Last coffee in Saigon

I'm sitting in an air-conditioned, modern and chilled cafe on Bui Vien Street in Ho Chi Min City. It's a small little cafe called Sozo, a brave little venture committed to help and employ disadvantaged Vietnamese people. A quiet spot away from the maddening noise of the streets and the street vendors.

It's my last day in Vietnam and I have a few hours to kill before a taxi takes me to the airport and I'll be on my way back to London. Not particularly excited about the perspective but I guess all good things eventually come to an end.

I spent the last three days alone in Saigon but I never felt lonely. Despite not making a great effort, I met lots of people, whether on the pavement at the plastic chairs and cheap beers patch or during the day trip to the Cu Chi tunnels. Sitting at a table at some bar or cafe and simply people watch is an incredibly entertaining activity I could never get bored of. My last night in Saigon ended up at 3am and I had to skip breakfast this morning. I made up for it with fluffy pastries from ABC Bakery (it looks really fancy from the outside, but it's actually pretty cheap) and I probably have enough money left to grab some cheap street food for lunch, some water and probably one last Saigon beer.

I thought I was too old for this, but I guess I'm not. I guess I am totally ready to take the world on by myself. People find it quite hard to believe when I reveal my age. I guess travelling makes you look and feel young. I want more of this feeling. I don't want to think about career, mortgage, family, children and schools. I want to sit in a cafe in a hot friendly city and enjoy a cup of latte while watching the world go by. I want to repeat these last three weeks over and over again! I want to keep moving, live in hotel rooms, try new foods, meet new people every day, understand the world around me, feed my hunger, be surprised by places and people. People like our tour guide to Cu Chi tunnels who was a war veteran and fought alongside the Americans (therefore against the Viet Cong guerilla at Cu Chi), spoke very broken English but had a great lesson to share with us: 'Not even the horrors of the war, must stop one to enjoy life and to be happy!'. Or the lady who helped me get on a cheap bus from the airport to the city centre and gave me her business card in case I needed anything.  Turns out she worked for the Government, isn't that great PR? Or the places with soul like the Crazy Kim bar in Nah Trang, dedicated to help raise awareness about pedophilia and help protect children against its threat.

Without the slightest doubt, these three weeks in Vietnam have been the best holiday I have ever had! I made new friendships, I laughed so much every day my belly hurt, I did something new everyday (beware, it's addictive), I have been in the company of others as well as on my own for a few days and realised that when you're happy and relaxed being on your own is actually quite satisfying, I took great pictures, I've seen beautiful places, I tried foods without discrimination, I went on the back of a motorbike, I climbed rocks, I have been so content and happy and grateful for the aliveness of everything around me like never before.

So yes, I may not be over the moon about going back to a cold London , but I feel inspired and I feel brave! And I know good things are on their way!