Vietnam

I spent most of my 2019 Vietnam trip in the center of the country. Hue was rainy and moody, with the old Imperial City walls, grand palace gates with tiered roofs and silk lanterns glowing in the wet streets. Hoi An is lanterns too, but brighter: a whole old town of yellow walls, wooden boats on the river and a Japanese covered bridge, with An Bang beach just a bike ride away.

The food was the best part. Bánh mì for breakfast, phở whenever, cao lầu noodles that only exist in Hoi An, and bún salads with fresh herbs. Ordering was a gamble. I once pointed at a menu with full confidence and got a steaming bowl of duck blood soup. It wasn't bad. Vietnam is long and thin, and every region feels like its own country, so I've barely scratched it. Hanoi and the north are next.