Amelia and I had a week of 'normality' before my dad arrived. ‘Normality’ being - inhaling potentially harmful levels of smog, avoiding countless near-misses on the chaotic roads and teaching hyperactive Vietnamese kids English.

My dad landed at Hanoi’s Noi Bai airport on the morning of the 1st October. I’d helped him organise the hotel transfer to ensure his safe and trouble-free arrival into the city. Along with this and not knowing our working week, it’s fair to say he wasn’t expecting me when I crept up on him in the arrivals hall! Needless to say it was amazing to see my ol' man after almost a year away! Unfortunately our reunion was short lived - the hotel’s driver was eager to get going, so before I knew it he was whisked away and ushered into a mini bus. Amelia and I made our way back to the city on our scooter and decided to meet my dad a few hours later, so he could get a much needed shower and power nap!

I like to think I know my dad pretty well, so I knew exactly where to take him when he awoke. We went to the nearest coffee shop to introduce him to Vietnamese coffee and have a good catch up. Despite not having a sweet tooth when it comes to coffee, he was definitely won over by the ‘café sua da’ - traditional Vietnamese coffee served with sweet condensed milk.

When it comes to eating, my dad isn’t the fussiest of people, in fact he'll normally eat anything going. To go with that he has a ‘cast iron’ stomach, so we knew he wouldn’t mind jumping straight in to the deep end, so to speak, and eating at a popular street food vendor in the old quarter.
Unfortunately my ol' man isn’t the most dexterous of people. However, I'd pre-warned him about the utensil situation in Vietnam, so he’d got some chopstick ‘practice’ in at home - in the form of picking up grapes with some chopsticks I'd sent back as a little gift! Fortunately the ‘practice’ had paid off and he didn’t need to use the plastic cutlery set he’d bought with him all the way from the UK!
Although Hanoi has a fair few tourist attractions, in my opinion one of the best ways to experience the city is to just sit back (on a child’s sized seat), grab a drink and watch the madness going on all around. One of the best places to do this is on ‘Bia Hoi’ corner in the old quarter, where you can sit with locals and other travellers, drink cheap beer (15p) and eat bar snacks in the form of crackers, chips or something more exotic. Even though my dad couldn’t quite bring himself to try the ‘chân gà’ (chicken feet) he settled in well and thoroughly enjoyed glugging away the Bia Hoi!
I felt very grateful to my dad for making the effort to come out and visit us. It was a very surreal feeling enjoying a long overdue beer with him in the capital of Vietnam, but I was very relieved that he seemed to be enjoying himself in the bustling capital, despite being a self-confessed ‘country boy’!

The following day we met my dad at the ‘Museum of Ethnology’. We’d heard it was worth a visit and as Amelia and I hadn’t been, we all decided it would be a good place to 'reconvene'. As usual there was a huge amount to take in, but it was interesting for us all to learn about some of ethnic minorities we hadn’t seen or heard of before. Unsurprisingly my dad was craving a cup of coffee after about an hour, so we took him to a nearby café to get his fix – luckily one never has to travel far in Hanoi to find a coffee, it must be one of the most densely populated cities in the world for coffee shops!
The rest of the day was spent showing my dad our neck of the woods, which of course included a trip to our house for a quick tour. I like to think he was pretty impressed by the standard and size of our place considering the amount we were paying for it.

Saturday and Sunday we are contracted to teach at an American English centre, so whilst we spent a few hours teaching and trying not to confuse the kids (with our very non-American accents) my dad kept himself busy drinking coffee and visiting other tourist attractions.
On the Monday we were supposed to be embarking on a cruise around Halong Bay, but unfortunately due to an inconsiderate Typhoon, the trip was cancelled. It seemed like a bit of disaster, as it was the one thing my dad really wanted to do. However, with a bit of luck and rearranging with the very helpful tour agent, we managed to make the best of a bad situation. We rearranged his plans to go later that week. In the meantime my dad ‘jumped ship’, left us to brave the storm and flew down to Hoi An for a few days of glorious sunshine on the beach, and a look around the beautiful ancient city and nearby My Son ruins.

