Day Twenty-One - 11/12/25
Three weeks down already. That feels wild.
Rain was forecast, so the decision was made the day before to swap our plans around. The cable car and waterpark got pushed back a day. No point doing that kind of thing in the wet if you can help it. It turned out to be a good call, because the rain settled in and hung around all day.
We woke up and found Rosie again. This time she’d made herself at home in the kids’ room, tucked into the net above Emmett’s bed, watching over them from up high. Nice and close.
I skipped the morning run because of the rain, but the kids and I still got moving. We headed down to one of the little free huts on site and did a workout together, consisting of skipping ropes, band work, a few bodyweight exercises. It was like a sauna in there. By the time we finished, we were absolutely dripping and still sweating by the time we sat down for breakfast.
After breakfast the day split up a bit. I got stuck into work. Kia and Maddie headed out to get their nails done at a local place while Emmett stayed back with me. He bounced between some tablet time, a bit of schoolwork, and the pool while I worked away.
Later in the day, once Kia was almost finished, we’d booked in for acupuncture. My back has been really tight lately, and I also wanted to get my finger looked at. I’ve got what’s often called “Viking finger,” where it slowly starts to curl in. I figured I’d see what acupuncture could do.
The place was very local. Hardly any English, so everything was done through Google Translate. I knew acupuncture involved needles, but I didn’t realise they’d also clip little electrodes onto the needles and run electricity through them. On top of that there was infrared therapy, a stretching table where they gently pulled my back out, and then a heated table to finish it off.
The whole thing went for about an hour and a half and cost 200,000 dong, that’s roughly twelve bucks Australian. Absolutely wild. Back home that would cost a small fortune. I walked out feeling like a new human.
After that, the kids and I grabbed some lunch and met back up with Kia, then we decided to check out King Kong Supermarket. It’s massive. You could genuinely get lost in there. Every time you think you’re done, there’s another aisle, another level, another section. There’s even a department-store-style area with clothes and homewares, kind of like a mini Big W or Kmart mixed with Coles or Woolworths.
We picked up a few snacks (not too many) and had a look for some shirts for Emmett, but didn’t quite find what we needed. Still, I reckon we lost a full hour just wandering around in there.
By the time we got back, it was close to dinner. The kids and I found a nearby food cart and grabbed some incredible noodles, then took them down to the common area to eat. There were heaps of people around, all having dinner, and we ended up sitting there for ages chatting, meeting people, and just soaking it all in.
We got to bed later than usual, but it was worth it. Good conversations, good food, and that relaxed, connected feeling that’s become such a big part of this trip.
The rain never really let up all day, but it didn’t matter. It was a slower, calmer day, which was exactly what we needed before a big adventure day ahead.
Three weeks in. Twenty-one days. It’s flying.
And the fact that I’ve been able to keep up a solid amount of work most days while still being fully present with the family feels like a big win.