Living It Up In Vietnam

It's been 5 days into a 8 day holiday in Vietnam, and we've covered the country from bustling Ho chi Minh city to quaint Hanoi to relaxing Hoi An.

I'm glad I have come on this trip for several reasons. One is to relax and get away from work for a week (although sadly I still have been checking my email). Two is to spend some quality time with the boys (Boges, Anton and even the BJee in HCMC) before I head off to New York. But the third is that it forces me to read up and learn about a country. I have learnt more about Vietnam in the last 5 days than I have in my whole life. It reminded me once again what joy it is to travel to new destinations, meet new people and see that humanity is really not that different elsewhere.

Highlights have been many:

• The wonderful food that we have eaten all around the country, both pricey three course meals to hole-in-the-wall diners that charge $1.00 for a bowl of noodles. I don't remember having eaten this well for a while.
• The Remnants War Museum, it's a very confronting view of how the war has affected the Vietnamese, and the damage that continues on here. War is ugly, cruel and sad, period.
• Getting picked up by...yes, a gay French director...maybe that might be a lowlight
• Bespoke suits in Hoi An. I ordered mine yesterday for a grand total of US$350. I even upgraded the lining :)
• The flourishing art galleries around the country. There are a few dominant styles, with a thick dabbing paint style similar to a Monet (at least to my untrained eye)
• The ability of scooter drivers to SMS whilst on the road
• The general hospitality of the people
• Too many laughs to count!

It's been a great trip, now comes the difficult part of going back to work. I have a project review meeting on 12pm the day I come back (plane lands at 9:30am). Could be terrible. I'll remind myself not to have too many drinks on the flight back!