The hard decision has been made for me. Tomorrow, I’m going home. Continue reading »
Oct 212011
Oct 202011
My dad’s broken ankle was in so much pain last night – waking him up constantly to adjust – that neither of us really slept. We got out of bed at 7am still utterly exhausted, he headed off to the hospital, and I started tying up loose ends:
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Oct 192011
When my dad and I made it to the French Hospital in Hanoi at 11pm, there were only three people there: a nurse, a Vietnamese doctor who didn’t speak a word of English, and a French orthopedic surgeon. We’d spent an entire day getting to the end of the world and back, and were more than exhausted. Nobody was thinking clearly. Continue reading »
Oct 182011
The motorcycle trip that had started in a congested city under miserably rainy conditions ended in just the kind of place I often seek – but rarely actually find.
My dad and I had ventured into the true Vietnamese countryside, a remote rural village with virtually no link to civilization. Everything around us screamed of wilderness – sounds of the jungle, refreshingly clean air, lush natural greenery, and the periodic straw or bamboo hut. It was absolutely magnificent.
…Until less than one kilometer from our destination – just minutes after snapping this photo – when utter disaster struck.
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Oct 172011
The Northern hills of Vietnam are home to a beautiful array of sights, both natural and cultural. Between Hanoi and the Chinese border lie rolling mountains, sprawling rice paddies, ancient hill tribe communities, bamboo stilt-villages, floating markets, rivers, valleys, forests, plains – basically the dream environment for any off-the-beaten-path traveler. But how could a mere tourist hope to find his way to such far-flung wonders?
Simple: hire a guide and a motorbike!
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