Vietnam
Vietnam
Korean Street Karaoke – Bac Ninh (Vietnam Diary #2)
In 2012, I vowed to never spend the 25th of December alone again after that one time I tried to unsuccessfully defrost an entire turkey in a bathtub. So, I headed towards a friend living in the Vietnamese province of Bac Ninh, just north of the capital, Hanoi, which has
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Vietnam
Taken for a Ride (Vietnam Travel Diary #2)
I’ve taken some brief walks around the neighbourhood. It’s a very local vibe. I’m certainly the only bearded stand-out. I’m even living with the locals in the same apartment block. Love it, but very little English is spoken. I’m taking some YouTube classes, but I’m finding Vietnamese very difficult to
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Vietnam
Hungry Ghosts (Vietnam Travel Diary #3)
I’m regretting not having done at least a little bit of research into the local area before booking a full week stay. My morning walk got blocked by a big construction gate. I was trying to get to a garden cafe but Google Maps wasn’t having any of that. It
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Vietnam
What The Pho (Vietnam Travel Diary #4)
I’ve been eager to see a water puppet show. I got a response to my emailed inquiry and asked if I could please have a seat reserved for the Friday 8pm show. I grabbed a bike taxi straight after a post-work shower. I got there with two minutes to spare.
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Vietnam
Is Marriage On? (Vietnam Travel Diary #5)
It was my first chance to do an extra-long walkabout since arriving in Vietnam. It totaled 16km doing a circuit of the two major lakes in Ha Noi, with various pitstops at a few interesting-looking places. The gates to all the temples and pagodas were locked up tight though. I
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Vietnam
Peacock-Chickens (Vietnam Travel Diary #6)
I got a front row seat to see a water puppet show. This is performed by highly skilled puppeteers who can breathe underwater. This is accompanied by 8 musicians playing traditional instruments. The story went something like this: Fishing and boating in olden times was tough. There was one particular
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Vietnam
Egg in My Face (Vietnam Travel Diary #7)
The Vietnamese are morning people. Many seem to start their day with strong coffee and/or Red Bull. The latter is seen everywhere in these yellow 250ml cans. I wondered if this highly caffeinated culture accounts for the morning frenzy! Many locals crash by early afternoon, often seen laying on their
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