Once was the sound of battle. Men against men. Sea against land. In the very end,nothing you could hear but desperation for the imminent defeat. Then,a cavernous rumble shook the waters,knocking the waves against the rocky shore. The two opposing armies stared dazed at undefined targets. Nothing they could see.

6.30 am. The alarm clock cracks my ears and my dreams. Blood soaks my eyeballs,dead tired like those of Donald Duck in the dripping tap episode. All through the night,I engaged in a bizarre dancing game against the air conditioning and a mosquito,while a birdsong-like accompaniment was played by the lift gears behind the wall. Not sure who won the match,whether

Damien has just got off the minibus. The young guy I sat with on the flight from Moscow to Hanoi,and the only person I can rightfully say to know in Vietnam,has now embarked on his solo journey. Since my very first glimpse at the red book he was reading on the plane - the Lonely Planet Guide to Vietnam -

I leave home early in the morning. It's Easter Eve. London is still enfolded in its infinite chilly shades of grey. Sleepy buses collect few workers from the roads,letting the pavements be a temporary reign for some bowed drunks,fragile remains of the previous Friday night. I love the City at this time of day. Shutters down,desolated streets and a staid quietness

Sitting on a vintage light brown armchair,I stare at a magnificent shiny black horse riding in front of me. Soft mane billowing in the wind;nostrils rhythmically expanded to ease the breathing. Waiting for an attendant to sort my debit card,and being mesmerized by those furry waves projected onto a few seconds video loop,I just think that what made

It's lunchtime when Debbie comes up with her ''Have you taken vaccinations?'' My brain,lost in translation,suddenly receives the stimulus,my eyes wide open like that yellow emoji on Whatsapp. There couldn't be a more innocent - and worse - sentence to trigger my proverbial hypochondria. However,by injecting the fear into my veins before leaving,I believe that she has

The itinerant tour in Vietnam proposed by Thao looks inspiring,but before paying for it I need to find a flight to get there. Plus the domestic ones to move around the country from North to South. No flights,no trip. The Russian Aeroflot offers the fairest deal for 800 pounds and an 18-hour flight on the route London - Moscow

Time to deal with the more tangible aspects of the journey to Vietnam,since just saying ''I want to go there'' doesn't make it a trip indeed. The Times' travel pack is attractive,but the leaving date scheduled a week after my first 'off' day makes it unfeasible. I would need to plan all from scratch. In my mind,a plan is

Vietnam. I suddenly decide my Easter holiday destination after reading The Times travel pages on my lazy Sunday afternoon. It wasn't a trip supplement,rather a list of delightful places for where to spend a spring-like weekend in the UK. I don't know anything about the English countryside - I'm usually stuck here in London - and I think "What a perfect occasion