When I first came to Tuy Hòa, I had vague ideas about funding my travels by writing online. This was before ChatGPT, when copywriter might have been a viable option. I used this blog to practise, read a few guides, and produced some quite bad content including a piece about “hidden gems in Vietnam”, which …
Continue reading “Lương Văn Chánh: Phú Yên’s Founding Father”
Three days after the typhoon, I wandered down to The Social in Quy Nhơn, an expat hangout I’d assumed would still be closed—the street had been pitch black the night before—but it was suddenly lit up like a Christmas tree. We hauled wooden armchairs onto the pavement and sat there in the warm, dry evening, …
When I went out of Quy Nhơn city again, this time to visit Chà citadel, I had the most idyllic drive through the Vietnam countryside I’ve had to date. There was not a cloud in sight. The Côn river sluggishly drifted by. Cows grazed at its edge, bamboo leant over the water as if it’s nodding …
It’s 1773, and the red flag of the Tây Sơn movement flies above An Khê town. Due to being squeezed for taxes, people have gathered there in open rebellion against the Lê emperor and their subordinate Nguyễn lords who rule the puppet Kingdom of Champa as their own private thiefdom. Having strengthened their ranks for …
A painting caught my eye; a mob surging towards a castle gate while French soldiers in pith helmets brace to hold the line. This was in the Quy Nhơn Museum back in 2020, and it made me want to walk in the footsteps of those brave folk. But when I tried to find the castle …
I stopped to take a photo of the Cham tower between the houses and an elderly lady struck up conversation. She pointed to the other side of the road and said I should take a photo of that house too.I politely asked her why.She replied matter-of-factly “The storm blew the roof blew off”. Bình Lâm …
As I pulled my foot out of the mud that came up to my knees, I realised it was no longer wearing a flipflop. I put my foot back in to try and feel around for it but couldn’t. The other flipflop was lost much the same way. I continued the walk barefoot. The hike …
I’ve always been curious about the dramatic storms you see in films like cyclones and twisters. What is it like to experience one first hand? Well, I ended up being right at the epicenter of a tropical typhoon. Here’s my story. Steve, a tall Englishman with cropped grey hair and the air of someone who’s …
Continue reading “What it’s like experiencing a typhoon in Vietnam”
I’m experimenting with a new format for my post where all the historical/geographic details will come at the end in appendices. It was a quiet street in the early morning, almost empty except for a lone man leisurely passing by on an elephant. The great beast padded softly on the tarmac, surprisingly quiet for its …
This blog post is about a visit I made to Hoàng Đế Citadel in Bình Định, South Vietnam. It’s a 40 minute drive from Quy Nhơn City. The only respite from the harsh Bình Định sun was inside the tower, though the air inside reeked of guano. Besides, the ornamentation on its flank unnerved me, …
Eastward Ho!