Mam Delighted to hear that its time to be packing the bags and heading for Corofin! Safe travelling, take care and we might even have a sausage ready Sunday morn! We'll be looking forward to the homecoming! Mam and Dad.

lorglynncominghome Thanks Mary and Margaret for the messages all year- it was great to get the updates!! Chat to ye soon!

MARY C Hi Lorraine! just read the latest blog and you will be only polly gorgeous when you arrive with your manicure and pedicure! Really looking forward to having you back and can't wait to see you. I don't know where that 13 months went! Im sure you have a lifetime of memories and no doubt, the blogs and photos will always refresh them! Safe journey home

Margaret McD I am ragin'!!! Just after writing a big long message for what was going to be my last one and the fecking thing has just disappeared. Too tired to write it again. Enjoy your last day and safe journey home. Really looking forward to seeing you soon.

Mam The rains have come! Thunder, lightning, rain like you've never seen in Ireland. The showers aren,t lasting too long though. Just very tropical. Can,t imagine that Shell would know much about Matt Keanes Ireland for the summer! Padraigh and Imelda, Ciara and Huyen will be delighted with all the Vietnamese photos. Make the very best of the next few days! Mam

lorglynncominghome I bet when I come home next week the rain will come back!! Got to Hanoi today on the overnight train. Already been to see where Ho Chi Minh is buried and to see a temple. Now time to get ready to go on a tour of the old quarter and its street food and then go to a puppet show. We're a bit tired after the train so an early night will be had I'd say. I'll put up any day on the blog that I can. Chat ye soon!

Margaret McD Hi Lorraine, The excitement of you returning to the landscape of your heart is mounting now !! No doubt Mam and Dad are very excited at the prospect of having you home. I know how I felt when Jenny was returning from her travels. Met up with Shell today for lunch. She has finished all her correcting now so she is officially on holidays. She is looking forward to collecting you and returning you home. She is on a night out in Newry tonight bonding with her football team !!! She is in great form. Claire will be 19 weeks pregnant on Monday please God. She is gon e to Monart -a Spa in Wexford with her college friends for te weekend. She is coping very well with her pregnancy which is gret for all of us !!! I had a hectic week at work andit really is the first time I have thought seriously about retiring. That feeling will probably pass but I have never felt like that before. Really looking forward to you returning home safely. Talk soon.

Mam Well there was a lot of reading to be caught up on there. It must take you hours to write it! Sounds like ye are having a good laugh in the group. We are still having the sunshine and high temps. You wouldn,t recognise Ireland. The turf came home today. Sean Shane Padraigh Gerry all went to the bog with Dad and Shane and Padraigh put it in with him, so you have missed all that again! The Corofin gathering is on this week so hopefully people will support it . You will be here for the last day to see it finish up. Enjoy your last few days!

lorglynncominghome Busy day again- temples shopping, eating drinking- it's all go! Early bus to Hue in the morning so I'm going to bed now!!

Mam Make sure the girl thats sick keeps hydrated. You know me about drinking when you are sick! It washes out the bugs.Drink drink drink. WATER by the way! Why dont you go to the tailor too and get a nice dress made for yourself? Weather still lovely here. Not as hot as last week and an odd cloud but its welcome at times. Supposed to be up to 30 again at the weekend. The Corofin Gathering is on next week so hopefully the weather stays good. Maybe even when you come we will have Costa del Polanore. Take care. Mam

lorglynncominghome We had a lovely day in Hoi An today- it's a really pretty town and we spent most of the time wandering around the town looking at shops! We had a cooking class in the evening too which was good fun- ill have Vietnamese dishes for ye to try when I get home!! We've two more nights in this place so I should have some time to finally catch up on the blog!! Whenever I do catch up ye will have major reading to do!

lorglynncominghome You should come over here Margaret- sweat, sweat, sweat, sweat, sweat!!

Margaret McD6 Stiil sweltering in the heat. Can't wait for a weather change. I just find it impossible to function at the moment. The housework just isn't getting done anymore. I am having Aidens brother and the wife for the weekend and I haven't even got around to making up the bed yet. I have to wait till the sun goes down to do everything and by then I am too tired so it's not happenning!!! I think we arer promised a few more days of it at least so nothing can be done about it. Can't believe you will be home in a little more than 2 weeks. There will be great excitement!!! Looking forward to seeing you soon after that. Enjoy the rmainder of the trip!!

lorglynncominghome Sounds like ye are scorched at home- pretty hot here too!! Up around 33,34 and humid!! I was in Ho Chi Minh the last few days and heading to a home-stay tomorrow. Lots of people finished their trip yesterday so we went out and had a few drinks so the blog was delayed! Eight of us are continuing on and eight more joined us. The new group seems good! I was at the war museum today so saw lots of pics of atrocities in the Vietnam war. I'm sure ill hear lots more about it in the trip!

Mam CloseView Comments Mam a moment ago Hey Lady, Welcome to Nam! My holidays are over tonight. We are still basking in a heatwave of 28/ 29deg. Its fab for admiring the blue sky and brightness but a bit difficult to work in. Us Paddies are not used to these high temps. I really am not excited about working tomorrow with a uniform on in a place that has no air con. Maybe we shud work in our swimwear! That would be interesting wouldn't it? Hope Vietnam is wonderful to finish off your travels on a good note!