WOW! We’re finally going to Florida!!!After 2 long years of wishing and waiting and counting sleeps the big day is finally here. 

Day 1

Very excited  Children collected from school and off we go. M25 to  Gatwich South drop the bags off, on the mono rail to The Premiere Inn at Gatwick North..  Five very excited but extremely well behaved children. Rooms huge with three beds, I king size and two singles. Magic for jumping from bed to bed playing ‘five little monkeys jumping on the bed’ off to dinner then bed ready for the big flight tomorrow.

Day 2

Everyone is sooo excited all up early wearing t shirts Auntie Viki got printed which say ‘Disney 2015’ and mickey ears on the front and their names in glitter on the back. All off to have big breakfast then check in. It was surprisingly easy and quick at security and passport control and our seats on the plane were all extra leg room and in 3 rows of 3 and an extra 2 in front at the exit row so nice and comfortable.  Kids were brilliant on the flight. Flight very good and went very quickly. Staff really looked after us. Landed some 10 hours later but it only seemed like 2 hours. Again very quick and easy security and passport control and bags ready at baggage collection. Hertz were not as efficient however!! But finally got 2 mini busses and child seats then off to our lovely house. The house was 10 minutes to 2 hours depending if we got lost which we have done lots of times. Good thing about getting lost is that we have seen a lot of  Florida ha ha.

The house is gorgeous with lots of oriental influences and really posh but of course the best bit is the lovely and warm pool which was jumped into on arrival followed by takeaway huge pizzas beers, cokes and bed ready for a hectic day at Magic Kingdom tomorrow.

Day 3 Magic Kingdom 

All up before 6 am !! So excited and ready to go and investigate.  Arrived at Magic Kingdom at 10 am and watching the little ones faces was pure joy. They were wide eyed and open mouthed and gasping at everything they saw, a priceless experience. The infamous ‘It’s a small World’ was a big hit although the song is permenantly imprinted on my brain on a loop and plays on and on. It’s getting a bit like ‘ I know a song that gets on your nerves’ ha ha 

Day 4 Ella’s birthday Magic Kingdom 

Viki did happy birthday song on iPod. Balloons banners pressies and cards. She was so excited to see all her cards and presents which she didn’t expect whilst on holiday. Disney gave her a ‘happy birthday’ badge and everyone stopped to wish her a happy birthday she was delighted. What we didn’t realise was that this time is also a major spring break holiday for Americans and everywhere was buzzing with thousands of people. Luckily everyone was happy and jolly and I didn’t see or hear one upset the whole time.  The queues were long sothank goodness for fast passes and preparation. It was frustrating for Susan

Buzz ariel ride parade  complex club house steak dinner

Play park

Yellow umberellas ducks

Met characters at breakfast fireworks lighting parade tinker bell flight soak zone

Goofy rioller coaster  barnstormer 

Aerial ride

Splash mountain

Space mountain

Big thunder mountain 

Day 5

Complex pool hat man holo hoops water balloons limbo birds eating chips diving spashing swimming  night rides

Day 6. Epcot

Jessica’s b day

Free birthday parking

Princess castle breakfast parades 

Met loads of characters

Soaring

 Nemo  ride

Park

Mission space

Turtle time with crush

Circle of life

Captain EO 

Test track

Imagination works

Day 7. Universal and Island of adventure

Hulk roller coaster

Duelling dragons

Barney show

Et

Minion’s

Day 8. Typhoon lagoon and Olive Garden dinner

River Rapids sharon got drenched

Day 9 Hollywood studios

Muppets

Stunt show

Day 10 Discovery Cove. Sophie’s birthday

Up at 6 leave house silently at 7

Beautiful just like a tropical island with white powdery sand and crystal clear water

Snorkelling with sting ray sharks and many tropical fish

Ella and max very brave and snorkelled the deep areas and even touched the Rays 

Grandad and Viki were scared of the fish!

Marmazettes otters

Birds one landed on Sophie’s head. A little yellow parrot landed On Sharon’s arm to feed

Lazy river ..noodles. Max and Ella swam under Nancy’s legs. 

