Vietnam: A story of beaches, lanterns and the Gajasimha
When visiting a country for the first time, it is usual to set foot in a large city first. Very occasionally one lands in a small town (Cork was my first visit in Ireland). Sometimes it can be an island (Kefalonia has been my one and only experience of Greece). Surprisingly my first two visits to Vietnam were also to small towns and an island. Vietnam had been on my absoluetly-must-visit list for over a decade. Finally, making a somewhat impetuous decision, I landed in Da Nang in October 2024. This is the month when much of Europe and North America are in the thick of autumn. However, like many tropical regions, Central Vietnam has only two seasons - rainy and not rainy. When I arrived, the dry season was ending and the formidable wet season was expected to kick in any minute. A friend with local knowledge was supremely pessimistic about impending storms and submerged streets. Fortune favours the brave. That can be the only explanation that allowed me to experience the twin...