One Last Blog

I admit that I’m writing this from the United States. As planned, I got home on December 5th after 2 weeks of traveling in Vietnam. Computers were unbelievably slow throughout the entire country and with time winding down I decided not to subject myself to the frustration of…gasp…. slow Internet.

Vietnam is a very interesting place. One never has to look but across the street to witness what you’d just never see anywhere else: women wearing cone hats, treacherous traffic patterns that don’t make a native Vietnamese even flinch, and the endless meandering waterways and boat-life of the Mekong Delta. My favorite spectacle in Vietnam are the people pedaling hundreds of pounds of scrap metal, balloons, farm animals, fruit, cleaning supplies, etc. If you can imagine it they’re hoofing it down the street on some form of desecrated cycle with hopes of making a sale.

Due to my poor time management and weather complications, I only saw about half of the sites in Vietnam I initially planned. I did make it through the central coast towns of Hue, Danang, and Hoi An. These towns are “rich” with military history due to their proximity to the DMZ line. If anyone needs a new wardrobe, head for Hoi An. This immaculately preserved town is outfitted with fabric and shoe stores as far as the eye can see and hundreds of tailors working around the clock. After the central coast I made my way through the Mekong Delta to the border town of Chau Doc. The Mekong Delta was the most interesting of the regions I saw. It’s much more relaxed than the rest of Vietnam, the people are friendlier, and the food is outstanding.

Overall I biked nearly 850 miles in SE Asia, about half of what I set out to do. I learned that touring internationally is not at all similar to touring in the States. There’s just so much to see and do in such foreign surroundings that time management is crucial, which is not the strong point of my beloved back-of-the-pack co-conspirators and mentors. Nonetheless, my meager 850 miles was still worth the effort of lugging my bicycle through airports, buses, trains, and boats. It was on the bike that I felt most connected to the culture and people of Laos and Vietnam. In these countries I always felt safe and respected although the locals surely thought I was out of my mind crazy.

So now I’m back in the States and adjusting to the speedy and somewhat sterile nature of life here. Sterile isn't so bad though since it affords luxuries like sit down toilets and toilet paper in public restrooms. What a rich life we have here. Thanks for following me through my big adventure. The emails I received were certainly helpful on tough days though thankfully I had very few. I sure am glad to be home.

Love and Thanks to you all,
Kristi