Coffee and a love of travel.

(NLĐO) - I love to travel and I'm a coffee addict, so coffee is an indispensable drink on every trip.

For me, enjoying a cup of coffee while admiring the scenery and observing life in the places I visit has helped me understand more about those lands.

The author and his friends are drinking coffee.

Cafés in Hanoi are often elegant and have a nostalgic style. Once, when I visited the capital, the writer Uong Trieu invited me to have coffee at a café that was quite small but decorated with exquisite taste.

The writer told me that this place used to be a bookstore, but due to changing times, it has become a café. I ordered an iced black coffee, and a girl brought me a cup of filter coffee. The coffee dripped slowly, as if to please those who love literature. Taking a sip, I found the coffee slightly bitter on my lips, but subtly sweet in my throat.

I often enjoy drinking coffee while watching the streets of Ho Chi Minh City. Here, coffee is so prevalent that it's practically an indispensable refreshing drink.

Coffee comes in a wide variety, from iced coffee with condensed milk, black coffee with ice, iced milk coffee, and more. Coffee can be found in small alleyways, upscale shopping malls, bus stations, and even near hospital entrances. Through a cup of coffee, I sense that here, those who want to rush can do so, while those who want to take their time and relax can do so. This city is tolerant enough to embrace everyone who comes here.

Coffee in Vung Tau, a vibrant and modern coastal city, keeps pace with the trends of young people. A machine-brewed cup of coffee is served very quickly. The slightly sour taste of pure coffee is hard to describe. But here, there are still cafes with a classic feel that cater to those who prefer a slower pace of life, offering a cup of bitter, long-lasting, smooth black coffee that clings to the sides of the cup, while enjoying the scent of the sea.

Wherever I go, I always order and enjoy a cup of coffee from that place, to better understand and appreciate the land.

(Entry for the "Impressions on Vietnamese Coffee and Tea" contest, part of the 3rd "Celebrating Vietnamese Coffee and Tea" program, 2025, organized by Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper).

Rules of the "Impressions on Vietnamese Coffee and Tea" contest. Graphic: CHI PHAN

Source: https://nld.com.vn/ca-phe-va-me-xe-dich-196250506102620719.htm