Vietnam

I wrote a story in my next book about all the places that I’m supposed to go to, or want to go to, or should go to. For a long time, Vietnam was near the very top of that list. We have friends that live in Vietnam, settling there after a few years of living in Japan, Laos, and Thailand. An assortment of commitments had prevented us from visiting them in Vietnam (and previously, in Laos and Thailand, two other places on my list), but when we saw them last summer in France, we sat down together in front of my computer and bought our plane tickets, so we’d have no choice but to go.

When we landed at Ho Chi Minh City after the long flight a few weeks ago, our eyes and brains took a few moments to reset ourselves from the bleary winter weather we were escaping, adjusting to the warmth and sun of Vietnam. We had arrived in the land of sandals, open-air eateries, and lots and lots of gorgeous fresh fruits seemingly everywhere we looked. At the airport, even the snack bars were pressing fresh passion fruit, dragon fruit (below), and oranges for juice, or offering fresh coconuts with a straw stuck in a hole in the top, so you could drink the liquid. Quelle difference!

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