After returning from Hanoi, we have been experiencing a heatwave. It’s like a giant furnace here, unlike the nice cool weather we encountered a week earlier. But, being a diehard golfer, I continued my weekday golf routine, mindful to stay hydrated.
Dang, it was hot out on the golf course on Tuesday. My water intake, during and after the game, was more than usual to combat the heat and humidity. And luckily, the atmosphere during the Thursday morning game fared better, with less heat and some breeze.
The heatwave condition will be like this until mid-April before it subsides. Until then, the golf outings will continue, and water consumption will have to increase to stay hydrated if I want to be outdoors.
A month after our trip to Bangkok, Thailand, hubby and I flew off for a golfing trip on Sunday. We arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam, three hours later than scheduled after having our flight retimed three times. Uh-oh, not a good start.
It is my first time in Hanoi, and I find immediate similarities and differences with Bangkok. The plus point is the weather during this time of the year, cooling and not humid, is thoroughly an enjoyable factor, unlike Bangkok, which was hot and humid.
However, the sheer volume of motorbikes in Hanoi feels more here than in Bangkok. And it is astounding to see the drivers navigating the congested roads with such skill and patience. Whenever the honks blare, it’s more like ‘Excuse me, coming through’ than ‘Get out of my way!’
The trick to crossing the roads when faced with oncoming traffic is to move slowly and don’t stop or run. You will survive.
Our golfing fun began on the second day after a simple dinner and two thirst-quenching beers at an eatery across the road from our hotel at the Old Quarters.
It has been raining lately, unusual for this time of the year after Chinese New Year. So, whenever it rains, planning laundry is hard; likewise, playing golf in the afternoon.
Yesterday’s afternoon game was a washout. We managed to complete only nine holes. Very unsatisfactory, if you asked me. But I try to take the positives from the shortened round, where the short game and putting improved. It was so much better compared to the previous outing on Tuesday. And I caught up with my golf buddies, which was more important than the game itself. I have not seen them since before the Chinese New Year festivity.
On the brighter side of the weather, the rain cools down the temperature and is more bearable. However, this won’t last, as the Weather app has predicted sunny conditions for the next few days. Brace for the biting heat again!
We made three short drinks and snack stops before visiting the Grand Palace on the third day in Bangkok. The first stop was for a macha green tea, followed by coffee and a pastry, and lastly, an ice cream. Fueled, we were ready for the adventure ahead.
Morning indulgence after breakfast
It was such a hot day! And oh-so crowded. You can tell that these visitors are tourists from all over the world. Just about every other person who walked past us was wearing elephant-print pants. A sure sign of a tourist!
The Grand Palace
The buildings and temples within the Palace grounds were magnificent. The Grand Palace itself was a grand piece of architecture. Unfortunately, some attractions were closed for renovations, but we didn’t mind. We just soaked in the overall grandeur of the place.
When we left the palace grounds, my legs were ready to fall off! Do we have to walk any more? We had to because there were hardly any taxis available nearby. Thank goodness for mobile data that helped us a lot during this trip. Using her mobile phone, M1 figured out which bus to take to leave the area. But the bus Number 2 we hopped on was going in the wrong direction! Hahaha. We didn’t know.
The shortest bus ride in Bangkok on bus Number 2
Nevertheless, what an experience to be on a bus with wooden flooring! How often would you get to be on one in a big city? And the conductor was kind enough to allow us to stay until the next stop without collecting any bus fare. Finally, we managed to hail a cab and headed to Siam Paragon for dinner.
Again, like the day before, it was late when we got back to the hotel. Thank goodness, the next day, the itinerary is a much more relaxed one. Phew.
My Fitness rings on my AppleWatch Series 5 have been off the charts with so much walking we have done. Perhaps it’s a good thing to burn all those calories consumed. My legs hurt to high heaven, but the food discovery continued. After the rest from the Chatuchak outing, we took a cab to Jodd Fairs Night Market.
Colorful food choices at the Jodd Fairs Night Market. Highly recommended to visit.Dinner was on the table liner. Spicy squid, pineapple fried rice, and ribs. The pork-neck bone soup was killer spicy with the mountain of green chili that I removed!
We seem to have discovered more places to eat during this trip. Even on our past golfing trips, food was not a priority. Jodd Fairs felt like a more organized Chatuchak. The food vendors were clustered, with all types of mouth-watering food, and the sights and smells were so tempting! It’s nice to find new things to try.
Some exotic edibles – insects, crocodile meat, snails, prawns, and squid.
The walkways between the stalls were more spacious than in Chatuchak, and we could browse slowly without blocking human traffic. However, nothing caught our eyes, for we had bought what we wanted already from Chatuchak. It was another tired-to-the-bone night when we returned to the hotel. As a result of such a schedule, I did not have the energy to write anything to upload and share.
I knocked out a little past midnight. The next day, it’s another full itinerary to visit the temples.
On the first day of the Chinese New Year, we flew to Bangkok, a first for us to be abroad during this festive time. Waking up in the wee hours of the morning was not ideal, especially after returning home late from the Reunion Dinner. But it was unavoidable because we had to be at KLIA early. There were news reports that the airport could not cope with the volume of travelers, so it was better to be early.
Beautiful dragon display at KLIA
Luckily, it turned out well, and our departure was on time. Yay, the holiday has begun!
It has been some years since our last trip to Bangkok, and it was nice to be back. Although it was muggy, humid, and hot, it did not matter. We were ready with USB-powered fans to keep us cool. There was so much to do, see, and eat!
Always amazed with the electrical cables in Bangkok!
Soon after we checked in, we did not waste time and got going. We walked to check off the list covering coffee, gelato (an impromptu stop), and kakigori stops. The flavors were good, for lack of a better word, and fueled us to keep moving.
