Three weeks in Vietnam are certainly not enough. But they're a good start.
They're a good start to make you fall hopelessly in love with this country. They're enough to make you question what is that you're really looking for in life. They're enough to empty your head of anything to do with targets, deadlines, clients and worthless worries. Enough to open yourself up to a whole new world.
I have travelled to wonderful places before and it is not unusual for me to return to London with a bitter sweet feeling, with the feeling that I am missing out of so much of what the world has to offer, but every time I somehow manage to regain my love for London and stick to my comfortable life which I have fought so hard for. This time though... I don't know... I feel ready to take some chances. Maybe it's midlife crisis, maybe it hits all of us sooner or later when we are fast approaching an age we thought was still far away, I don't know. Maybe it's the fact that there are no more surprises for me in London, nothing I particularly look forward to and this trip to Vietnam has been a continuous source of awe and wonder. From the genuine kindness of the Viets, to the fluffiest pillows I ever slept on, from the nicest street food I can't even pronounce the names of, to the quietness of the temples hidden behind the hustle and bustle of the city streets, from the harmonious cohabitation of old and new, the modern and the ancient coming together seamlessly and wonderfully, to the beaches and the palm trees, the rice fields and the diversity of Vietnam, everything has been laid down on my path to make me wonder and stare in a total state of grace.
It takes a couple of weeks to tune into Vietnam, into the Asian lifestyle but despite the apparent craziness, there is order in chaos. There are random gourmet restaurants which don't advertise and serve Michelin stars - worthy food, there are rooftop terraces and improvised diners on the pavement where an old grandma cooks from dawn till evening some sort of signature dish where Viets get together and eat on the go, there are the lost travellers and the savvy ones, there are the street crossings which serve no purpose but to confuse newcomers, there is the freshly brewed beer which tastes like nothing but it's dead cheap, there are the coffee places which support charities to keep children off the streets, there are the travel agents which take you out to dinner to make friends and thank you for your business, there are the people telling you to be careful with your belongings with no strings attached, there are the ladies that work for the Government who help you get on a cheap bus from the airport and hand you their business cards in case you need anything, there are the hoards of Aussies, Germans and French and the random friendships you start, there are the cold nights in Hanoi and the hot ones in Saigon, there is always happy hour and a well preserved Ho Chi Mi which everyone worships, there are the bicycle rides and lampoons in Hoian, there is life in Vietnam. A lot of life. Life which has sprung from rivers of blood and centuries of unjust occupation, life which flows stronger than ever and is contagious. It makes you want to live more!!
So three weeks in Vietnam are certainly not enough. It leaves you wanting to come back for more...
They're a good start to make you fall hopelessly in love with this country. They're enough to make you question what is that you're really looking for in life. They're enough to empty your head of anything to do with targets, deadlines, clients and worthless worries. Enough to open yourself up to a whole new world.
I have travelled to wonderful places before and it is not unusual for me to return to London with a bitter sweet feeling, with the feeling that I am missing out of so much of what the world has to offer, but every time I somehow manage to regain my love for London and stick to my comfortable life which I have fought so hard for. This time though... I don't know... I feel ready to take some chances. Maybe it's midlife crisis, maybe it hits all of us sooner or later when we are fast approaching an age we thought was still far away, I don't know. Maybe it's the fact that there are no more surprises for me in London, nothing I particularly look forward to and this trip to Vietnam has been a continuous source of awe and wonder. From the genuine kindness of the Viets, to the fluffiest pillows I ever slept on, from the nicest street food I can't even pronounce the names of, to the quietness of the temples hidden behind the hustle and bustle of the city streets, from the harmonious cohabitation of old and new, the modern and the ancient coming together seamlessly and wonderfully, to the beaches and the palm trees, the rice fields and the diversity of Vietnam, everything has been laid down on my path to make me wonder and stare in a total state of grace.
It takes a couple of weeks to tune into Vietnam, into the Asian lifestyle but despite the apparent craziness, there is order in chaos. There are random gourmet restaurants which don't advertise and serve Michelin stars - worthy food, there are rooftop terraces and improvised diners on the pavement where an old grandma cooks from dawn till evening some sort of signature dish where Viets get together and eat on the go, there are the lost travellers and the savvy ones, there are the street crossings which serve no purpose but to confuse newcomers, there is the freshly brewed beer which tastes like nothing but it's dead cheap, there are the coffee places which support charities to keep children off the streets, there are the travel agents which take you out to dinner to make friends and thank you for your business, there are the people telling you to be careful with your belongings with no strings attached, there are the ladies that work for the Government who help you get on a cheap bus from the airport and hand you their business cards in case you need anything, there are the hoards of Aussies, Germans and French and the random friendships you start, there are the cold nights in Hanoi and the hot ones in Saigon, there is always happy hour and a well preserved Ho Chi Mi which everyone worships, there are the bicycle rides and lampoons in Hoian, there is life in Vietnam. A lot of life. Life which has sprung from rivers of blood and centuries of unjust occupation, life which flows stronger than ever and is contagious. It makes you want to live more!!
So three weeks in Vietnam are certainly not enough. It leaves you wanting to come back for more...
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