It's Layson and Lynkin's turn to be ill

- Lynkin spent most of the day lying in bed as he couldn't keep anything down, so it was just small sips of water for him the whole day

- I didn't take a photo of Layson, because he spent most of the day on the toilet

- Logan looked and felt a lot better so we are hoping the other 2 can get through it by end of day tomorrow

- this meant I ate breakfast by myself as Linda took care of the boys, and then we switched places

- it also meant that I went to my first fitting for my 2 suits by myself at 10am

- I was really happy with the material, feel, and look

- there was a lot of chalk being used to mark further adjustments

- I told the lady that I was actually interested in getting 2 more suits if the price was right

- she proceeded to help me find 2 more colours, I told her it would be way more efficient if I brought Linda with me at 4pm when my 2nd adjustment appointment was

- The photo below is not even a quarter of the fabric choices

- I stopped by a small shop on the way back to get Linda an egg coffee

- she says she enjoyed it enough that she would have it again

- none of the boys could eat lunch either so Linda went and got us some bakery goods and we stood just outside the room on a balcony briefly enjoying the sun, which we haven't seen in about a week

- in the background some kids were on a break from school (it's Saturday) and playing some soccer

- at 3:30 my mom came to our room to watch the boys, we gave her instructions that none of the kids should be eating or drinking anything and that Layson would probably spend a lot of time in the washroom

- Went back for further adjustments

- one funny thing is the shirt they give me to wear underneath is way too big, and that's after they gave me one that was way too tight

- we then went downstairs and started choosing 2 more colours

- we spent quite a long time until finally choosing a charcoal grey and a lighter grey that has a herringbone pattern (obviously Linda had a hand on that last one)

- my first 2 suits were $310US and they were willing to give me the next 2 for $300

- after some back and forth, we lowballed them to start, we ended at $275, a number I could live with

- so we come back tomorrow night for more fittings

- really glad we decided to stay in Hoi An for 6 nights so we were not in a rush to get clothes

- walking back to the hotel I was able to see some of the old town

- we walked to the central market to get the kids some bananas

- told my parents to grab dinner by themselves and they enjoyed walking the town and finding the cheapest meal possible, $20,000 they told me afterwards

- Logan and I went to the restaurant in the hotel and he had some fried rice, which is a huge leap forward as he hasn't eaten in about 2 days

- I had some spaghetti with meatsauce which was surprisingly delicious

- They love their soccer team here (just ranked in the top 100 by Fifa)

- when I was done, I called Linda to come downstairs to help Logan finish the fried rice while I went upstairs to watch over the other 2

- here's hoping for a fast recovery for everyone

#2018trip

[vploilam]

Day 72, Jan 4 - Sightseeing for some

- nice variety at breakfast which included bacon and donuts, woohoo

- Linda, Layson, Lynkin, and my parents went for a walk through the old part of Hoi An

- some of the locals would ask if you want to take a photo with them and then try to guilt you I to buying their stuff (apparently it's a common tactic)

- they got to see the famous covered Japanese bridge and other sights

- They went to the famous My Phuong Banh Mi shop that Anthony Bourdain had visited and made famous

- They were kind enough to bring me back one

- I stayed back with Logan as he is still recovering, at least he's doing stuff today instead of just lying in bed

- I quickly finished another novel that was about a murderbot that is self aware, quite a fast read that I do recommend

- in the local market Linda had brought some tamarind that she brought back for us to enjoy

- For dinner they took me back to My Phuong so I could have a fresh sandwich while everyone else had pho (Lynkin got a banana pancake)

- there was quite the lineup outside to buy sandwiches to go

- we went in and upstairs and it was pretty much empty so we were able to easily get a table

- Hoi An is quite pretty at night with the lanterns and without the rain

- The temps had climbed to 26 today and it should stay that warm for awhile

- Linda took Logan to a restaurant closer to the hotel for dinner

- he actually did have a couple of spoonfuls of soup

- Linda just had sprong rolls and was not too impressed by the rat she saw running around

- at outdoor restaurants, it's always a possibility

- back at the hotel, Lynkin lost his second tooth of the trip

- I convinced him the tooth fairy will probably visit him in Canada since the currency there is worth more

#2018trip

[vploilam]

Day 71, Jan 3 - Next up is Hoi An

- breakfast today included real bacon

- Lynkin showed the way by demonstrating that we could make BLT sandwiches

- Logan still not feeling great, so we stayed in and watched Monsters University until our checkout time

