Asia World

My Laotian Adventure: Where the Highlight Was Helping an Elephant

A week in Laos Being in Vietnam, I saw the chance to at least “scratch” Laos. As I only had eight days, I planned to fly to Luang Prabang and take the train to Vientiane to fly further on my trip. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen that only a few significant airports are directly connected to Laos (i.e., Bangkok, Hanoi, and Singapur). So, flying in and out was always via a connection flight. I don’t particularly appreciate connecting flights, but the trip to Luang Prabang made everything worthwhile.

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How to get to Da Nang?

Even though there are many flights and I love being in the air, it seemed wrong to fly the approx. 100km from Hue to Da Nang. I found a better way: using the private taxi (Live Long the King 🙂 ), and used that as a chance to see some significant essential stops on the way to Da Nang.
And damn, that was a good idea 🙂
Two spots I decided to see: The Hai Van Pass and Ba Na Hills.

Asia World

Palaces, Pagodas, and ‘Funny’ Smells: My Adventure in Hue

In Hue, you might have to decide if you want to be in the city center, with bars, restaurants, and a Ballerman-ish party scene, including the noise and the big-city nuisances like dust and Smog, or if you want to live at the waterfront, 30 minutes away via cab. As Hanoi already had a lot of Smog, and I am not a party animal, I decided on the calm area at sea. The only drawback is that you must take a cab to the city center.

Asia Food World

And the answer is yes…

… I am just traveling for Food. Vietnamese Food was already one of my favorites at home, so I was not surprised to live the good life in Vietnam. The only thing I don’t get is their obsession with Coriander – the soapish green leaves… disgusting… Besides drinking a lot of coffee in Vietnam, I will show you my favorite dishes.

Asia Food World

Vietnamese Art of Coffee

Besides Gin, Coffee is my favorite drink; luckily, I drink more Coffee than Gin. I encountered famous coffee countries like Colombia and Bolivia during my world trip. But Vietnam smashed it; I learned so many new types of coffee, so many new tastes, and so many new ways to serve it.
Surprisingly, all coffees, like a cappuccino, can be ordered hot or cold, even those you won’t imagine drinking cold.

Asia World

When the train is on time

It was a cultural shock to go from Chile to Japan, and I immediately got a second one from Japan to Vietnam. Vietnam has something special: remarkable nature, even more excellent food, a fantastic coffee culture, and very friendly and serving people. But for sure, there is no light without dark… but let’s start from the beginning.

Asia Food World

Am I just travelling for food?

Osaka was the most Western city. It is known as the “Nations Kitchen “of Japan. This is because it has historically been a significant city for trade and commerce and is home to a wide variety of delicious food. No wonder I took a food tour here again. I will explain the food I experienced in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto to keep all Japanese food together.