Everland - never too old for roller coasters

Before heading out to Vietnam, I made a quick stop in the very populated Korean capital, Seoul, to hang out with some friends and it was fun. Remember when I said you are never too old for rollercoasters or amusement parks in general - I haven't changed my mind. We spent a magical and sunny day in Everland amusement park going on cable cars, posing with Tigers (okay they were behind the fence) and eating ice cream. The highlight - I got to ride on the steepest dip on a wooden roller coaster in the world - The T express. Yes you read right! Wooden. It's not as terrifying as it sounds - the structure looks pretty solid and good looking if its at all possible for roller coasters to be good looking - probably have the Germans to thank for that.

 
 

Isn't she a beauty?

I really had an awesome time with the girls - felt like a kid again :)

Final thoughts
Want to reverse the signs of ageing? Visit amusement parks often :) keeps you feeling young -  I swear by it.

Visiting Vietnam: Hanoi

Finally getting into the swing of things after an incredible summer holiday. Not only was the weather great and destinations fabulous, but I also got to hang out with my good friends who came all the way to the east just for me #tearyeyed. I am still overwhelmed and can't thank them enough for doing that. It almost felt like I was home. And of course they did not come empty handed, they both came bearing sweet goods from South Africa- homeyness all around. There are so many photos I want share so over the next few days I will be showing off posting some of them and any tips that I can share which will hopefully help someone out there one day.

ready for take off

Because of our limited time in Vietnam-we decided to hit the big spots. We visited Hanoi (the capital city), Halong Bay (now a 7 wonder of nature), Hoi An (Unesco Heritage Site) and Ho Chi Min City. Every stop we made we were met with the super friendliness of the Vietnamese people, delicious food and each town had its own personality particularly in cuisine - it was interesting seeing it transform as we made our way south.

In Hanoi we stayed at the old quarter area which was right in the heart of the city. Every morning I would wake up to an amazing cappuccino and some people watching to kick start my day, while my dear friend battled some jet lag (South Africa being 5 hours behind). Although there are museums and markets to visit - I found Hanoi not to be a city for check lists. My favourite part was roaming the streets aimlessly, watching the locals get on with their day, all the while stopping at cafes to enjoy some new drinks and scrumptious food. We did a cyclo tour around the old quarter area - which was a great and slow paced way to familiarize yourself with your new home but the rest of the time we walked pretty much everywhere.

1.morning cuppa 2. cyclotour on pause due to rain 3. the famous pointed hat 4. cyclo 5. streets of Hanoi

I really had an amazing time in this city. I was completely charmed by the old quarter district and was happy to return to it for another 2 days before flying out of Hanoi. 

Tips:

1. There are tons of hotels and hostels in the old quarter area which is an area I highly recommend staying in. Its close to where you will spend most of your time in Hanoi anyway so you might as well save yourself from taxi fares and long walks and stick around. 

2. We found that staying in a private room at a hostel cost the same as staying in some of the 3 star hotels so we opted for the latter in order to have an en-suite bathroom. If you are staying for longer or traveling alone or on a shoestring budget, then a hostel bed in a dorm will do the trick. But if you plan on choosing a private room in a hostel, then you should check hotel prices too - they might surprise you. Vietnam is more affordable than a lot of countries so an extra dollar or two can see you upgrade quite substantially and that peace and quiet at the end of a day of sightseeing will be priceless.

3. If you do opt for a hotel,  check their website. Some offer a free pick up from the airport for stays 3 nights or longer IF you book directly with the hotel. But if you book through some of the other websites - lets call them 3rd parties for now, then you don't qualify for this free pick up because of the commission they get charged by the other guys. Booking directly with them will save you up to 18 USD in airport transfers.

4. As for crossing the streets - remain calm. If you are going to try to wait for a completely clear passage you could wait all day and all night. Despite the chaos, I don't remember witnessing any actual accidents. The trick here is to forget everything you know about crossing the street by just, well crossing. Walk at a moderate pace; don't change the pace either. The motorcyclists are quite comfortable at maneuvering their way around you. By changing your pace or running across, you kind of become unpredictable for them - which is more likely to cause an accident. Once you brave it up and get the hang of it - I found it pretty safe actually.

Enjoy your stay in Hanoi

Visiting Vietnam: Halong Bay coming soon :)

Halfway there (take 2)

Around this time last year, I did a post rounding up the highlights of the first half of my year in Korea. Reading it now, I can't believe how much happens in such a short space of time. When you are living in foreign lands, your drive to do more and learn more is much higher, I hope to still have some of that when I return back home in a few months time. It's that time of the year again, half way through - time to check in on some amazing experiences so far - gosh the year is just flying!

went home to South Africa for the holidays- I landed on the 1st of January - almost didn't come back

stopped in Hong Kong on a layover to visit Hong Kong Disney Land

arrived just in time for Kerry's bachelorette party and wedding at Groot Constantia - hello Mrs Rosser

started teaching at an all girls school (last year i taught boys)

said good bye to some dear friends - but also got to sleep in a ship going nowhere

went Paint balling for the first time

learnt to ski 

learnt to ride a bike

got to watch a Broadway musical

got my hair (dreadlocks) twisted by a korean

went to a jimjilbang and got an ajuma scrub (blog post for another day)

visited the biggest department store in the world (certified by Guinness World Record)

did a cooking class 

celebrated teachers day

volunteered at a centre for North Koreans teaching English (cannot post pictures for their protection)

did a few korean language lessons

had some laughs while doing students speaking tests. 

To name just a few. It's been an amazing few months and already feel sad at the thought of leaving Korea in a few months, its a good thing its not over yet. I have learnt so much and with my task list of things to do, I hope to continue with the adventures even when I get back home.

Final thoughts
It's time to take stock, what have you been up to this year so far? Have you been keeping to your new resolutions if you had any?