Dispatches from Hanoi, Vietnam
Arrived by Train on Thursday, September 17th, 2009 at 5:30am local time
Friday, September 18th, 2009
In which Hanoi inspires euphoria fading to disillusionment; The black art of crossing the street; Water puppets and fixed cameras and smiles still make me happy; Halong Bay had better be worth all this
Of all the trains to be on time, I wouldn't have chosen the International Express sleeper from Nanning in China's Guangxi province to Hanoi in northern Vietnam. I would, in fact, have appreciated if it had run quite late and let me sleep longer. But true to the principle of
Thursday, September 17th, 2009

In which I nearly have an accident; Yangshuo to Hanoi; Leaving China at last
Our plan had been to take a side trip from the town of Yangshuo to the village of Xingping for a couple of days. Xingping is said to be picturesque and tranquil. But the weather and the visibility were bad, and with Typhoon Koppu forecast to bring worse, we decided








