a few delectable things

Chillies, garlic, basil, peanuts... Oh my goodness, how I was in gastronomical heaven in Vietnam. River eel with banana in coconut sauce. Delicate soups scented with star anise, and phở-- my most favourite soup in the world. Phở is a noodle soup that in my belief, cures all ills. When I lived in San Francisco, there was this little Vietnamese restaurant around the corner from my apartment, which made a marvellous phở. Anytime I felt down, sick, or concerned about something, this delicious and comforting soup would melt away anything wrong. To have it in Vietnam, was to have an even more perfect perfection-- and I enjoyed it for breakfast with dumplings every day.



Fish soups were particularly yummy, and in the Mekong Delta, I even ate... a rat! I am not sure why I did not photograph the rat, but I did sketch it. It was pretty good, and a little rabbity.

floating market

back to the mosquitoes and motorbikes

So let's go back to the mosquitoes and the green, the motorbikes, the brown river, and the blazing sun.
I still have photos from Vietnam to share, and after all that snow, I could use some heat!
 

flashes of silver and pink

lush

the mighty mekong

From the Tibetan plateau to the South China Sea, the mighty Mekong snakes its way through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. It happens to be the world's 10th largest river— and my goodness...
it is beautiful.

toward the mekong

As I only had four days to myself in Vietnam, and being that the country is over 3,000 kilometres long— oh, and add to the mix my very thin wallet, opportunities to explore were rather limited. I had long held wild fantasies in my mind of the Mekong Delta— lush greens, snaking tributaries, long-legged birds— it seemed like an obvious place to set myself towards, being that it was only a few hours from Saigon. I and S suggested I spend two days and a night in the Delta, and satisfy my wandering urge with some boat tours. A marvellous idea, I thought, so I threw my sketchbook, drawing utensils, toothbrushing supplies and underwear into my pack, hopped on an early morning bus towards the mighty river.

colours of saigon

bến thành market

compassion + contrast

While still in Nha Trang, the planets seemed to align— I found myself sharing a dinner table one night with I and S, who live in Ho Chi Minh City. After some chatting and heaps of laughter, they offered to house me in the city when I came through. I was stunned— who was I, after all? Their kindness and generosity are a reminder that there are open-hearted, thoughtful people in the world. I mention this, because I feel that people can so easily slide into cynicism and suspicion, and while there are plenty of reasons to justify those feelings, we must not forget that the world is full of wonderful, caring people.

I left the quiet, green sea for a mayhem of motorbikes— green hills, for grey asphalt.
Family, for new friends.



Wild birds in the jungle, for hens in flowerpots and scooters...

quiet white

A 79 foot Buddha watches over Nha Trang from atop a hill at the Long Sơn Pagoda, which is dedicated to the monks and nuns who lost their lives protesting the Diem regime. It is a sombre place— the quiet filled me with unease.