Choice shots from Vietnam!

Since you're all probably growing tired of the same old material- opinions and the likes- I thought I'd try something different and post some photos from my July 2009 trip to Vietnam- the birth of the "Viet" prefix you know and love. Here we go:

This is from the chocolate buffet at the Sofitel Hotel in Hanoi- one of the few places I actually heard french being spoken in this francophone nation. Georgia and I spent about an hour here, but could have done with another two or three to simply make our way through the myriad of cakes, slices, sauces, creme brulés, fondus etc etc. This plate was soon demolished by myself.

On to Hué. Specifically, Georgia and my hotel room at the Saigon Morin. The colonial style, a throwback to the bygone days of the French colonisation, could be seen throughout the entire hotel. The far window afforded a great view of the river we later trudged over, and the mandatory basket of fruit before it.

Still in Hué, at the Forbidden City, an old temple-type attraction. We threw some food into the pond, and were met by these swarms of gold fish. I count 223 of them.

Read this sign- honestly, read it! The spelling/grammatical errors are everywhere you look, and for me represent all that I love about the language barrier. We found this at a beach resort somewhere between Hué and Hoi An, and rolling on the sand- almost like drunkards. Oh, the ragulations!

At the beach in Hoi An, minutes before the downpour began. The beach was quite crowded in the opposite direction. The beach was one of Hoi An's few highlights, I have to say.

Taken during our final night in Hoi An, as we ate tea in a restaurant overlooking one of the town's pretty canals. Georgia took this photo, and we agreed that it had the sort of artistic composition that professionals searched for.

I struggle to shrink into one of the tunnels used by the Viet Cong during the war. Around me, crowds of Americans gasp at my incredible feat, though I am soon outclassed by the petite Georgia, and an ever littler Vietnamese guide.

The single flattering photo of me from me all 387! We are dining at a backstreet Indian restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City towards the end of the trip, enjoying the delights of a Bollywood film and some good Yellow Dahl (is that how you spell it?).