Sayonara, Hanoi

I'll miss these colorful sunsets over Truc Bach Lake and West Lake from my balcony.

For the fifth time in seventeen years, I’m moving from Vietnam to a far-off shore. This time my destination is Akita, Japan, where I have a one-year work contract. The Japanese government has given me a three-year work visa, however, so I may end up in Japan long term.

I’ve been debating whether or not to retire this blog and start a new one, but I’m going to try to keep this one going. Akita, which is about 550 km (330 miles) from Tokyo as the crow flies, isn’t on most travelers’ lists of must-see destinations, but since it’s going to become my home for a while, I’m sure there will be plenty to share about this medium-sized city on the northwestern tip of Honshu, on the sea-edge of the Japanese Alps.

I’ve lately taken to Twitter, too, and like it for all the tailored news feeds I get and for timely updates on local goings-on. For anyone interested in “following” me on Twitter, feel free to do so. My account name is sapuche.

In the meantime, this will be my last blog post from Vietnam. I’m typing this on my flight to Japan, and expect to post it from an airport hotel in Tokyo. Tomorrow I arrive in Akita, and surely I’ll start blogging again soon.

Sayonara, Hanoi. Stay interesting. But please work on solving your traffic problems. And clean up Hoan Kiem Lake so your country’s emblematic turtle can live on for many years to come. I can’t wait to come back one day soon.

Approaching Tokyo by air. Mt. Fuji is rising through the clouds in the distance.