Fresh, healthy and full of flavour, I wasn't surprised that I fell in love with Vietnamese food. From steaming hot bowls of pho (noodle soup) for breakfast to chilli and lemongrass chicken or superbly cooked fish for dinner, and always served with vibrant vegetables.
I was in heaven and I knew when I returned home I would crave the unique flavours of this culinary-rich country. But instead of paying for a return flight to indulge my stomach, I decided to learn how to cook some of the dishes myself.
I attended a cooking lesson with two friends while in Hoi An, on the central coast.
Our chef/teacher first took us on a tour of the market, where the locals arrive early each morning with small boats full of produce, including fresh fruit and vegetables, seafood, eggs and meat.
She explained the many different herbs and spices, as well as the weird and wonderful vegetables they use in Vietnam.
Returning to our riverside restaurant we took our places at the makeshift cooking station overlooking the water and followed our chef's instructions as she demonstrated our four dishes.
We created fresh spring rolls, fried prawn pancakes, mixed up a seafood soup and baked chicken with chilli and lemongrass.
It was a culinary delight, if I do say so myself! Now the test is if I can make it at home!
The cooking lesson turned into lunch and was a perfect start to one of most special days on the calendar... my birthday!
We continued the celebrations by picking up the nine items of clothing I had made at one of the thousands of tailors in Hoi An. This is the place to have anything from swimsuits to business suits and even shoes made. I paid just US$55 for a three-piece suit and I've never been happier with tailor-made clothes.
After relaxing by the pool at our super cheap yet stunning hotel, I and a group of friends I had met during my travels in Vietnam enjoyed dinner at a nice restaurant before hitting the sand for a beach party.
Hoi An was one of the most beautiful places I could have chosen to spend my birthday. It is like paradise, with an endless number of tailors, a beautiful historic Old Town with scores of inexpensive yet delightful restaurants and cafes overlooking the river, trees decorated with lanterns at night and the beach just a quick bike ride away.
It is also close to the ancient kingdom of Champa and one of its most important religious centres, My Son. I took a day tour to the ruins, hidden amongst jungle.
Again, it was sad to see that most of it had been destroyed during the Vietnam War, but there were still some amazing carvings and UNESCO is working at the site.
Hoi An is a relatively quiet city compared to other main hubs in Vietnam, but that's part of its beauty. And when you can stay in a hotel for US$5 per night (twin share) with free internet and a swimming pool, I could have easily stayed here longer.
But time was running out and I had to get to the capital, Hanoi. I flew from Danang, about one hour north of Hoi An to save the 30-hour train trip.
When I arrived, I wondered why I had rushed. Hanoi was bitterly disappointing. Cold, rainy and grey, it lacked any charisma and the people seemed to have no personality whatsoever.
Maybe it's all those years of tough communist rule? Even the receptionist at my hostal described her city as lacklustre.
I did see the embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh, who is still worshipped like a God in northern Vietnam.
Some sceptics wonder about the authenticity of his body. While I'm open to believing that the mummy is real, the authenticity of the attached museum is another story.
Again, all the displays depicted Ho Chi Minh as a great hero and the Americans as destroyers. Fair enough, considering the damage that was wrecked during the 1960s and 70s, but nothing was portrayed with any kind of neutrality or objectivity.
We even found ourselves questioning the validity of a displayed UNESCO letter that called on the world to celebrate the centenary of the birth of Ho Chi Minh, an "eminent intellectual" and "great man of culture".
I did, however, enjoy the traditional water puppets show. Even though I had no idea what the Vietnamese storyline was, it was funny to watch the large and often extravagantly designed puppets perform, gliding through the water, dipping up and under the small ripples.
I am also hoping that the water at Halong Bay is just as pleasant, as I head there for a two-day escape to complete my Vietnamese experience.
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