Introducing you to my experience of Vietnam;
Peaceful, breathtaking nature, where time stands still for a moment. And the hectic city life, where life goes fast, people are always on the move and lights never get switched off.
 February 15th. On that day we flew over eastern Europe to Russia and from there to Ho Chi Minh City. For two weeks we travelled from the South to the North with no more than a small backpack. As soon as we arrived we did everything we had in our power to stay awake.

We started walking to explore the crowded city and look for some good Vietnamese food.

Walking sounds so easy when you’re used to the traffic in Europe: not in Vietnam though.

“HOW TO CROSS A ROAD IN VIETNAM”
1) stay calm
2) keep your eyes on the drivers at all times
3) walk slowly and keep the same speed.

It’s fascinating to me how the traffic in Vietnam works; the person who crosses the road picks the (hopefully right) time to cross and the motorbikes and cars adjust to that and drive past the person. All whilst enjoying the great coastal view.

Then there’s this other side of Vietnam; not too far from the big cities. You’ll find nature like you’ve never seen it before. We booked a basic homestay on island Cu Lao Cham with “Mama Kim”. I can tell you now, she deserves a Michelin star for her cooking. Although she didn’t speak English at all, Mama Kim seemed to know what we wanted. With great hospitality she prepared for us the best food we would taste in Vietnam. On the island, the vibe was nonchalant, everyone was incredibly kind and worry-free. There was no internet connection, but a lot to discover.

Mama Kim sat down next to me in my dream, with two fishes that we had caught in her hands. She kept saying to me “Same same, good good”, while pointing at the fish. As usual when you don’t get someone in Asia: I laughed and nodded. Suddenly David tapped my leg: we’ve had arrived at the airport. I was still having Mama Kim on my mind with a big smile on my face; ready for the 18 hour flight to Berlin.

Big thanks to all people that crossed our path in Vietnam and also thanks to David for being my personal photographer for 2 weeks.

tạm biệt.