Travel Stories: Vietnam and Laos
These are the stories I co-wrote with a friend and fellow journalist, Jessie Boga, about our trip from the south to the north of Vietnam.
Saigon: The city has two faces
The towering buildings, bars, tour agencies, and hostels lined up like sentries can give visitors the impression that Ho Chi Minh (formerly known as Saigon), is a place ahead of every other city in Vietnam. Read more
As Vietnam train leaves, life moves in a fleeting space
No one heard the typical train whistle sound as the Reunification Express train at Saigon station prepared to take off. Read more
Hue: A city of “perfume and purple”
Our journey to Hue from nearby city Danang in Central Vietnam had us go through a mandatory discomfort in a small, cramped bus (and being puked on by a seat mate) before finding peace in another old city that lives in the present. Read more
Hoi An: Old but alive
The road to Hoi An, a small city in Central Vietnam, was literally long and winding. Read more
Vietnam and Laos are neighbors, but strangers
The transition from one city to another is ridiculously abrupt, like a smash cut in a horror film. One second you’re screaming, the next you’re yawning. Read more