Today is my last day here and this will likely be my last blog entry for this trip. I will leave my droning philsophical insights and epiphanys for cocktail parties. So, be warned. Tomorrow I go to the airport at 9 am to catch my flight home. So what would Erik do on his last…
Today I rented a scooter an drove to the Cu Chi tunnels. But last night we had some drama in our dormitory that kept a bunch of us up late. The Aussie girl in the top bunk came home over the top wasted. A friend who she was drinking with helped her up into her…
I walked to the War Remnants Museum this morning. It was really hot…even in the morning. I think my phone indicated 94 degrees when I checked. When I arrived I started looking at the American aircraft, tanks, and artillery. I was immediately approached by a man around my age with no arms, a prosthetic leg…
Today was a lazy day. Breakfast and a 7:30 workout at the gym. Back to the hostel and out for lunch. I don’t believe I mentioned it before, but breakfasts have all been free…included with the hostel prices. I know, hard to believe when the happy hour is free and the accommodations are very comfortable…
Today I rode to Mỹ Sơn. Mỹ Sơn is a site of ancient ruins of Hindu temples worshipping Shiva. It was built beginning the 4th century AD through the 12th century during the Cham empire. It is an active archeological dig site as they uncover more of the abandoned ruins. The hour drive there was…
Today I feel really centered. In the beginning of the trip “I said” the plan was to “go with the flow” but that meant something a little different then than it does now. I still felt a little regimented in Hanois as I tend to be a planner. My non plans are really plans in…
This will be a quick one. I woke early and had breakfast. I have now switched from taking pictures on a camera and a phone to just my phone. The battery charging for the camera got to be tedious. The bulk of the camera and trying to get it ready for pictures was cumbersome. I…
I think I slept better on the bus than anywhere else this trip so far. The constant motion and extra space was very comfortable. They also prived blankets, pillows, and water. We arrived in Hue around 7 am. The timing was perfect since I awoke not much earlier. As soon as we stopped people started…
Yes! I have left Hanoi. I am writing as I head south to Hue. This morning it was sprinkling. Hanoi reminds me of itropical sland weather, a shower in the morning and a beautiful day to follow. The new hostel had a menu of items from. Cereal and pancakes to a good ole bowl of…
I woke up around 7 this morning. The mechanic, Nam, got there around 7:30. He opened up his shop and the invited me to breakfast next door. We had beef pho. We were served quickly ate quickly and just left. I guess he has an account with his neighbor. Then Nam proceeded to work. A…
So, my bike was “fixed” and ready for pickup this morning. After replacement of multiple parts and an extra day with the mechanic, I had confidence that this time all would work out. This morning it was drizzling again so I decided to move a little slower. I got up at 6 and went to…
So I decided that instead of rushing the mechanic and possibly not having the bike ready for a trip to Halong Bay, I would take the bus. I would have Wednesday to test out the repairs. In hindsight this was a great decision. Yesterday morning I noticed that the streets were really slippery from multiple…
Well, day 3 wasn’t intended to be in Hanoi. I was supposed to go to Halong Bay. But things didn’t unfold as I planned. So let me back up to yesterday. Yesterday I picked up my motorcycle. I rode it in the crazy streets of Hanoi…but I should probably backup there too and explain how…
The title of this post should be “My aching feet”. Another 10 miles walking around Hanoi today. I went to the Hoa Loa prison, also known as the Hanoi Hilton. John McCain was one of many POWs kept here. The memorial was quite sad as the prison was originally created during the French occupation of…
Since early Friday morning I have flown halfway across the world, almost 9,000 miles. But after checking my phone, it appears that I have walked over 24,000 steps and over 10 miles in the streets of Hanoi. Hanoi is a high energy city. A lot of youth, a lot of scooters, a lot of pedestrians….
The flight to Hong Kong was uneventful. We took the Arctic route over the North Pole. Seats were comfortable enough to fall asleep in. That’s not usually the case when I fly. I caught a couple hours of sleep, but I was still very tired. There is no longer a hot towel service at the…
I have been talking about it for years and now I have finally bought my tickets to Vietnam. I had researched the best flights weeks ago: best airlines, most leg room, best service, shortest flights and shortest layovers, best arrival time, best departure times, etc. Cathay Pacific won in all categories except price. Depart at…