When my dad returned a few days later, he looked revitalised and pleased to see we were still in one piece. Typhoons are typically unpredictable and luckily for us this one was no different. It changed direction at the last minute and lightly whistled past Southern China. Because of the change in direction, boats were now back in the bay and continuing business. We were a little dubious about the weather, as it seemed like the edge of the Typhoon was still lingering, but we felt optimistic and decided to leave Hanoi the following day.

For some, Halong Bay is a once-in-a-lifetime trip, for us it was the third time in twelve months! We are extremely lucky to have experienced it three times, and I must say each time has been unique and incredible in their own way. Our first time as backpackers day-tripping from Cat Ba Island. The second, a private two day one night charter with Jo, Ron and Harry. And this third time with my dad, on a three day two night cruise to the less seen and unspoilt parts of the world heritage site.
We boarded the boat under very clear and sunny skies after a four hour skeptical drive from Hanoi. We shared the junk boat with a very friendly Australian family, a German couple and a small French group who kept themselves to themselves. Which worked out quite well for us, as it meant the boat’s guide and crew had more time for us (the French had hired their own French speaking guide).
Amelia and I shared a ‘family room’ with my dad (not as cosy as it sounds!). It was two fairly big rooms with an interconnecting door and two bathrooms. It worked out well, I even managed to haggle a bottle of wine and $20 worth of drinks vouchers out of the company for telling them we are travelbloggers and ‘senior TripAdvisor contributors' (true). ‘If you don’t ask, you don’t get’.
After settling into our cabins we were greeted by a very hospitable crew in the dinning area and briefed on the three day's activities and stop-offs. As we were heading to the less touristy part of Halong Bay - Bai Tu Long, it was going to take a few hours of the first day to 'sail' there - despite most of the junk boats in Halong Bay possessing sails, I think they're just for show!
Like before, the food served during the cruise, was too much but delicious nonetheless! We were served mainly Vietnamese food, but we also had some delicious soup and enough seafood to wonder if there's any aquatic life left in the ‘East Sea’. Any map would suggest Halong Bay is in the Gulf of Tonkin or more broadly in the South China Sea, however our tour guide was adamant it’s called the ‘East Sea’ and was mildly upset if anyone called it anything else. This is due to him (and the vast majority of the Vietnamese people we've met) having an unfounded ideology that the Chinese are going to invade and therefore any 'links' should be cut off.
A floating fishing village called 'Vung Vieng' was our first stop-off. To explore the village we were distributed onto their small boats and rowed around by the local men or women. The boat ride took roughly one hour and it was very interesting. We passed by the locals whilst they went about their normal daily lives and saw a fair few of them had dogs as pets too. A lot of the residents (including the dogs) that inhabit the floating villages have never set foot on solid ground!
Afterwards, we were feeling the need for a quick dip in the ‘East Sea’. All of us were quite shocked (even the Aussie water babies) at how strong the current was in the location the captain had anchored at. But still, we all braved it, survived and had a good workout trying to keep within touching distance of the boat.
That evening, after having a ‘cooking demonstration’ (making spring rolls) and overindulging (once again) on dinner, we drank a few gin and tonics and tried our hand at squid fishing. For me, it wasn't my first time. I'd tried and failed on our last trip. But with my dad (a keen angler) wanting to try his luck and Amelia ever the competitive one, we all grabbed ourselves a bamboo rod and cast our lines.
Amelia, not having the most patience, gave up first and went to bed. Which left just me and my dad persisting for some time whilst enjoying a few more g&ts. It was a great time for us to reminisce on past fishing trips and have some quality father and son time before deciding to throw the towel in ourselves and hit the hay.

