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Click above to donate to Cancer Research UK
Since 2019, Clayborne The Cancer Research Teddy, has accompanied me on my travels all over the World. Even during COVID, while I was unable to travel, Clayborne boarded a repatriation flight to America — even getting to sit in the cockpit (Something I have never done.) As he clocks up the miles, he is also creating awareness for Cancer Research UK, a charity I am proud to have volunteered for.
Today I live in Australia, but my dedication to Cancer Research UK remains as strong as ever. I still make a monthly donation to them, and believe passionately in the good work they do, helping to irradiate this dreadful disease.
Clayborne, is a brand ambassador like no other; today, after five years of travelling, he is looking rather dishevelled and in need of a bit of TLC. His head is a bit wonky and his fur requires a good brush, but the scars he carries with him, are a mark of the cause he champions. I feel proud that he has helped create recognition and understanding of the complexities surrounding cancer, encouraging more people to donate to Cancer Research and helping to stop this disease in its tracks.
Clayborne travelled with Darrell and me to Saigon, Da Nang and Hội An, traversing the south of Vietnam for 12 days. Like me, he is a seasoned traveller and enjoys experiencing new cultures. Many people have stopped and asked me about his story, bringing, yet more, understanding of a subject, that many find difficult to discuss.
His travels document a journey, that began with me volunteering for Cancer Research in 2018, and the fond memories I take with me on my voyage to Australia. Clayborne has become an important part of my life; he is not only a symbol of past endeavours, but also a shining light of hope for the future. As I continue to travel across the World, His story, is my story, and together we will help to make Cancer history!
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I feel like my feet haven't touched the ground since I came home from Vietnam. What with one thing and another, I have really had a packed week; some of it good, some of it not so great. Despite everything, I am still alive and kicking, and looking forward to more challenges. After returning from holiday, I had a lot on my agenda, but nothing ever turns the way you expect, does it — this was certainly a week, where nothing went right — or rather, as planned!
Friday was the last day in my present job; I have worked for one of Australia's largest bedding companies since January 2023 and have decided to move into a different area of retail. This was a rather heart-wrenching decision for me, since I have enjoyed working for this uniquely Australian, heritage brand, since I have been there. More than anything, I will miss the amazing people I have worked with for the last fifteen months. I was welcomed as Manager, and will leave having learnt much about the business and the people who keep it functioning on a daily basis.
My future projects are very much centred around the same parent company I am with, but will be moving to another subsidiary of the business, once again as Store Manager. This will be a complete change from my current role, but a position that allows me to focus on a different aspect of the retail trade.
It has been an incredible, productive time working with the team at Midland, and I am sure I will continue to achieve success in a new setting. Surrounded by the support of new colleagues, who like those at Midland, have been invaluable to the success I have achieved in Australia, I am looking forward to new challenges in 2024.
My last day in Midland was on Friday — it was an emotional time, as I cleared my desk, ready for the new incumbent to take charge. Saying goodbye to staff, now friends, has been a wrench, but I know this business will continue to flourish without me. As I left the building, preparing for my new job starting on Tuesday, I wasn't prepared for what happened next.
Since returning from Vietnam, I have been suffering from an infection of unknown origin. After grazing my arm on day one of the holiday, I did what I thought was the right thing, and covered it with a plaster. You can never be too careful when travelling in a tropical country, and I didn't want to cause any more problems; unbeknown to me, that's exactly what I was doing.
I left the band-aid on for a couple of days, but by the time I removed it, not only was there an inflamed graze, but there were also a number of new lesions growing around it. I had a shower, cleaned the wound, and covered it once again, changing the dressing every few days. Sadly, whatever was going on, was getting worse, and by the time I returned home, this infection was looking pretty bad. By Friday, after saying my farewells to colleagues at work, I was in so much pain, I went to A&E at St John of God Hospital in Midland, hoping to be seen.
Now this is a good hospital, but the Emergency Department was a nightmare, with up to six hours waiting ahead. I may well have been in pain, but I just wasn't prepared to wait for that length of time, in a particularly volatile and charged environment. After three hours, I decided to leave and work on a plan B.
