Mint-Infused Hotpots and Morning Glory

Broadening my perspective of life is one of the things I love most about travelling, as well as being able to escape briefly from my own concerns. In 1992, after twenty-five years of marriage, David and I separated, so in February 1993 I was especially glad to be going on a distracting far-off trip. My travelling companion was my old friend Elizabeth, and we had chosen Vietnam, which had just opened its doors to tourists, though we were told that once in the country we would need written government permission to stay overnight anywhere.