I've read this book a very long time ago, but still the memory of it lingers in my mind and it makes me want to travel to Vietnam.

In 1994 America finally lifted its trade embargo on Vietnam "Within days, Miss Vietnam was advertising Pepsi on state television."Make of that what you will. For travel writer Maria Coffey and her husband Dag, the new openness to tourists was an opportunity not to be missed. Inspired by their friends, an exiled Vietnamese couple living in England, they set out to journey the length of the country's coast from south to north, very much off the beaten track by boat and bicycle.This method is agai [...]

I love reading about the travels and observations of others and this book is no exception. Maria Coffey's encounters are well observed and related and the sympathy and love she has for the people is very obvious and heart-warming.The journey into the countryside by boat was fascinating and really makes me wish I could experience this all for myself too.

This book allows a Vietnamese to better know her country. At the end, Maria's encounter with Bac, a street child, was well-described and could move anyone to tears Despite the hassle of a rough trip, the human connection could still shine its beauty.