Whispering Shadow

It is my last day in Vietnam. I am feeling many things - content at having experienced the country and its people, slowly and holistically; accomplished now that my first long solo trip is coming to an end; excited to be back home with family, especially with my cat Kovu; relaxed having had time away from everything - both personal and professional; reconnected with my hobbies of photography and writing and through them, my self; and a bit nervous at the prospects of having to find and resume work again. I don't have much planned for today, except seeing the sunset in the city. Instead of blogging on the day, I thought I will just rewind this whirlwind 20-day trip over the next two days. To do this, I have chosen one photograph for each day (not necessarily clicked on the same day). I will tell you the story behind these photographs through that, help you learn a little more about Vietnam.  These photographs are in chronological order and not ranked in any other way - it...

Based on my first impressions, I have seen Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City's Urban Districts) be a stark contrast from all the others I have visited in Vietnam. It beats all the others, including the capital, Hanoi, in terms of the pace (10x) as well as the cost of living . It is also, by far, the most Westernized of the eight cities or towns I have been to, with even your average street peddlers talking to you in broken English, people dressing up in sync with international fashion trends and many of the major global companies having a visible presence here.  An Unbeatable Pace All cosmetic factors aside, I have also felt the people are cool and distant, unlike all other cities where I felt welcomed and at home. This might be one of the reasons it is called the Paris of the Orient (I love Paris, but it does not have the warmest people in the world). Given my two days of immersion in local history through museums and reading a memoir of a war survivor, I am wondering why this mi...

I arrived at my final destination - Ho Chi Minh City. The city has seen many decades of naming and renaming the city and its streets under the influence of the Chinese, French, American-backed Republicans and eventually the Communist regimes. However, despite their best efforts, I don't think it is easy for people to let go of the city's original name Saigon,  as it is more commonly and dearly called, much like Bombay over Mumbai. I dedicated my first afternoon in the city visiting the War Remnants Museum. Despite being a largely one-sided story shared from only the Vietnamese perspective, the museum was still beautifully curated. It helped visitors experience the horrors of war and witness the loss of humanity in the face of blind aggression for political gains. After the Museum of Murder Jews of Europe in Berlin, I would probably rank this museum my second best experience in historic story-telling. Disclaimer: Some of the images in the post are graphic and gruesom...

Vietnamese cuisine is very delicious, even with a vegetarian's constraint. It is flavourful. It has great texture. It is fresh, even when served on the streets. It has vegetables, meat substitutes like soybeans, tofu that are either boiled, sauteed, fried. It is served with rice or noodles or soups, or as a combination of either two of these. Occasionally, you find them in a Banh Mi (sandwich in a baguette), a Bunbao (large, stuffed dim sum), Banh Xeo (crispy pancake).  A Noodle Bowl with Soup (Veggiebox in Phong Nha) A Ban Xeo with Egg (at the famous and inexpensive Bánh khoái Hồng Mai in Hue) This was a typical rice meal that was most authentic and deeply loved by locals (at Lien Hoa in Hue) An Egg Banh Mi - the safest meal at local stalls for a Vegetarian I have also fallen in love with all forms of Vietnamese Coffee - black, white, egg or coconut coffee. They are served cold or hot  (barring Coconut Coffee which is always cold). Some variat...

I arrived in Nha Trang today from Da Nang taking a 2.15AM train. Despite sleeping late, I ended up waking up early on the train. Despite being comfortable, the train was not as silent as I needed it to be. By the time I reached the hostel, it was lunchtime and I was starving. I ended up having to walk around quite a bit in the sultry afternoon to find good, affordable food. By the time I was done, I just wanted to sleep. I decided to listen to my body and did nothing for most parts of the day, except seeing the sunrise from the train and sunset from a pagoda located on a hill (besides the usually blog update and meals). Had I not woken up early, I would have missed this stunning view of the South China Sea from the Train If I don't get my seven hours of sleep on even one day, I function suboptimally. I like to believe I am a creature of rhythm. Some other friends and acquaintance from my generation say it is 'old age catching up' or it is 'not discipline, but ...