I got to Vietnam just in time for their Communist party’s big birthday bash. It just so happened that my arrival in June 2005 coincided with thirty years of communist rule in this country. They did not, however, invite me to any of their parties. My travels took me from Southern Vietnam to the North. After starting from Ho Chi Mihn City (HCMC), I ventured up to the pleasant coastal resort of Natrang, onwards to the quiet fishing town of Hoi An, then spent some time in Hue, a must to visit if you get a kick out of seeing the burial sites of pre-communist leaders and palaces. Finally it was off to the bustling yet completely chaotic capital of Hanoi. Some fellow travellers I met chose to go the opposite way by train, bus or
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