- it was time to say goodbye to Da Nang

- Linda arranged for a 16 seater to drive us to Hoi An, which is about 40 minutes away

- more great views with big waves, mountains, and some fields along the way

- we checked into the same hotel that Yit and Andrea had stayed in a month and a half ago

- my parents got the larger room this time as for bedtime two of the boys will use the 2nd double bed in their room

- not a lot of places have accommodations for a family of 5

- Hoi An is a smaller city and has lots of tourists as its renowned for it's tailors

- thus there's lots of places to eat nearby as well

- we went around the corner to a Vietnamese place that also served some pizza

- we tried some local dishes like the white rose rice cakes, fried wonton, and the Cao Lau (noodle dish)

- poor Logan just had tea

- we left thhr boys with my parents as we wanted to go get Logan some gatorade and then we want to find a tailor

- first we got the gatorade and came back to the hotel to see that my mom had wrapped Logan up like a mummy

- we figured he would survive, but we did leave Linda's phone with Layson and told him to give us frequent updates

- so before heading out to find a tailor, the hotel had suggested 2 places, Linda looked up 3 places, and Yit told us where he went to get a suit and jacket

- Yit told us to mention to the tailors that he had sent us as he had told them he would

- so we mapped all 6 places and made a plan to visit a couple of them, ideally I wanted to get my suit where Yit got his

- We walk into the first shop and they are very attentive and friendly

- They ask if we know Vietnamese and I demonstrate that I only know a little

- They ask how come since we both look like we are Vietnamese and I explain that we were both born here but moved to Canada when we were really young

- They also ask how we knew about their shop (understand there are tons of tailor shops), so I tell them my brother recommended them since he bought suits here recently

- They tell us there's 3 tiers of quality and can help any budget and ask how many suits I want, and I say 2

- so they quote us $400US for 2 suits of the highest quality and a dress shirt

- we told them that we didn't really need a shirt

- They say since we are Vietnamese they would take off 10% and just make it $360 with no shirt

- and they promise us they would do really good stitching and upgrade the inside fabric from plain polyester to any fancy pattern we want

- we tell them this is the first shop of many we plan to visit but that price is high for us

- They ask us how much we are looking at

- we tell them we had budgeted $150 a suit

- They said they didn't want to have us waste our time having to go to so many shops, and probably getting an inferior product, and because my brother recommends them, they are willing to do the two suits for $310

- we accept as I felt it was a fair price

- okay, so we go home and here's what I realized... The shop we walked in was NOT the shop Yit bought from, I had mixed it up since there were so many stores flagged on my map on my phone

- it was actually one of the shops the hotel had recommended that was a bit bigger and had great reviews

- lucky I didn't show them the photo of Yit and his suit

- a small mistake on my part that actually helped with our negotiations

- according to my mom, Hoi An is also known for its Banh Mi sandwiches

- I think it's because Anthony Bourdain did a stop at a local shop here

- I got one at famous shop called Madam Khanh - The Banh Mi Queen

- it was quite delicious, will have to try other stores to compare

- Logan still wasn't felling well enough so Linda stayed with him as the rest of us went for dinner

- there was a light rain so we just went around the corner to a family run restaurant and enjoyed ourselves

- Lynkin was only able to finish one of his Banh Xeo, so we brought the rest back for Linda

- we also grabbed some Chocolate Mousse at the corner bakery

- weather's looking good the next 2 days so hoping to tour a bit, depending of course on how Logan's doing

#2018trip

[vploilam]

Day 70, Jan 2 - Under the weather

- weather was rainy and cloudy again today and Logan did not seem himself at breakfast as he didn't eat anything

- The rest of us enjoyed a different mix of things at the buffet and the company of the cat again

- we stayed in today and had some instant noodles for lunch

- Logan spent most of the day resting on the sofa and being unfortunately sick

- tried out Grab Food to get some bubble tea, at 15,000VND (under $1), it was totally worth it

- Finally finished Frankeinstein the novel

- slow start, but then it got really interesting, a couple of slow parts but overall I'm glad I read this classic

- a bit upset that no movie adaptation comes close to the real plot of the novel

- told my parents we were going to order dinner using Grab Food

- They decided to go out and eat at a nearby restaurant and they brought back 2 dishes for us

- although it took a couple more minutes longer than expected, and the prices were off by a bit, it was a pretty good dinner

- hoping Logan feels better tomorrow as we leave at noon to our next destination

#2018trip