Lingering vibes – sex in Saigon, Vietnam
At a cafe I met a woman selling postcards. She wanted to talk. I bought her a bowl of noodles and a Coke for lunch, and during our conversation – in broken English – came her offer of sex …
Hmong’s ancient lifestyle – Vietnam
An old man smokes a water pipe of tobacco, then joins a young guy slouched on a mat in the corner of this flame-lit room. With a needle, the young man nurtures a sticky black ball on the bulb-end of the pipe as it draws across the candle and as the old man lies relaxed on his side, head on pillow, inhaling from the slender wooden stem, sucking up that soothing, bittersweet tingle …
Cycling the city of lakes, legends and pagodas – Hanoi, Vietnam
Pedalling fast – but not fast enough. Racing from the opposite direction of this unmarshalled intersection come waves of scooters and cyclists, chaos sweeping around me as I slow, swerve, sandals scraping asphalt. Phew! Another accident averted …
The dreaming – Kontum, Vietnam
A horrible dream surprises me even more when I encounter a man with a melted face in the streets of Kontum, Vietnam.
