Vietnam blues

Isn't it amazing how time whooshes by when all you want is for it to slow down and linger on a bit? Our long-awaited three-week trip to Vietnam is already history and it certainly feels weird to return to day-to-day life now. My body may be back in Japan, but my mind, however, is still travelling along the Mekong Delta or hanging around in the charming streets of the Old Quarter in Hanoi. Yep, I definitely fell in love with Vietnam and am now suffering from a slight case of the post-travel blues... Maybe it's because this was my first visit to South-East Asia, but I just loved the intoxicating blend of chaotic streetlife, bustling markets, faded buildings, delicious food, impressive nature, the complex history and above all the ever-smiling, welcoming Vietnamese people. That's not to say that Vietnam is the exotic, romantic Indo-Chinese nation that is often represented in movies. It is after all still governed by a strong-willed Communist Party and has high levels of corruption and poverty, but despite it's problems and traumatic past, there seems to be an atmosphere of optimism and positive energy which lifts your spirit. Hm, I'm probably sounding a bit lyrical here! But the outgoing and spontaneous attitude of the locals made me smile every day, which is not always the case here in Japan. Hey, maybe that's my problem, not the Japanese...

Happy New Year to everyone by the way! We spent New Year's Eve in Hoi An with our Belgian friend Sylvie and started the celebrations by indulging in some seriously mouth-watering desserts :-). The rest of the evening was spent drinking very cheap cocktails and having excellent conversations. Certainly a good start to 2006!