vietnam

don't be surprised if you need a holiday after your holiday in vietnam; the country bursts at the seams with energy, vibrancy, and life; from the sidewalk cafe scene in hanoi, to the frantic business pace of saigon, to the narrow streets of hoi an, and the poetic grace of hue, vietnam is about as close as you can get to india, without the taj mahal.....

Better come quickly, because in the next five years the vietnam of yesterday will be bulldozed and paved over with western shopping malls and 'civilization' as the country's population speeds toward their bright future on their honda dream II's.....

don't miss places:

sunrise on halong bay;

sunset on halong bay;

anywhere in sapa, or the far north;

the mekong delta: vietnam's heartland, with waterways, tropical fruit, and wide smiles;

The corner of nguyen hue and le loi street in saigon, at night, with the evening go around in full swing;

nha tho street in hanoi;

anywhere in hoi an;

con dao, now.....

food:

bun thit nuong (rice noodles and grilled meat) a southern dish, absolutely delicious;

goi cuon: the best way to eat spring rolls: fresh,

bun cha: a hanoi speciality, served on the street;

ca phe sua da: the strongest coffee on earth. every once in a while, a cup will send you on a coke/esctacy trip you'll never forget;

give it a miss:

nha trang: the beach is foul, the touts are evil, and there are just better beaches elsewhere.....

dalat = boring

don't ever:

cross any street and flinch; it's the quickest way to the hospital; (walk with conviction....is the way to go)

take backpacker tourist buses: drivers are insane; the surrounding company is lame; and the trains are better;

 

Don't even think about:

taking cyclos after dark - anywhere (frequent robberies);

drinking snake wine (geckos and cobras weren't meant to ferment);

drinking bia hoi (often stored in second hand gasoline containers);

riding a motorbike without a helmet; they aren't called brain buckets for nothing....

drink ice - it's often left on the sidewalk for hours, licked by dogs, and sitting in filth