If Hue was a stopover, Hoi An was the place I could have spent a week. I'd heard so many great things from my fellow travelers about the historic town in middle Vietnam, but I still wasn't sure if it would seem too Disney-esque for my liking. But my concerns were unfounded. Hoi An is as … [Read more...] about Lured Into the Charms of Hoi An
Vietnam
Photo Friday: Hue, Vietnam
Where am I? Wandering over the moat and into the city walls of the Imperial Citadel in Hue made me feel like I was walking through turn of the century China, rather than modern day Vietnam. After an overnight train from Hanoi and a day spent recovering from the heat and exhaustion, … [Read more...] about Photo Friday: Hue, Vietnam
The American War Legacy in Vietnam
War is brutal. That much I knew. But seeing images of the destruction of both Vietnamese and Americans during the war at Saigon's War Remnants Museum, I wanted to know why we went. Was it to support our allies the French in the South? Or to fight the dreaded spread of communism? I didn't live … [Read more...] about The American War Legacy in Vietnam
Sleeping in History at Majestic Hotel Saigon
Embellished archways, golden ironwork and balconies overlooking the city made me feel like I was living out A Room with a View as I checked into the Majestic Hotel in Saigon, Vietnam. The 1920s French Colonial style hotel wouldn't look out of place in the Champs-Elysées, but instead … [Read more...] about Sleeping in History at Majestic Hotel Saigon
10 Lessons from Three Months in Southeast Asia
Anthony Bourdain related going to Asia for the first time like finding out there's a new color you never knew existed and I feel the same way. It's overwhelming and surprising and always a little bit stressful. There's constantly something new to experience, from the bizarre looking fruits … [Read more...] about 10 Lessons from Three Months in Southeast Asia