Discoveries this trip
We continued our walking discovery of the vibrant city, and before we knew it, we were at The Commons for dinner. Another check off the list. Dinner was safe comfort food, but we did try a Peruvian ceviche, which was excellent with the varied flavors in a mouthful. It had been a long day by then. Time to get back to the hotel!
Comfort food and tried a new dish
Sleep beckoned the minute we entered the room. After the hot shower, it was time to hit the sack to recuperate from the day’s adventure. I clocked in more than 20 thousand steps! Yes, I was dead tired. What a start to the holiday.
Two weeks ago, we did a day trip to Teluk Intan to see the Leaning Tower of the town. We were not disappointed. We took the new West Coast Expressway instead of the usual Plus Highway, and the drive was pleasant enough.
I must admit it was our first time visiting the tourist attraction site. Although not as towering as the famed Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy in terms of height (25 meters versus 57 meters), the structure was beautiful and just as intriguing. We enjoyed being tourists despite the heat of the mid-afternoon sun.
An obvious tiltThe difference in height on two sides of the towerThe Leaning Tower of Teluk Intan
Lunch soon after at the local coffee shop was an eye-opener! The prices were so cheap compared to prices in the city for the same orders. Well, being a small town, I guess the affordability showed. After the satisfying lunch, we decided to head home as there was nothing else to see or do.
We saw a Tapir road sign along the drive instead of the typical version with a cow that we see on the highway warning of animals crossing in the area. The funny thing was each time there was a Tapir signpost, they looked different. Consistently inconsistent in terms of the image of the Tapir. Why?
Tapir crossing sign post
It was interesting because we were on the trunk roads, cutting across plantation land. What if we did encounter a Tapir crossing? Wow, unimaginable. Then again, it would have been scary because the animal is rather huge and can be dangerous for us in the vehicle. Thank goodness, nothing of that sort, merely Tapir road signs mostly and not the animal.
Day trips are fun to discover the country. We should do it more often, and I look forward to planning the next outing.
After all that medical calamity last week, I’m facing a slow recovery to get back on my feet. But I should not wallow at home in my misery. Instead, I decided to play some golf and get some sun. A little bit of Vitamin D might do me wonders. And wonder I certainly did.
I could not tee off because my rhythm was off. After nine holes, I managed to score a pathetic seven Stableford points! Never have I been so out of synch in my game. When an illness takes so long to overcome, all the muscle memory is gone, and the body is too weak to play decent.
I wondered if I made the right decision to return to golf so soon. Oh well, with another nine holes to go, I might as well plow on. After all, I had good company this morning.
Suddenly, things clicked, and before I knew it, I went from scoring zeroes to birdie, bogey, and birdie! Wow. What just happened? The birdies were on Hole 1, a Par 4, and Hole 3, a Par 5! Woohoo. I have never had two birdies in a game before. And it sure felt nice this morning!
The tonsillitis is gone, but there’s still some throat irritation, causing tiredness. It is a slow recovery indeed. With the weather getting hotter these days–gone are the continuous rainy days–I better be mindful more than ever to stay hydrated to take care of myself regardless of activities. Staying healthy is a number one priority for me these days.
After a two-week break from golf to recover from the nasty cough, I played my first game of the year this morning. The cough is at the tail-end, and I might as well go ahead and play to get some exercise. So, how did I fare?
It was more of an outing to catch up with friends and get some sun, but the sun was not even out! The morning was gloomy, peppered with light rain now and then. And when the sun did peak out, it was darn hot! Sigh.
A two-week break causes a lot of muscle memory loss. I could not swing my clubs well because my rhythm was way off. The tee-off was erratic, the long game was short, and the short game was off the mark. And the putting, I won’t elaborate further. Oh well, I expected this outcome. I take heart that although the rhythm was out, I did not lose a single ball, a small positive consolation.
Maybe once I’m back to playing more regularly, my golf mojo will return to normal. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for this to happen sooner rather than later. I play my next game on Thursday, and we will find out the performance then.
Over the weekend, hubby and I attempted to do the unthinkable – playing four rounds of golf like a touring pro! Did we succeed? Well, almost.
The drive in one car with our friends to Sri Menanti Golf Club was pleasant, as there was hardly any traffic. The weather was cooling, and although our one flight teed off at almost 9.30 am, we did not feel any heat.
At 9.00am, the temperature was cool with the low hanging clouds at the clubhouse
The golf course was a gem of a discovery. Narrow, undulating, and unexpected, it was an enjoyable golf course. The best part – buggies were allowed on the fairways. Nice.
After the game, we had a hearty local lunch near the course before heading to Malacca for the night.
Come Sunday, the rest of the group arrived, and our second game was together with them at Ayer Keroh Country Club. Yet another round with the buggy on course, I didn’t feel the pain of walking because I didn’t walk that much! Such conditions help the body not to exert too much and be able to go on pain-free the next game.
The third game at Tiara Malacca Golf & Country Club was a taxing one despite being buggy on the course as well. The fairways were dry, the roughs were nasty, and the sun was a scorcher. Everyone felt the heat to the core.
I was constantly going into the bunkers, and it annoyed me to no end. Adding to my frustration was my erratic putting with the Spider after doing so well with it for the past few games. Sigh.
The three-day schedule pales in comparison to a touring pro’s. I hardly felt like one anyway when we had buggy on-course games. Despite this advantage, the will to go on was there, but the body and mind could not. We gave up the last game. Sigh. On a brighter note, we had good food each time and plenty of friendship bonding time.
Professional men and women golfers are remarkable athletes. While I aspire to be like them, playing several games in a stretch, if I cannot even handle three days of buggy on-course games, what more walking long golf courses for four days in a row? Hats off to them!
Angieneering 
Remarks