It has been a wet month as we wrap up the year. We are facing a second phase of the year-end monsoon rain. Last week, the weather had its moment and washed out an afternoon golf game when I hosted a visiting friend for a round. We completed only nine holes, which was a blessing in disguise because my tennis elbow was acting up! Bummer.
Three days after that wet round, we played another afternoon game. Thankfully, Mother Nature was kind to us despite the rain forecast. We completed the game in good weather, with only a slight drizzle that did not disrupt the momentum. And somehow, the tennis elbow pain was manageable. Phew. The weekend games after that were also fortunate, without any threat of rain or pain.
However, this week may not be as good. The Weather app on the iPhone shows rain forecasted for the whole week. Golf will have to take a backseat if the forecasts are accurate. We will find out.
It is always wonderful to be back home after a holiday. Japan was enjoyable, but home is where the heart is. On the last day at the airport, while waiting for the check-in counters to open, I overheard a tour group leader telling her entourage they would need three days to recover from the trip.
Three days?! Wow. If this is true for an hour’s time difference, no wonder I take longer to get over my jet lag when I return home from countries with time zones that are more than an hour. However, I don’t recall needing such length to recover when I returned from Bangkok, Hanoi, or Jakarta this year. Hmm. Recovering from golf trips and non-golf trips could be different.
We departed from Narita International Airport on Friday at 10.30 pm with good memories and touched down at KLIA the next day at 5.00 am. Whether I liked it or not, the next few days were a blur, and I felt like a sloth. So yes, I did take three days to recover. Dang! The lady was correct.
Homeward bound!
How fast the holiday went by! Japan was fascinating, fun, and enjoyable. We lucked out with substantial savings for our flight tickets and a good travel deal when we signed up for the Omakase package to Japan, where we didn’t have to follow a fixed itinerary but customized to our preferences.
We had a comfortable MPV and a driver to drive us around to see what we wanted to see, stop to buy things if something caught our eye, and eat whatever we fancied. There were places we spent longer than intended, but our driver patiently waited for us. Such is the beauty of customizing a travel package.
The weather was excellent, contributing to our enjoyment for the first few days. Rain was predicted only for the last two days, but it never happened. Eventually, it did rain when we were already on the aircraft, ready for departure!
Now that the family holiday and recovery are over, it is back to routine, and I’m happy to be home until my next trip!
My goodness, it is August already! And it’s so freaking hot, my brain is so numb being in this scorching weather. Not only am I feeling the heat, but the ants as well.
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There has been an increase in ant count on the kitchen counter lately. We think they are taking refuge indoors, away from the heat outside. Poor critters. As much as I find them a nuisance, I don’t have the heart to eliminate them. Maybe my brain is too fried from the heat and humidity to reason.
As you know, the weather has been super hot and very wet. I try all sorts to stay comfortable while playing golf. My umbrella has been working overtime! So, I bought a portable fan recently to attach to the golf buggy.
As it is, I have a palm-sized handheld USB fan, but it’s not enough. So, this new fan is a timely purchase. The 12,000 mAh fan has three speeds and works best when the buggy is parked. It helps when there’s no wind blowing.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department recently issued alert-level hot weather status in the coming months! Eeeks. I’m glad I made this purchase to get some relief on the golf course, besides staying hydrated with more water than usual. Otherwise, it’s indoor activities and no golf. Boo hoo hoo.
Now that I am back to my golf routine playing at my club, my golf game, especially putting, has improved because of the familiar grounds. I was doing 30 putts for two games before peaking at a phenomenal 27 putts during the last game!
On top of the solid puttingâmy Scotty Cameron has been so goodâI had a good round with five pars and a birdie, a confidence-boosting outing. The icing to that round â nine one-putts, zero three-putts recorded, and a free lunch. Woo hoo.
My short game was sharp, my drives were straight, and my woods were long, not just the putting. Everything fell into place despite playing in the heat and high humidity conditions. Looks like I can manage my game in such climates.
I hope I can maintain the newfound improved performance. We shall see.
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.
Food in Hanoi was glorious! Bursting with flavors and almost similar to the tastes in Thailand, one can easily forget the waistline! Food aside, coffee is a big thing too. Our hotel was very central in its location for food and shopping.
