Another hard day’s riding in the Central Highlands. I’ve clocked more than a hundred miles – no small thing on these roads – in the area north west of Kom Tum, epicentre of Vietnam’s coffee operation, now the biggest in … Read More »
Kon Tum, Central Highlands, the French-in-Indochina’s answer to the British-in-India’s Ootacamund: a hill station where Europeans could take temporary refuge from summer’s heat and white man’s burden, a town awash with handsome colonial architecture said to be the best in … Read More »
One of the first sights I registered on arriving a few days ago in Hoi Anh was a low, attractive building. It stands close to the river and old town, fronted by a leafy courtyard, and is clearly institutional; a … Read More »
How much d’you want for that? (I’m goin’ to the store). Man says three dollars. I say alright – will you take four? Bob Dylan, Love & Theft Five men, amputees all, sit by the roadside hawking cheap fans. I’m … Read More »
Two small porcelain trays have caught my eye. Their rectangular bases and shallow curving sides are painted delicately; Cham patterns in muted greys. Now the fun begins. “How much?” The girl smiles. “Sixty thousand dong each.” I look thoughtful. “Forty … Read More »
Absolutely the way to go here: typically 125cc, and that’s enough. Two things are needed. One, you must know how to control the bike. (If unsure, find a way of practicing at home first.) Two, forget all you know about … Read More »
With a few exceptions I try to avoid writing on my travels of things you can find out yourself in books or online. For instance the walls of Hue’s Forbidden City are ‘crumbling’ due to ferocious US mortar fire in … Read More »
‘Everybody hates a tourist’, sang Jarvis Cocker, the one phoney note in the most inspired song ever to emerge from my home town. It isn’t true. Tourists who engage – and part with much needed dollars – are liked and … Read More »
The officials at Guangzhou (‘Gwongchow’, Canton in old money) International can smile but it doesn’t happen often. That’s not due to some People’s Republic edict; still less surly disposition. The first time I was there they pulled all the stops … Read More »
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