On Saturday morning, after a terrible nights sleep, I decided to go to St John Urgent Care. This is a privately run agency, where you can pay up to $250.00 for an appointment. Admittedly, the clinic is top class compared to ED, so I wasn't too bothered about paying the fees involved. I was first in the line and seen within 2 minutes by a Doctor. He took one look at the lesions and lump under my arm, and immediately referred me to Hospital, since this was too complex for them to deal with. He explained it shouldn't be too busy at this time, and I will probably go straight through. Reluctantly, I left, and headed back to Hospital a short walk away.
The Doctor at the Urgent Care Unit was right, I went straight in and through to see a consultant, who looked at the two problems I was dealing with. After checking the lump under my arms, she said that it should be removed ASAP. Now, judging by British NHS standards, I was expecting this to be carried out in a few months. However she explained, I would be taken down to theatre within the hour, given a general anaesthetic, and it would be 'whipped out' straight away. Shocked at the expeditiousness, I signed the consent form and waited to be taken down.
The standard of service and speed of the treatment I received was exceptional. I was allocated my own private room before and after the operation, given a rather large hot meal that tasted delicious, and free access to television while I recovered. I was obviously a little alarmed at how quick this lump was removed, thinking the worst, but I have been reassured that this is standard practice here in Australia. Everything was so fast, it was impressive. Now, I just have to wait for the results of the operation to come back. Then I should find out what the infection is and what the lump was; until then it's another waiting game.
I have been given a week off work and have delayed starting my new job until next week. At the moment a carer is attending every morning to dress the wounds, which appear to be fine, healing nicely and certainly not giving me any pain. For now, I need to spend the time recuperating and recovering, from this impromptu operation.
I will be walking every morning as part of that recovery, having been told it will be good for convalescence. Physical exercise accelerates the healing process by 25%, so that gives me the excuse to continue with a good, healthy exercise regime.
I have to say, this has knocked me for six a bit, but it does go to show, that sometimes the health anxiety I suffer from, is a good thing. Something told me what was happening to me wasn't normal, and pushed me to get it seen too immediately, and thankfully I did. Since losing so much weight and looking after myself, I have become far more bodily aware, and that is welcome, because for the first time in my life, I am actually doing something right! Today I may well be feeling under the weather, but because I am fitter and healthier, I am able to deal with whatever comes my way, that much better. Looking after yourself shouldn't be a chore, it should be a life enhancing experience.
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On the 3rd April, I was interviewed on BBC Radio WM, by Rakeem Omar, just before I left for Vietnam; this is the first opportunity I have had to write about it, and reflect on its importance. BBC Radio WM, was a platform for me, to speak about a significant British news story, from Australia, and explain the impact it has had on me.
A representative from the Breakfast show contacted me, asking if I wouldn't mind being interviewed before I left for Asia. I had written a piece on 'The Crooked House Pub' online, that had been picked up by the radio station; they asked if the Presenter, Rakeem Omar, could chat with me about the demolition of the building, as seen from an Australian perspective — which I agreed to do.
The background story to this BBC interview, involved the demolition of the historic Crooked House Pub in the West Midlands. A developer, who bought the pub and land it was situated on, took it upon themselves, to demolish this 1760s venue after a mysterious fire took hold. No one has any idea of how or why the fire started, and most importantly, nobody gave permission to have the building levelled.
The court has demanded that the pub is rebuilt brick by brick and restored to its former glory, and rightly so! This story reached these shores in Australia, through, at least in my case, the foreign news channel SBS. The mainstream channels here in Australia then picked it up, and I then followed it closely on Sky and GB News, the only British news channels I am able to legally stream in Australia.
I suppose the demolition of The Crooked House, really pulled at my heart strings. As a child I remember going with my Mother and Father to our local pub, The Fishman's Rest,' near Titchfield, in Hampshire. I would spend many happy hours, playing in the pub garden, with my parents in earshot. The Fisherman's Rest overlooked Titchfield Abbey, and had a close connection to the local community, of which I was a part. For that reason, the destruction of The Crooked House really brought home, memories from my childhood, so God knows how those who live close to The Crooked House must have felt.
Pubs play a big part in community life and without them, villages and neighbourhoods die. Having worked at The Newcome Arms in Fratton, while I lived in the UK, I understand a pub's significance, in the lives of all those who live in the surrounding area. Not only was The Crooked House the hub of the local neighbourhood, but it was historic; it drew in visitors from all over the World and was a part of the lifeblood of the region. What on Earth gives anyone the right to take that away from local people.