During the day, nothing was out, but by nightfall, tiny chairs and small tables lined up along the sidewalks in front of all the buildings, ready for customers to dine in these pop-up street restaurants. It must be the French influence that has all the chairs facing the street for people-watching. Correct me if I am wrong on this.
So vibrant!
The narrow streets became more narrow when the dining furniture was all placed outside. Yet, vehicles of all sizes still come into the streets from both directions! Yikes. Even the big canopies were insufficient to deter the traffic from the area. It was quite a sight to behold.
The ushers of the pop-up eateries were rather aggressive, fighting for customers to patronize their places. The trick not to succumb to their pushiness is to avoid eye contact and walk as fast as possible on the crowded street. Don’t even peek at the menu shoved in front of your face.
The few streets near our hotel had all sorts of offerings. Besides food at a proper restaurant, by the sidewalk, or from the street stall vendors, drinks or dessert in a cafĂŠ, tourists were spoilt for choice for shopping, massages, pubs, and even pharmacies. The only thing stopping one is the lack of money from going all out at everything!
Food, salt coffee and coconut ice cream that I triedFried chicken wing and chicken feet(!) with beer
For us, we tried some here and there. We ate, drank beer, and sat on short chairs. We also shopped, had ice cream, and drank coffee but skipped the pubs and foot massages. All these were achieved in just the two streets near the hotel after golf, unlike in Bangkok recently, where we walked so much and everywhere to do the same things.
Street performance on the first night, plus the places of interest we visited
Hanoi was fun. We also managed to take in some sights, visiting the One Pillar Pagoda, Tran Quoc Pagoda, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, and the Vietnam Military History Museum.
Would I return? Most definitely, but plans have to factor in which time of the year for the nice cooling weather. Then, only the experience of Hanoi for its flavors, sights, sounds, and golf would be the best!
It was my first time being in Hanoi, Vietnam, for golfâall these years mostly in Thailandâand I thoroughly enjoyed it! The three rounds of golf had been so enjoyable as the weather was perfect for being outdoors and the company fun. With such lovely cooling weather, I did not feel tired after each game, and for once, foot massages were unnecessary for this golfing trip.
The golfing experience was most pleasant, and I hardly broke out a sweat even though it was buggy on track for the first two games. I even had to don my long-forgotten Skins innerwear because it was 18 degrees Celsius for the morning first game! Brr, but nice. It was only the third game that the buggies went on course.
Our first game was at Long Bien Golf Course – a lovely course, but the bunkers were killers. You know my distress when it comes to bunkers, so I shall not elaborate further on the few bunker horrors that occurred.
Conveyor belt to send the golf bags down to the buggies below!
The second game at Thanh Lanh Valley Golf & Resort was equally enjoyable. Although we teed off only at 9.30 am, it was not hot. The final course was at the South Course of Legend Valley Country Club. I felt this was the most scenic and breathtaking course among the three golf courses, with limestone hills surrounding the golf course.
Red tee at Thanh Lanh
It was so new that the course was not even available on the Garmin watches of several friends. Thankfully, my golf app, Hole 19, showed the course details on my Apple Watch, albeit without indexes. It didn’t matter at that point because I had distances to have better course management than the others.
Legend Valley
Our bus had to battle the traffic packed with big and small vehicles to get to the golf courses daily. Words are hard to describe the volume of motorbikes on the road. You have to be there to experience it.
Haphazard traffic!
Of all the three courses, each one had its appeal. I thought the Legend Valley was the best experience, even though there was a lot of water in play. And the bunkers were strategic on the fairways and greenside to trap you. The fairways were so firm that every tee-off shot landed and rolled for extra distance. I loved it!
The downside of the golf clubs was their lack of souvenirs, like ball markers, golf balls, and towels, available for purchase. On the other hand, with nothing to purchase for memory, this is a perfect excuse to return to play the courses again! Golfing in Hanoi, what an experience.
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, itâs more like âExcuse me, coming throughâ than âGet out of my way!â
The trick to crossing the roads when faced with oncoming traffic is to move slowly and donât 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!
Angieneering 
Remarks