Its after 4am. And I've just put down a book I've been reading about Vietnam.
We're planning a trip there in April and like all our holidays, the DIY-itinerary preparations have begun in earnest. I mean its not a long trip, what, 8 days thereabouts. But I like to read alot about the country I'll be visiting before any trip proper. Especially a country like Vietnam where the ravages of many wars, most noticeably the last major American Cock-up, have left their indelible mark.
Vietnam is famous the world over for all the wrong reasons. The very mention of the country and the terms Viet Cong, Napalm, Hamburger Hill, 'Charlie', Chinooks over Saigon, MIA and PoWs come to mind.
But if the guidebooks and friends are to be believed, it is also a place of stunning natural beauty and old-world charm. If I had the luxury of time and money, I would do a 1 month sojourn from up North in Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City down South, soaking in the sights and sounds of surrealistic Halong Bay, the scenic rice paddyfields of Tam Coc, culturally-rich Hue, historic Danang, the cobbled streets of Hoi An, the ancient Cham capital of My Son and the sand dunes at Mui Ne. Not forgetting a hugely sobering stop-over at the DMZ bordering the river Ben Hai and taking a crawl through the VC tunnels at Vinh Moc.
But we don't have the time. So to make sure the 8 days are well-spent, the itinerary has to be well-balanced with sufficient time for eating, shopping, historic buildings, significant battle spots, as well as UNESCO World Heritage sites. And yes, we have to factor in enough sleep as well. Its really tough trying to control from over-packing the schedule so that we do not need another holiday to recover from this one =))
Anyway that's the fun of it all isn't it? Doing your research on a place, mixing and matching where you want to go, and eventually fixing up a tailored time-table that suits your fancy.
To me, the joy of the journey is in the preparations ;)
Labels: Travel