Author Archives: angusmccoll

This is just a test blog to make sure things are working prior to my next overseas trip. Monday week I fly out of Cairns for two nights in Hong Kong before four weeks in Vietnam and Laos.

The digital display in my carriage shows the train speed and it just keeps getting higher! It peaks at 430 km/hour. I try to take a photo of the display but it comes out blurry, partially because the carriage is shaking but mostly because I am shaking. I’m terrified! I arrive at Shanghai Airport aroundContinue reading “Saturday 8 December: Shanghai”

I feel stuffed. I find another hotel in another part if Saigon that obviously doesn’t see too many tourists. What is the difference between Ho Chi Minh City and Saigon? The locals refer to the entire city as Ho Chi Minh but they call the city centre, or District 1, Saigon. This part of townContinue reading “Thursday 6 December: Saigon again”

There are dingoes roaming the streets of Vietnam. To look at the dogs here you have the feeling you’ve seen them somewhere else. I have read that our dingo is descended from the Vietnamese dog and from my thorough investigation, I reckon they’re right! They look similar and display that similar sense of confidence andContinue reading “Wednesday 5 December: Hue”

Vung Tau is on the coast about 130km south east of Ho Chi Minh City and is a popular escape for Ho Chi Minh City residents. You can get there by bus but by hydrofoil is much faster taking just over an hour to make the journey. The French started using Vung Tau for itsContinue reading “Friday 7 December: Vung Tau”

A huge US cargo and left behind at Khe Sanh I’m doing a tour today. It’s 6am and I’m waiting for my bus on the steps of the travel agent where I bought my ticket. A middle-aged man and woman pull up in front of me on their motor bike, also carrying a large esky,Continue reading “Tuesday 4 December: Khe Sanh”

The entrance to the Imperial Citadel – the heart of Vietnamese culture To come to Vietnam and not visit Hue would be a mistake. I think it is fair to say Hue is the cultural heart of Vietnam and there are some amazing expressions of that here. It used to be the capital of VietnamContinue reading “Monday 3 December: Hue”

It is difficult for the Vietnamese to comprehend a man my age being single and even harder, never being married. On hearing the news (because they all ask) they respond with a heart-felt ‘oh so sorry’. Initially I tried to explain that this is a very good way of life for me but they don’tContinue reading “Sunday 2 December: Hoi An to Hue”

Vietnam’s history is fascinatingly complex and takes some reading to comprehend. It is littered with invasions. One of the invaders were the Cham peoples. They came from Java in Indonesia and muscled their way into central coastal Vietnam. They are Hindus and established the Kingdom of Champa here in the late second century. Eventually theyContinue reading “Saturday 1 December: My Son”

Vietnam has a special day to commemorate their war dead and all those who participated in uniting Vietnam. It’s 26 July. We stop at a memorial site just outside Buon Ma Thout. There is a huge statue representing women, tribal people’s and soldiers, under two flags – the Vietnam flag and the hammer and sickleContinue reading “Tuesday 27 November: further north”