I'm not sure if it's a requirement, but there are three activities literally every Halong Bay cruise has. First, squid fishing, second, making spring rolls and third, tai chi. As Amelia and I had experienced tai chi with Jo on the previous cruise, we decided to treat ourselves to a lie in, whilst my dad got up at the crack of dawn to participate. He enjoyed it and even took part the following morning too.
After breakfast, which of course meant another very big feed, we made our way to an even more remote part of Bai Tu Long. During our research into the trip we were led to believe Bai Tu is a quieter part of Halong Bay, so far it didn't ring true and so far it was just as busy as the main area. Fortunately, that changed. The captain had found us a beautifully deserted area with not a single other boat in sight! It was bliss.
We were all taken to a small beach on a jolly boat, where we were given the rest of the morning to relax, swim and the option of using kayaks to explore. With Amelia and I in one kayak and my dad in another, we went paddling off to have a gander. It didn't take us very long to find our own small bay with an immaculate beach. We decided to spend the remainder of our time there - soaking up rays and swimming in the much cleaner water of our own private bay.
During the afternoon we visited a pearl farm. It was interesting to learn about the cultivation, but as usual with these kinds of tours, after standing in the heat and getting sweaty, you’re taken into the nice air-conditioned showroom where they make their sales pitch. Luckily for me Amelia doesn’t like pearls!
Halong Bay is home to many caves, our itinerary included two, the first was Dong Tien cave, which was just around the corner from the pearl farm. To be honest the cave itself was a little bland, but their was a breath-taking view point at the top (if you were daring enough to clamber up the sharp limestone to reach it).
The evening was spent back on deck with plenty more food and drinks to consume. And once again my dad and I spent the latter part of the evening persisting in our attempts to try and catch an elusive squid. We did get a few crabs, small cuttlefish and even an octopus check out our lure, but eventually we came to our own conclusion that it’s all a hoax and a way to keep gullible passengers like us occupied.

Our final morning (after another humungous breakfast) was spent exploring Surprise Cave for the second time - the cave we saw with Jo, Ron and Harry. It’s a large cave with some nicely lit formations, but the most enjoyable part for Amelia and I was listening to this guide’s own take and imagination of the shape and appearance of certain stalactites and stalagmites. Comparing with our first guided tour, I think it’s fair to say all the guides spend far too much time in that particular cave!
After brunch, the captain took us back to shore and we boarded the coach to take us on the rough road back to Hanoi. Even though it was our third time, I’d do it again in a heartbeat, it’s a truly awe-inspiring place and cruising past on a luxurious junk boat is definitely the way to do it!

Unfortunately for Amelia and me we were contracted to work the following mornings, so we spent the afternoons and evenings enjoying my dad’s company, with the free drink and food that went along with that too!
One afternoon we decided to visit a place that kept advertising on ‘Hanoi Massive’ (Facebook group). The place was called ‘Ailu Cat House’. My dad, being completely obsessed with cats, was obviously keen. So we eventually found the fairly new establishment which is home to dozens of cats. The entrance fee is roughly £1 and once inside you sit on a stool, chair or bench and basically watch or stroke a random cat. From what we could tell, some of the cats live there and the others are cats that owners have bought in so they can ‘socialise’ both the cats and themselves. It was quite bizarre, but for cat-lovers (like my dad) it’s probably their idea of heaven.

On our last evening together we went to the number one rated restaurant on Tripadvisor. It’s called ‘Red Bean Restaurant’ and as with most of the ‘posh’ restaurants in Hanoi it’s part of a hotel. The restaurant serves mainly Vietnamese style food in a nice relaxing and modern themed restaurant. Apart from the meat being of a lower standard than we were expecting we thoroughly enjoyed it. However, I can honestly say I know where I prefer eating Vietnamese food…. eating with the locals on the street with a refreshing glass of Bia Hoi is the only way!
When it comes to saying goodbye, me and my dad are on the same wavelength - we like to keep it short and sweet in an attempt to avoid any ‘un-manly’ tears! So after our goodbyes to my dad, Amelia and I hopped on our scooter and returned to ‘normality’.

