Everybody's Here For Someone Else.

So. Over a month ago, before setting sail for the distant shores of Ho Chi Minh and getting burnt to a crisp in Nepal, I had in mind this whole spiel on the arrestingly, surprisingly, beautiful sight of the haze under the light of streetlamps. A gentle reminder of seasons past - of foggy streets and train stations illuminated in the distance; of finding a strange version of family thousands of miles from home. I hope I never grow out of this joy for fog. The haze, though... One month later and here it still persists, accompanied by reports that it might last into the new year. What! Faux fog Christmas at least, I suppose......???

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And the sea. How terrible, how frightening, how beautiful, when the sky blends into the sea, when the horizon hides behind the rain. How terrifying, how dramatic, when the visibility drops below five cables, when you can barely see six or seven waves ahead of you, when the fate of the ship's company rests in your hands.

And how to explain what sailing feels like? The headaches, soreness, discomfort, etc. that you never know for sure exactly why, or where they're from. Seasickness, dehydration, lack of fresh rations, lack of sleep... The wait for the next meal, the massive disappointment when it sucks, the interminable waits and periods of inactivity, the adrenaline, the rush, the weight of the responsibility. The rolling, the pitching, the pounding, the shouts, the myriad little decisions you have to make to juggle them all. Chasing rainclouds, sighting dolphins - and above all a wonder at this man-made steel contraption making its way through the open seas.

Presiding over stormy weather and tenuous sunsets. People watching in HCM. Watching the street sprout stalls as the market closes for the day. Wondering at the supremely independent Japanese ladies roaming the streets. The hipster girls in their cute helmets - where do they ride off to? In a teeming city of 10 million, equal parts opportunity and obstacle, how do you not get drowned out?

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