In my short interview with Rakeem, I was able to explain the importance of this pub to me and just how far this story has travelled. I care about what happens to its future, and hope whoever the new custodians of the rebuilt Crooked House are, they look after it with the dignity it deserves, and preserve its place in history for generations to come!
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Leaving Da Nang was the start of our long journey back to Australia. I always hate goodbyes, it just reinforces the normality to come. I would love to be an eternal traveller, but that's not going to happen, so as long as I can take a couple of holiday's a year, I am happy. With Taiwan on the agenda in seven months time, I am content to settle down and do some hard graft.
The short flight from Da Nang was once again pretty turbulent. All I can put it down to, is the smaller plane. Obviously, the smaller the aircraft, the more you feel the rocking motion. Thankfully, it only took an hour, and we were on the ground before we knew it.
I had arranged a 'complimentary' pick up at the terminal, in Ho Chi Minh City, after our flight from Da Nang, to take us to our last hotel of the trip. This was called, aptly enough, 'The Airport Hotel.' I had literally typed in 'Airport Hotel Saigon,' in my Expedia app, and this place came up first, as one would expect.
After twenty minutes waiting at the meeting point, I phoned the hotel, to find out where our transfer was — this should have been a warning of things to come. I already had a feeling this last stay wasn't going to end well. The gentleman on the end of the phone, said the car was on the way, and to just hold tight. Sure enough, after forty minutes, the car arrived, and we were off to the hotel.
It took about five minutes to get to our hotel, and when I got to the desk to check in, I was astonished to be charged 240,000 VND or $15.00 AUD for the so called 'complimentary' ride. Needless to say I wasn't happy, but I was at the end of my trip, and just wanted to leave on a high point, so once again just let it flow over me.
We were shown to room 605 and left to settle in. To be honest, the room looked dated and tired and smelt a bit musty. I walked over to the window and opened the curtains. To my horror there was a door wide open, that went directly onto one of those old rickety metal fire escapes, like the ones you find at the side of New York skyscrapers. Now I had a lot of important stuff in my case and wanted it closed.
Well we tried and tried, but the door wouldn't even shut, let alone lock, and after half an hour I was fuming. Angry, I stormed down to the desk and demanded something was done. A young lad came back up to our room with me, but could not do anything himself, and arranged for us to be moved to room 305. We grabbed our stuff and made our way down in the lift to the third floor.
This time I checked the fire escape door, and it was bolted tight. However, once the member of staff left, I realised there was no lock in the door, so in the event of a fire we would be either dead, or severely injured from jumping from a third floor window. At that point, I just thought, what the hell — I had given up caring.
The room was filthy, dusty, and poorly maintained. There was water leaking though a pipe in the bathroom, and the bathroom door had a rather large crack above it. It wasn't until I tried to close the door, that I realised why — obviously someone had tried to close the door in the past without success, and plaster was falling off from around the frame. Now, usually this wouldn't bother me, but I had discovered there was no bathroom light switch. The only way you could block the light out at night was to either close the door, which was impossible, or remove the room's key card from the slot. In the end, there was no choice, we both needed sleep, without the bathroom light illuminating the bedroom!
By removing the card, we had no electricity to the room, so I couldn't charge my mobile devices and most importantly, we had no aircon all night in 38 degree heat. This was the worst nights sleep I have had on holiday, yet the bed itself was perfectly acceptable. By 9pm, after a bite to eat out, we were both exhausted, so aircon or not we just had to sleep, even if it was only for a short time.
I was awake early, even earlier than usual, despite our flight not leaving until 4pm. There was so much commotion in the hall outside our room last night, that it was particularly difficult to sleep. I had already made the decision to have breakfast and leave for the airport straight away, even though it would mean waiting in the terminal all day; it was preferable to remaining in this terrible hotel.
At 6.30 we went downstairs to eat; the buffet was equally bad! As I started to put food on my plate, this tiny restaurant, with no more than four tables, was descended upon by twenty plus people. I managed to get a few cold McDonald's fries and overcooked sausage and left more or less straight away. The food on offer was the worst of the holiday so far, and I was, and still am, livid. Darrell followed me upstairs shortly afterwards and within the hour we had arrived at the airport, glad to be out of that awful place. This is a reminder for readers to take reviews of hotels and attractions with a pinch of salt. The comments on The Airport Hotel were not entirely accurate. If I had been able to make a more informed decision, I wouldn't have booked this place, but misleading reviews can change a person's decision.