Over the next few weeks we mainly spent our time working, preparing for classes, or sorting through the thousands of photos and videos we’ve taken over the last year. In between work we managed to fit in some sightseeing and socialising with other teachers. We even returned to the Museum of Ethnology. It transpired, after talking to some friends, that we'd missed the main part! We must've been too busy with my chatterbox dad.
Out the back of the museum was an area for all the ethnic tribal homes and structures. All of it had been constructed by the tribes themselves, and were exact replicas or even dismantled and reassembled buildings that aren’t often found anymore. Our favourite was the Bahnar tribe's communal house, which stood 19m tall and is a symbol of their people's skill and strength.

Tuesday 20th October marked Vietnamese Women’s Day and we were invited to Summer School to celebrate with the other staff. Vietnamese Women's Day from our impression was cross between Mother's Day and Valentines Day.
We arrived just before midday and were greeted by pretty much all the school's staff. Although it turned out we were the only native English teachers that made the effort. At first, I must admit, we wondered what we'd gotten ourselves into, but luckily it turned out to be an interesting and enjoyable few hours, with plenty of food and drink consumed.
We were stunned by the spread they'd laid out in the courtyard of the school. There was plenty of food to choose from, some of which we were familiar with and others less so, like the pig's ear salad, chicken's feet and a variety of offal. Me being me I tried it all and got stuck in. I did get a few chuckles from my colleagues at my attempt to eat chicken's feet though! Who knew you are only meant to chew off the skin and not eat the rest (nails included).
Despite having to work later that day, Amelia and I were 'forced' by our boss to celebrate with a couple of beers (we don't like to offend by saying no). Fortunately for the kids we were coherent enough to teach later that day.

Settling in one place with a regular routine made us miss things from back home. For example, as the weeks passed and all the goodies from home were consumed (Jo and my dad bought out a few treats from the UK), we started to crave some different food again. After all there's only so much rice and rice noodles one (a 'westerner') can eat!
Thankfully Hanoi has a large expat community, so it's fairly easy to find other cuisines. We treated ourselves over the months to a few 'foreign' cuisines like Mexican, Italian, Japanese and a roast dinner at an expat run 'pub' (thanks mum)! It was excellent, but nowhere near as tasty as the ones we are used to at home.
The body and mind definitely has a way of reverting to old routines, especially after reintroducing it to familiar foods. We managed to keep Amelia's shopping 'addiction' at bay, but we both decided to treat ourselves to see the new Bond film at a nearby cinema (compared to back home the cost of seeing a film at the cinema is much more reasonable!).

The 9th of November was our 7th year anniversary. Finding a way of getting each other a card in secret was surprisingly difficult! But we both managed to get a little creative and make each other a card using a few school materials! Later that day we were spoilt to afternoon tea (thanks Jo) at the poshest place in Hanoi -
the Metropole. What an experience it was! I went for your typical afternoon tea, which came on a three tiered stand. It included tasty sandwiches, fresh fruit and delicious cakes. Amelia went for the chocolate buffet! Which was unbelievable. She was in heaven. There was every sort of chocolate you can think of, from chocolate fountains to one-off handmade chocolates. We left feeling full to the brim and almost had to be rolled home!

With our 3 month visa nearing an end, Amelia and I decided to hand in our resignation. Teaching was the most rewarding job I've had, and although it had its ups and downs (mainly due to bad school management) it's an experience I'll never forget. The teaching assistants and Vietnamese English teachers were mostly very enthusiastic, intelligent and a pleasure to work with. Although the kids were at times little brats I must admit I'll miss them all and it really was a sad few days saying goodbye to them, but who knows maybe we'll return one day.
I like to think we did some good, not only teaching them the English language, but also introducing a bit of British culture (our parting gift to the school was a box of Yorkshire tea) and etiquette (queuing is an unknown concept to most Vietnamese).

Amelia and I always felt we missed out the North East of Vietnam, so for our last week we exchanged our pathetic little automatic scooter for a bigger more powerful manual motorbike to take us 'off the beaten track'...