Lawrence kids may not have had a regular routine to their Christmas Days but they have always had variety. This year we have travelled to a delightful cove in Southern Vietnam (Bai Xep) and stayed at a tiny place that I discovered with Edwin and Trixie in July, called Life's A Beach. Bai Xep is a small fishing village that has two small scale resorts, resort is too grand a word for the places really, and one larger one that is practically empty. Life's A Beach is right on the beach, although due to the tail end of a tropical storm we have had very little beach time. Instead our time has been packed full of reading books and eating great food.
We arrived on the overnight sleeper from Saigon and were picked up by a cheery taxi driver at Dieu Tri station. The train had left Saigon exactly on time and then arrived exactly in time. I know that that should not be considered to be remarkable but given that most of the 1800km of the North-South line is single track everything clearly has to run on time or problems mount up very quickly. We booked five out of the available six sleeper berths in one compartment and found that we were joined by an elderly Vietnamese guy who had booked one of the top berths. He showed impressive agility to climb up to the bunk and down again in the morning while the train was in motion. Also in motion on the train was the breakfast trolley from which a bloke sold us hard-boiled eggs, sweetcorn and a sort of steamed rice and pork mince snack served in a banana leaf. Hot on this guy's heels was the coffee trolley from which was dispensed a fine Vietnamese hot brew.
Whilst we have, in the recent past, jet-setted off to semi exotic locations we have had to make sure that Santa visits in some form or other. This year that meant small scale packing for parental cases while cramming in various goodies to be opened on the big day. For some reason Lexi and I both thought that presents should not be wrapped in case of airport security so we found ourselves thankful for a noisy sea as we set to a small wrapping fest late at night on Christmas Eve away from three sets of attentive ears. All papery rustlings were masked and no problems ensued.
However a little time after "Santa Visited the children's bunk beds" I heard some concerning rustling. Worried of a repeat of Christmas 2012 I dashed downstairs, we are staying in a rather lovely two storey bamboo hut. I couldn't see any evidence of small finger tampering nor could I detect the tell tale signs of children feigning sleep so, cautiously I went back to bed and tried to think nothing more of it.
The children enjoyed opening their gifts the following morning, sitting on the balcony. All of us raised a quizzical eyebrow when Trixie opened a packet of chocolate gold coins, a traditional gift, and neither of the boys appeared to have opened a similar gift. Immediate protests of innocence were declared by all three children and it was only when Edwin produced a pillow case with three small
holes in and Rupert produced his Santa hat similarly newly ventilated did the penny, not a chocolate one, drop. Some bold Vietnamese rodents had clearly invaded and munched through the paper, plastic netting, foil wrappers and chocolate coins, leaving nothing but a few metallic scraps. Good luck to their insides.
Life's A Beach laid on a fabulous Christmas Dinner of roast chicken, roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, pigs in blankets and piles of veg and gravy. They had also made a really good mango based stuffing too. And this great feast was enjoyed by the hosts and guests alike, with even the resident cheery taxi driver joining in for a plateful. Followed by cake and presents of biscuits and wine it was a lovely gathering. All the staff and guests also played a quick version of the radio-active chocolate game after lunch. Everyone stood round the pool table staring intently at a tightly and shiny wrapped parcel. Next to the parcel was a set of oven gloves and a die. The aim of the game was of course to unwrap the present but in order to do that you had to roll a six, put on the oven gloves and get on with it. No easy task, but one that was much enjoyed.
And then much later it was time for a film. The Great Escape is more Boxing Day fare so we persuaded the hosts to find an internet copy of It's A Wonderful Life and Clarence did get his wings.