Personally, I don't think I have ever stayed in a worse hotel! Maybe the first one Darrell and I stayed in, back in 1995, but that was thirty years ago. The memories I have of that stay — 1970s pastiche, with patterned axminster, avocado shower in the bedroom and candlewick bedspread are good, happy and positive ones. The Airport Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City is in a terrible state of disrepair and needs completely gutting. However, the staff, did their best, and were very accommodating throughout our short stay.
It felt like we had spent five days in terminal 1, at Ho Chi Minh Airport. From Burger King, Highland Coffee, and the massage chairs, we know the airport inside out, intimately and even fondly. The airport itself isn't great and has very few facilities on offer, but this was a home from home for a large part of the day. Considering Saigon is the biggest city in Vietnam, one would have thought better to be honest; even Da Nang International Airport was bigger.
With thousands of people going through Ho Chi Minh daily, there were huge queues at security. The prices were astronomical and food and drink pretty poor, but this is an airport, so what else do you expect.
I don't think I was happier to get on a plane in all my life, even though there was an hour delay before take off, as there has been on every other flight we have taken in Vietnam. The flight itself was fine, as much as economy class ones can be. I did have to sit though the entire six-hour flight without any entertainment, however, with no sound coming from the TV screen. As someone who just can not sit through a film anyway, it really doesn't bother me that much, and I even fell asleep briefly, which is very unlike me.
Arriving in Australia was the usual palaver of checks and more checks. As a permanent resident, I am always held up for at least an hour as I explain my status to the Border Force. After they do their customary checks, we usually have a chat, they pat me on the back and send me on my way. Just part of the course, when I return home now — and the reason for this — well, just a silly minor issue when I was a wee lad, that will remain on official documents until the day I die!
This was a holiday like no other for us, but I suppose I was glad to come home. The last hotel had left a bitter taste in my mouth, but it was more than that. Vietnam is a wonderful country, whose biggest asset is its people, but for me at least, Thailand offers me more of what I need in a holiday destination. As a tourist I want culture, history, and monuments. Vietnam's more recent history tends to take precedence and as much as I understand the terrible circumstances of the Vietnam War, I am not keen on reliving those experiences for the duration of my vacation.
Of course there are many other aspects to this amazing country and Hội An is a perfect example of that, but the sheer number of tourists in these amazing destinations, does detract from the history. I didn't feel a connection to Hội An's ancient culture, surrounded by hoards of mobile phones and social media influencers. This was however an incredible opportunity to explore a country where Communism and Capitalism sit happily side by side; that was an experience I will always treasure! Vietnam is a place everyone should visit in their lifetime; I'm just not sure if I want to go there again!
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I suppose there really isn't much to say today, as we come to our final day in Hội An. We travelled to the Silk Beach Club, on the coast, for what was supposed to have been a day by the beach. Now, this isn't my idea of fun, if I am honest. I can't think of anything worse, than sitting by a beach, doing nothing. I am a person who needs to be doing something; I need to keep active, and a beach holiday would just not cut it with me.
The hotel had arranged a shuttle bus to take us to the beach club, about twenty minutes away. Darrell was looking forward to it, as one would expect, I just wasn't. When we arrived, the club looked pretty reasonable from the outside, but as we entered the building, it wasn't the most relaxing place in the World.
Now it is Saturday, and there were probably about 200 children running about, screaming, and it did feel like being back at school. I really don't mean to be harsh here, because the kids in Vietnam are truly amazing, and very polite and courteous; their antics were just not what I expected, and turned a relaxing day, into nothing but. Having said that, lots of them came up to me, to say high and chat. This seems to be a common theme in Vietnam, the children really want to get to know you and have a conversation. This will be one of the enduring memories of Southern Vietnam, the fantastic, welcoming youngsters, whose curiosity and enthusiasm is infectious.
We had lunch at the resort — just a Bahn Mi, and a pint of beer. Interesting fact — the beer arrives warm at your table, followed by a glass of ice. You are supposed to add beer to the ice! That isn't something I am used to, and it certainly isn't the way to drink beer. However, it was hot and at least it quenched my thirst.
While sat there eating, several children came up to our table, asking to have their photo taken with me, and I duly obliged. Darrell reckons it was because I was wearing the Vietnamese flag on my shirt. I'm not sure these kids would have seen many westerners wearing communist attire, but they seemed to appreciate it, and were very happy to see us at this predominantly Vietnamese club.
