Christmas and Into 2012 with a quiet night…

Christmas came and went very quickly, luckily Christmas fell over the weekend, otherwise it would have work everyday at the schools here.

Fortunately, we three wise comrades (Tom, Tam, and me) set off for Ninh Binh very early Christmas eve, we set of for the 7.30am bus. Arriving at 7.23am, only to discover the erstwhile bus driver had decided to head off before 7.30am…I shouted, I hissed and booed at the woman behind the counter, she looked back with a shrug as if to say its our fault, no apology for the driver leaving early, well we are in pantomime season. We even took my huge Christmas cake with us on the journey in a box, presented to me by my students at Tran Phu, it was beautifully decorated.

Undeterred, Tam enquired where another bus could be caught, and so we had a 10 minute trek to another street, only this time it was to be 2 buses for out 100km journey.

At least we were heading out of Hai Phong for a short break. 3 hours later we were off the bus, being tapped up by a moto driver for a hotel from $3 a night. Off we followed the salesman on his moto for a quarter of a mile walking at a brisk pace. No snow, no icicles, no Widow Twanky, just another lookalike city in Vietnam.

Our hotel down a side street was full of Europeans, how did they find this place, the new Queen Hotel? After a quick break, we decided to head off with a hired driver to sea the wonders of Ninh Binh.

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First stop a historic King Le(surname) Emperors Palace site, full of school children on day trips and tourists in the cool but clear blue skies, it had a chill in the air, which made me think of Christmasses past. I of course was the centre of attention with my floppy Father Christmas hat and had to pose for photographs with the locals.

Lunch was not befitting Scrooge, very expensive, so much so Scrooge would have choked on the soup alone, costing $12 and the goat meat costing a similar amount, boy did Christmas arrive all in one day for the restaurant owner.

Following a hearty lunch we took to the peace and quiet of the waters, a boat rowed by a woman (they do all the manual work here) she rowed away with her feet like a proper Santa’s helper. The tour took in 9 caves, on the clearest water amongst limestone outcrops (like Ha Long Bay). Very tranquil and felt the peace and quiet of Christmas and the Christian spirit of Jesus on the 2 hour trip. Peaceful in December, perhaps rather more busy in Summer, but you have to make the effort to get to Ninh Binh, it is not many people’s itineries who visit Vietnam, but it soon will be.

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After this trip, rather cream crackered, but more waters to float on and hills to climb, ancient temples to see, but the clock was ticking. We took another baot trip, before we retired back to the hotel for a short nap and sharing a Christmas drink with the hotel’s proprierters…what was missing was mince pies, sherry, Slade, Band Aid, but there was soccer on tv…you can’t escape the Premiership reruns out here.

Christmas eve was further enjoyed with a short walk to the Catholic church nearby. It was very busy with a huge screen showing some Catholic dignatory on the screen, beautiful lights, a tree and everyone semed to want to see, the whole town of Ninh Binh on moto’s had turned up..but did they know it was more than Father Christmas? It was a religious festival? who is Jesus? We had an little BBQ at our table for warmth and cooked pork and beef for dinner.[5]

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Christmas Day and we were off to Cuc Phuong National Park, some 60km away. An early Breakfast, and a driver for another $25.

Upon arrival we took a hike to the 1,000 year old tree, Tam in flip flops, me and Tom in regular footwear and we were accompanied by German George on our visit.

In the afternoon after a visit to the Monkey sanctuary, funded by many leading Zoo’s we headed back to Ninh Binh and our 3 hour journey.

Boxing day – normal working day, teaching, but, the week ahd a little surprise in store. I had been giving private lessons to Viinh (22yrs Old) who was leaving for the UK to do a Masters course at Birmingham University. His parents treated Tam and I to a slap up meal (well that’s what you used read in the Sparky comic, cica 1970’s)

we had 4 Lobster (expensive), Hai Sam (soup – translated to sea cucumber) ($400 a kilogram), wine a bottle of 12 year old Chivas regal whisky…in other words the works, all very delicious…so I did get a Christmas dinner of sorts.

The new year….passed off with Tom, his woman of the hour, her friend and Vinh and his wife (our landlord), we scoffed some crab and soup -Karaoke, and a roof top cafe for midnight….no Big Ben, no balloons, streamers, or party music, just techno pop, and when the moment arrived, the DJ played ‘Happy New Year’ a tchno version of Abba’s song…a few quick steps on the dance floor and off to bed.

New Years Day? Well you go to a wedding of course….off we three trotted to a wedding, drank some beer, karaoke and ate some more food.

And so what does 2011 leave behind?

Some recent sad losses?, Harry Morgan (aka Sherman Potter in M*A*S*H), Gary Speed (why?), Colonel Gadaffi, Osama Bin Laden, Kim jung Il, Jane Russell, Joe Frazier, Neil Young (MCFC scorer of FA cup winning goal 1969), Michael Jackson, Clarence Clemons (E street Band), Russian Ice Hockey team in September plane crash…and finally John, the husband of my great work colleague Freda Richardson also passed away..so many.

What will 2012 bring?

Hopefully the greatest sporting event - the Olympics - will be a triumph for London and Great Britain, pity I will not be a part of it, I really wanted to say I went to the stadium to watch at least one event, but its all too much, good luck to the ticket holders for an event to treasure.

A Man City league triumph? A Real Madrid Champions League win? Usain Bolt centre stage? An economic recovery or collapse of the Euro?

China government to buy into Apple? Terry Wogan to host Strictly come Dancing? Who knows and that is the beauty of the future..

A final Happy new year to Emily, Gregory, Phillip, Kirsten, ex-work colleagues Rob Fletcher, Geoff Nicholson, John Malamatenios, Anne Waring, not forgetting Basil and Pete and David Opperman…and Enid Skelhorn, inseperable part of my life many years ago..