Vietnam: 1

Well I just went from a little quiet riverside town in Nova Scotia, Canada, to right smack into a bustling little oceanside city, and on the other side of the world!

Yes, I am now back in Da Nang, Vietnam! Crazy loooong trip to get here...3 flights, with longest being 14 hrs and 45 mins. to get from Toronto to Seoul, South Korea. And did that one in a cramped seat with two other passengers beside me elbow to elbow....killer on the legs especially with no room to stretch them out at all. Had to try to do that whenever I could get up from my seat, which was not near as often as I needed as I had to almost crawl over the two people sitting beside me (I had a window seat) and those lucky buggers seemed to be sleeping most of the way and I hated having to disturb them from that, haha! I did doze off a few times, but never long enough and by the time we reached Korea I was exhausted...had not slept the night before more than 2 hrs, if that, plus had fairly long drive to Halifax airport at 3:30 am, then to Toronto where I had to hang out for 5+ hrs to wait for flight to Korea, which was delayed, of course!, and then run like crazy once landed to get to gate for my 5 hr flight to Da Nang, which thankfully was also delayed, but meant running through a huge terminal, catching a sky train to another terminal, and then finally get on my last flight just in time.

Arrived in Da Nang at 12:30 am their time, and thank goodness my son was there to greet me! He got me a much needed coffee and then a cab to my hotel. Phew! Left Nova Scotia at 7:15 am on November 30th and arrived in Da Nang, in wee hours of Dec 2nd....11 hr time difference here, and between that and my complete exhaustion I am definitely feeling jet lagged! Soooo great to be back here though! I have a lovely hotel room with a balcony that has sea view and later today I will finally get to see my daughter in law and my grandchildren again!! I feel so very very lucky to be able to do this trip! Although I am in a city, it is not like many cities....just 2 streets away from this hotel is a gorgeous very wide and palm-lined white sand beach that stretches for something like 30+ kms! It is a lovely blue green bay which is nestled between wild jungle mountains... really stunning! Super friendly people, safe and welcoming, and I can't wait to explore more.

Fell asleep to a warm but very strong ocean wind blowing (it's 26 degrees, and this is winter season here, lol), and also roosters crowing in the near distance. City roosters! Haha! Southeast Asia, I am here!!!