We were due to leave the club at 3.30pm, but with the place overrun with school children, we decided to leave early and got a taxi back to the hotel at 1pm. At a cost of 110.000 VND, or $6.00 AUD, it was well worth it. Even though I know how much Darrell loves the beach, I had a feeling he was ready to make a quick exit as well, and it was good to get back to an air-conditioned hotel.
From the Silkotel, we went out straight away, back into the old town, where we had lunch at what became our favourite place to eat — The Spice Route and Poison Café. Once again, the food was delicious, as it always has been here. At a relatively early 2pm, there also wasn't anyone else in the restaurant, so we had the room and air conditioner to ourselves, which is always a bonus.
After lunch, we made did some last minute shopping and made our way back to the hotel, nearly at the end of our stay in Hội An. I suppose this would be the perfect opportunity to sum up our time in this country, and It is important for me to be as honest as I can.
When I arrived in Vietnam, I really didn't know what to expect. I have been to this country briefly, back in 2019 and enjoyed the few days I spent in Hanoi. This trip has been rather different. In 2019, Vietnam was part of a four country tour, this time, we spent ten days travelling through the south of the country and in truth, I have mixed feeling about the place.
I have enjoyed my time in the main, but the heat has been absolutely stifling, for Darrell at least. I have been fine in the main, loving the hot humid weather, but my other half has found it quite difficult. We probably stayed in Ho Chi Minh City too long and could have done it in half the time. Two days is more than enough to see Vietnam's biggest city, and I know Darrell would have preferred that we spent more time in Da Nang.
Personally, I loved Ho Chi or Saigon. I loved the café culture there, and did plenty of walking; I could even see myself living there. The biggest problem is getting about. There is very little reliable public transport, and the metro system that was due to open several years ago is still under construction, which really is an inconvenience for the traveller. The pace of life above ground is particularly fast as a result; roads are clogged with traffic for most of the day, and pollution levels are off the scale. I read that Saigon has 9 million residents and there are a staggering 8.5 million mopeds, which gives you some idea of the traffic concerns in this vast city.
However, there was no hassle or street vendor trying to sell you something, you are very much left to your own devices and take in the city at your own pace. Compared to Hội An where we are now, it couldn't be more different. I found Saigon relaxing and a joy to walk around, and would go back there in a heartbeat.
Da Nang, the Benidorm of Vietnam, was an equally pleasant surprise. Darrell and I agree, we would have liked to have spent more time there. Like Saigon, there was nobody invading your personal space, and you could enjoy the city at your leisure. In reality, we should have based ourselves there for the duration of our stay in this region and travelled to Hội An for a single day.
Hội An is beautiful, the architecture is out of this World. This historic city was always going to be the highlight of this trip, but sadly this visitor hotspot was absolutely overcrowded with tourists, all jostling to get to the front of a queue or see the latest sunset. I actually can't believe how rude some people are. I have come to the conclusion, us Brits are just too polite.
The food, culture, and history of Hội An, are indeed valid reasons to visit this place, but of course, beware, you will be conned out of your hard-earned cash. The touts here are determined to get your dollar, even when you are sat in a restaurant; fixated, they will come up to you, even while you are eating, trying to get you to buy something. The only establishment where this didn't happen, was at The Spice Route. The restaurant comes highly recommended; the food and service is first class — it is an oasis from the sheer madness outside. If you are in Hội An, go there, you won't be disappointed.
Overall, I feel happy I went to Vietnam; however, it won't be a country I return to again. Vietnamese people are unbelievably friendly and accommodating. Every hotel we stayed in was top-notch, but our final stop in Hội An, although memorable and beautiful, was just too busy at this time of year. The highlight of our trip was actually its Achilles heel; So many people visit this city now, that it is ruining the experience for people like me. Vietnam has much to offer, but it does have a long way to go before, tourists can be confident of an enjoyable stay. It must put controls in place, in order to protect the heritage it has, and keep these historic monuments in the best condition possible, for everyone to enjoy.
I certainly don't want to put people off from visiting Vietnam, that isn't my intention, but rather, I would ask you to think twice before visiting tourist hotspots at peak times. I will have some enduring memories to take with me when I leave, but there is some sadness, that it wasn't quite what I expected!
Tomorrow we fly to Saigon and our final hotel!
