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From the crazy heat and colour of Saigon to the quieter splendour of Hanoi, Walter Mason gives us a rare, joyous and at times hilarious insight into twenty first century Vietnam. Seduced by the beauty and charm of its people, and the sensuousness of its culture, we can almost taste the little coconut cakes cooked over a fire in a smoky Can Tho kitchen, or smell the endless supplies of fresh baguettes and croissants just out of city ovens. As colourful city cafes and bars make way for visits to out of the way shrines and temples, we take an impromptu visit to forbidden fortune tellers, and glimpse a little of the Cao Dai religion, made famous in Graham Greene's The Quiet American. Escaping on impulse to a far flung province, a brief imprisonment culminates in an invitation to local wedding celebrations. Travelling off the beaten track to far flung villages and lesser known towns, we cruise along the Mekong, board hopelessly overcrowded local buses or perch perilously on the back of motorbikes. Behind the scenes visits to Buddhist monasteries reveal a quieter and more transcendent world beyond the busy day trips of tourists. And in the process we begin to see the country through the eyes of its people.
Get a taste of the real Vietnam and its people on a sometimes funny, always fascinating journey from the bustling cities to the out of the way villages, into Buddhist monasteries and along the Mekong - a real delight for armchair travellers and those contemplating their own adventure.
Welcome to Saigon, a city that pulsates with life, history, and a captivating blend of cultures. Situated in the heart of Vietnam, Saigon, officially known as Ho Chi Minh City, is a bustling metropolis that never fails to enchant visitors with its energy and charm. In this Saigon travel guide, we embark on a journey to uncover the essence of Saigon, offering a glimpse into what makes this city truly special. Saigon is a city of contrasts, where modern skyscrapers stand tall against the backdrop of colonial-era architecture. Its streets buzz with the constant hum of motorbikes, while tranquil parks offer respite from the urban hustle. But beyond its surface allure, Saigon boasts a rich tapestry of history, shaped by centuries of trade, conflict, and resilience. One cannot explore Saigon without delving into its vibrant culinary scene. From sizzling street food stalls serving up fragrant bowls of pho to upscale restaurants offering contemporary twists on traditional dishes, the city is a paradise for food lovers. Every meal in Saigon is an adventure for the senses, where flavors blend harmoniously to create unforgettable dining experiences. But perhaps what truly sets Saigon apart is its people. Warm, welcoming, and fiercely proud of their heritage, the residents of Saigon embody the spirit of resilience that defines the city. Despite facing adversity throughout history, they have emerged with a sense of optimism and determination that is palpable in every corner of Saigon. As we embark on our exploration of this captivating city, let us open our hearts and minds to all that Saigon has to offer. From its bustling streets to its hidden gems, there is no shortage of wonders waiting to be discovered. So, dear reader, join us as we dive into the vibrant tapestry of Saigon and uncover the soul of this extraordinary city.
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Travel Writing.
A moving portrait of the lives of six poor city-dwellers, set in early twentieth century colonial Saigon Historian Haydon Cherry offers the first comprehensive social history of the urban poor of colonial French Saigon by following the lives of six individuals--a prostitute, a Chinese laborer, a rickshaw puller, an orphan, an incurable invalid, and a destitute Frenchman--and how they navigated the ups and downs of the regional rice trade and the institutions of French colonial rule in the first half of the twentieth century. "Down and Out in Saigon is marked by three qualities that endow it with unusual value: the originality of its subject matter, as the first and only history of colonial Saigon's poor population, the excellence of its research, and Cherry's elegant prose."--Peter B. Zinoman, University of California, Berkeley "This is more than a corrective of revolutionary historiography--it is a tour de force that brings marginal and forgotten lives into the story of modern Vietnamese history."--Charles Keith, author of Catholic Vietnam: A Church from Empire to Nation
The Ignorance of Bliss tells the true story of ten-year-old Sandy, who moves with her American military family to Saigon, Vietnam where her father, the Colonel, serves as a military advisor to the South Vietnamese Army. In 1960s Saigon, Sandy finds a world of crushing poverty and extraordinary beauty; a world of streets, villas, and brothels, where politics and intrigue reside between plot and counterplot. Blissfully living a life of French decadence, Sandy maneuvers between coups, spies, bombings, corruption, and scandal as she and her thirteen-year-old brother, Tom, run an illicit baby powder and Hershey bar business on the black market and live a life of school, scouts, dance parties, and movies at the underground theater. When the Colonel’s counterpart, Colonel Le Van Sam, delivers an expose on the current ruling Diem regime, Sandy finds that her constant spying on her father’s activities has brought her face to face with the reality of Vietnam and the anti-American sentiment that pervades it. This coming-of age story takes place in a turbulent country striving for nationalism, giving the reader a stunning look into the life of military dependents living abroad and the underlying ignorance that surrounded a little understood time in history.
Having completed their overland journey of twenty thousand kilometers (twelve thousand miles) from Cardiff to Singapore, Shaun and his daughter, Hayley, have now flown over to India, to meet up with her two brothers, and also Hayleys boyfriend, for a ten-day exploratory tour of Goas finest beaches. During this time, our infamous five also pay a visit to an amazing spice plantation, go on an unforgettable crocodile safari, have a stupendous swim under a spectacular waterfall, and ride a gigantic elephant, before the lads finally returned home to the United Kingdom, while Shaun and Hayley continued on with their overland journey. Mumbai was their next port-of-call, where they visited Elephanta Islandthe home of the third largest caves in the world, before moving on to Aurangabad, to pay homage to the incredible Ellora and Ajanta Cavesthe two largest caves on the planet. Delhi was next in line, including a visit to the breathtakingly beautiful Taj Mahal in Agra, before flying over to Abu Dhabi for a short visitand then on to South Africa. After taking a cable car to the top of Table Mountain and enjoying panoramic views over Cape Town, our intrepid explorers indulged themselves in a fabulous bus tour around this bustling city, before going scuba divingwith a handful of sharks! Next in line was a thousand-mile bus ride across the plains of South Africa, before crossing borders into Zimbabwe and standing on top of the world in the Matobo Safari Park, before being mesmerized by the magnificence of Victoria Falls. To keep the adrenaline flowing, our two adventurers then embarked on a zip-slide across the incredible gorge, which separates Zimbabwe from Zambia, before finishing off their visit with a death-defying, white-water rafting trip over the rapids of the Mighty Zambezi River. Apart from paying their respects at the David Livingstone Museumand Shaun having his toenail ripped off in Kapiri Mposhiour weary travelers then traversed another thouand miles of African soil, which included two of the hardest journeys of their lives, until they finally reached the city of Arusha in Northern Tanzania. At this point, our perilous pair took off on an unbelievable three-day safari to Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara, and the Ngorongoro Crater, where they came face-to-face with the infamous Maasai Warriors, before rounding off their incredible journey with a day-trip to the mystical island of Zanzibar.