Hello all, thank you for the comments. Yes, Jan, it’s definitely better to experience a place than to only read about it. This is my last post. Friday I start the odyssey of flying home. I leave Saigon at midnight on Jan 16 and I arrive in vancouver at 7:00 am Jan  17 but I’m underway for a day and a half. It’ll be like travelling back in time! Can’t wait to see you in Tokyo, Hiroko!

I’m now in Nha Trang, Vietnam’s only real beachside town (so I’ve read). It’s lovely here except for the 4-metre high waves. The weather isn’t great which explains the choppy sea but I’m enjoying my stay here. My room has a view of the ocean. Nice eh? It’s the best hotel I’ve stayed in so far.

I’ve stayed in some interesting places. Dripping taps, all night karaoke bars, pungent bathrooms, a cockroach or two. My favourite was the room with no windows.

I went on a boat trip today to some islands not far from the town. Enjoyed a fabulous lunch and read for a bit on a beach. Tomorrow I go back to Saigon and then, home. I’m ready for it now. I would however like to come back here again someday.

I’ll upload some photos as soon as I get home.

Li hai (“good-bye” in Cambodian). My Vietnamese isn’t so hot.