Dolphin swim

Olive Garden

Day 11.         Universal and shops

Day 12

Islands of adventure/ Disney 

Day  13

Universal/ Disney 

More princesses 

River boat 

Ferry

Flying carpets / carousel 

Rip ride rocket twice. Duelling dragon challenge twice. Minions shrek four disaster Simpsons Harry Potter train 

Rip shore and Popeyes rafts water rides

Pasta carry out for dinner

Day 14

Magic Kingdom

Splash mountain goofy roller coaster splash mountain

Disney pirates and pals criuse

Shopping   Pool am

Day 15

Blizzard beach

Day 16

Sea world

Day 18

Universal

Day 19

Islands of adventure

Day 20

Pool and home 

We had the most fantastic and beautiful dinner this holiday (with the exception of mango bay) at square 24 . The restaurant was so modern and posh with a little river, silver palm trees with glitter coconuts and little lights. It was open air and had breezy fans . TheFood was so beautifully presented and tasted gorgeous . After dinner the took took driver took us to some downtown places that were lively and interesting. Got to get up at 4.45 for sunrise again so early night at 11 pm. We will never get up!!!! y

Up before dawn to visit Angkor watt as the sun rises. We stood on the edge of the moat and watched as the darkness turned slowly to light and mysterious temple arose. As the sun came up it shrouded the temple with a pink hue which was quite breathtaking but sadly did not transpose very well with my iPhone We then went bayon temple which has 231 faces of Buddha cArved in the turrets they are very big carvings and are very serene and beautiful. I will blog the history of the temples later. On the way back through the jungle I saw a group of elephants who take people on short rides. I didn’t have time to wait for a ride but took photos instead there are many monesteries
and Buddhist monks in the jungle on there orange robes so it is very peaceful and colourful. Then back for a well deserved breakfast after climbing millions of stairs! After breakfast the pink lady temple and land mine museum then a quick look around town followed by sunbathing and swimming. Lovely!!!!

The north of Vietnam has mist shrouded mountains with a patchwork of brilliant green rice paddies ( fields) and beautiful dramatic coastlines and beaches, historic towns and sleepy villages. The people Re exceptionally hospitable. The weather is diverse, with several micro climates and conflicting monsoon patterns affecting levels of sunshine, heat and rain. The north, central regions and the south all have different weather patterns. The north and south are are mostly wet and hot and humid in our summertime. And the central regions being hot and dry then. During our winter the central regions are monsoonall with typhoons on occaision whilst the north will be cold and rainy, the south will be warm and dry. Generally speaking the north is generally colder which in cities such as Hanoi is due to the effects of pollution.

Hanoi

In the north the city of Hanoi with its facade of faded French villas, grandiose lakes such as Hoam Kiem Lake and tree lined roads it also has a rabbit warren of streets with street vendors selling everything from fruit to shoes to ironmongery, in fact I doubt there is anything you cannot buy in Hanoi. The streets in the old town each sell specific items and are thus called ‘ shoe street’ ‘ flower street’ etc

In the midst of street vendors , age old temples and traditional medicine there are a multitude of motor bikes, cyclos and motor scooters who do not seem to recognise the need of use of traffic lights, roundabouts, which side of the road to drive or intact even to keep to one side for more than a few seconds. Pedestrians appear. To close their eyes and slowly walk across the road hoping vehicles will drive around them and in my experience this is exactly what happens but it all adds to the charm of this delightful city.

Ho Chi Minh’s imposing mausoleum stands close to The Presidential Palace a former residence of French governors which is now used to receive foreign dignitaries . In order to be as one of the people Ho Chi Minh refused to live in this palatial property preceding a small modest house. The mausoleum contains the remains of Ho Chi Minh in a glass coffin for public viewing. In order to keep the body from further decay it is taken to Russia every year for chemical maintenance. The body is only available for viewing in the mornings after which it is lowered into the vaults where it is kept in conditions appropriate to maintaining its condition. The mausoleum is set in beautiful gardens in which the modest home of Ho Chi Minh sits as well as the stilt house he occupied overlooking the lake.

Other places of interest are The Temple of Literature – Vietnams first university, The Army Museum, The Fine Arts Museum and Hoa Lo prison and museum otherwise known as the Hanoi Hilton or one of the water puppetry exhibitions