Breakfast Epiphanies

Forget about Tiffany’s these are our epiphanies… When travelling included-breakfasts are a big deal. Depending on their largesse they can keep you going for the day AND the heavy duty of sightseeing and walking miles not knowing where you’re going. We have come across some exceptional ones in our travels Vientiane, Laos The transcendental rice […]

The Strange Fascination of Mee Kee Mao

Délices d’Architecture of Saigon

After falling in love with her vivacious and beautiful Northern sister, Hanoi, we were expecting a plainer, less exciting Saigón…but she fluttered her eyelashes, lifted her petticoats – just a tad – and revealed that she was an equal beauty.

Capitalist Rats meet Saigon Micky

We beetled towards Hoang Sa in District 1 (to check in with the lovely Lunch Lady of Saigon), when we came across a splendid park. Saigon is strewn with lovely green spaces, beautifully treed, gorgeously shrubbed, elaborately flowered. They often have magnificent ceremonial arches, stirring heroic statues and heavy duty exercise gear for the locals […]

Sigh…gone !

It was raining in Saigon as we lay in bed in our little kipsy above the knocking shop. The Miss Mekong Pub complete with sad-eyed elderly men and dressed-to-the-nines nubile hostesses. Whilst they cheered and beered the World Cup goals we sniffled and sighed, sad to be leaving Vietnam. Here are some tokens and signs […]

The Reunification Express

Our shoes clomped along the cobbled stones of the alley as we made our way down the side of the Cathedral to join the buzzing devotees milling in the Plaza. Hanoi has given us so much joy and fun and food and coffee and music and poetry. This city is a poem in itself, stamped […]

Hippie Mug Shots

Are there chillies ? There are Chillies ! There ARE chillies ! THERE…..ARE……….CHILLIIIIES !!!!!!!!!!!

Dislocated Hippies Recipes for Success – Saigon Beef Phở

Phở bò Breakfast of champions, beef or chicken flavoured It took a while for my head to adjust to hot soup in a hot climate first thing in the morning – but it makes a lot of sense. The best joints open at 6am and are closed by 11am. The meat is fresh from the […]

Cà Phê Hooray !

Ca Phé, café, coffee. “Should I kill myself or have another cup of coffee” ? – Albert Camus (seen below beside himself with ennui and existential angst). . To which we dislocated hippies reply, ” Don’t be a silly goose Bert, have another coffee” ! The Vietnamese are serious coffee lovers – from hole-in-the-wall two-seat […]

The Songbird and the Frenchman

Hoi An continues to deliver the goods. It’s a seething yet strangely soothing melting pot of people, tastes, clothes, ideas and music. Today we met Michel, a charming Frenchman who has lived in Saigon for over 20 years. Michel had been sent to Saigon as a troubleshooter for his firm, the dongs and Francs weren’t […]