{"product_id":"destination-saigon-walter-mason-9781741759495","title":"Destination Saigon: Adventures in Vietnam","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGet a taste of the real Vietnam and its people on a sometimes funny, always fascinating journey from the bustling cities to out of the way villages, into Buddhist monasteries and along the Mekong\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFrom the crazy heat and color of Saigon to the quieter splendor of Hanoi, this is a rare, joyous, and at times hilarious insight into 21st century Vietnam. Seduced by the beauty and charm of its people and the sensuousness of its culture we can almost taste the little coconut cakes cooked over a fire in a smoky Can Tho kitchen, or smell the endless supplies of fresh baguettes and croissants just out of city ovens. As colorful city cafes and bars make way for visits to out-of-the-way shrines and temples, we take an impromptu visit to forbidden fortune tellers, and glimpse a little of the Cao Dai religion, made famous in Graham Greene's \u003ci\u003eThe Quiet American\u003c\/i\u003e. Traveling off the beaten track to far-flung villages and lesser-known towns, we cruise along the Mekong, board hopelessly overcrowded local buses, or perch perilously on the back of motorbikes. Behind-the-scenes visits to Buddhist monasteries reveal a quieter and more transcendent world beyond the busy day trips of tourists, and in the process, we begin to see the country through the eyes of its people.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Walter Mason\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1741759498\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781741759495\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Allen \u0026amp; Unwin\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 05\/01\/2011\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 260\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.55lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 7.70h x 5.10w x 0.90d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 07\/01\/2011 pg. 97","brand":"Walter Mason","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":43937922154751,"sku":"9781741759495","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/products\/img_5cd49740-e519-4b29-983c-f1833d2eac57.jpg?v=1681432689","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/destination-saigon-walter-mason-9781741759495","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}