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TRAVEL- VIETNAM
JOHS LUND LARSEN
FOLLOWING UNCLE HO ' S TRAIL
Somewhere in the little village of Quan Son on the way to the border crossing with Laos at Na Meo, I stopped my bike to take a rest, completely exhausted.
I hadn’ t eaten anything for five days. My appetite completely gone, and my energy level at an all-time low. Sitting on the ground, resting against a lamp pole, I watched a young Vietnamese girl arrive on a bike, stopping at a small grove with banana trees right opposite where I was sitting. She quickly cut two bunches of bananas with a machete, effortlessly slinging them onto the bike and left with a smile and a wave. A few minutes later she was back, carrying packets of biscuits, food, and bottles of drinks. She quickly handed it all to me, and as I reached for my wallet, she shook her head, smiled, and left without a word. It wouldn’ t be the last time I got to experience the incredible caring and hospitality of the Vietnamese people.
One month earlier, in March 2023, I had arrived in Ho Chi Minh City( Saigon) to start my two month long Vietnamese adventure. I had decided that Vietnam would be the perfect place to celebrate my 70th birthday. A decision I will never regret!
If you have ever thought of visiting Vietnam, stop thinking, and book your ticket to Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi now. I guarantee you will not be disappointed. Vietnam is addictive in so many ways, after two months and 8,500 kilometres I left the country addicted to coffee and soothing massages, longing to return as soon as possible, to experience a most friendly, generous, and gracious people. To indulge once again in the pure joy of travelling in a country free of all the rules and regulations of the western world, like my native Denmark.
Mayhem! Perhaps, but to me it is liberating, exhilarating and life
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