Over the Moat

I'm leaving soon (on Wednesday) and to get myself in the mood having been reading Over the Moat by James Sullivan. At first I hated it, but now I'm about halfway through it I'm absolutely in love with it. Sullivan isn't afraid to make himself look foolish, and when an author is that honest it's almost impossible to dislike their book.
What intrigues me is that it all took place back in the early 90s - why on earth did it take him 10 years to write it all down? It was confusing me at first - he was writing about all kinds of things and I was thinking, "That isn't true! Vietnam hasn't been like that for years!" And then I read more carefully and saw that he was describing the events of 1992, when things were exactly as he describes.
Amazing how much things have changed - this book is a fascinating little window into a specific moment in Vietnam's history.
Well worth a read.

My Book - At Last

For years I've thought of myself as a frustrated writer - now at last I have an opportunity to become the real thing.
I have decided to write my first book - a spiritual journey through Vietnam. Vietnam is a place I know well and love very much - it is my second home, and in many ways my spiritual home.
I will be leaving for Vietnam in a couple of weeks time, and will spend 2 and a half months there, travelling and writing about all the the things I do and see. I will also be keeping a record on this blog.
So who are my influences when it comes to travel writing? Paul Theroux, Gontran de Poncins and Osbert Sitwell are probably my main inspirations, so I will blog more about those extraordinary figures in the days to come.