Vietnam Entries The Neither Authoritative Nor Concise Guide to Riding Bikes in Southeast Asia G Saturday, April 30th, 2011 A few weeks ago, Tara and I had the pleasure of meeting Melanie Swanson, a cycle tourist from Washington on a one-year, 'round-the-world bicycle tour. When we met in the lobby of our guesthouse, sh... A Very Long Bus Ride: Part One G Wednesday, January 26th, 2011 We've hardly been on the road an hour when our bus executes a wide left turn into a roadside restaurant parking lot. Lit up like a beacon in the night, the place has drawn a herd of giant coaches ju... Race to the Station: Part Three R Wednesday, January 26th, 2011 Tyler: Headlights fly by, momentarily blinding us, adding a hefty dose of disorientation to this impossibly hectic ride. At last long, we pull into the bus station, a crowded, chaotic parking lot, f... Race to the Station: Part Two R Wednesday, January 26th, 2011 Tyler: Hanoi's traffic is worse than Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh combined. It is manageable only because it moves slowly, a seemingly inevitable consequence of the complete anarchy which compose... Race to the Station: Part One R Wednesday, January 26th, 2011 A cold draft blows through the open door of the travel agency, causing a slightly kooky receptionist behind the counter to shiver in her fur coat. I sit on a chilly plastic chair, hands shoved benea... Done Waffling G Tuesday, January 25th, 2011 With one week left on our visa, the question of what to do with the last of our time in Vietnam is looming. Normally, we stay in a country as long as we can, soaking up as much as possible. The tho... Bus-Lagged and Weary G Monday, January 24th, 2011 I feel like a zombie this morning, bus-lagged and altogether weary. I've been drained by Vietnam's non-stop barrage of stimuli, and now find myself overwhelmed by the prospect of exploring her spraw... On the Bus Again G Sunday, January 23rd, 2011 Tyler: After some long discussions and lots of hypothetical mapping, we've decided to catch another bus. This time, we're headed all the way to Hanoi. While we could likely ride there before our vi... A Walk in Huế G Saturday, January 22nd, 2011 It's another somber day in Huế, a perpetual dusk of sinister silver skies and drenching rain that comes in fits and starts. During a brief lull in the foggy drizzle, we leave our cozy hotel room a... Where to? G Friday, January 21st, 2011 It's another grey day; rain pelts at the windows, and outside on our little balcony, all of the gritty, dirty clothes we hung out to dry are no doubt soaked through. Neither of us can be bothered to... Mizzle-y Day G Thursday, January 20th, 2011 Mizzle is a term used in Devon and Cornwall for a combination of fine drenching drizzle… …it is known for being capable of soaking you in a matter of minutes, and the feeling is best... Hai Van Pass G Wednesday, January 19th, 2011 Tara: On this trip, we've observed more times than we can count that hungry cyclists are two year olds, who cannot be trusted to make good choices. In a prime example of this truth, Tyler rejects th... Scenes From a Day on the Road PG Wednesday, January 19th, 2011 In Which We Cycle a Bit Here we are, cycling along the coast of Vietnam, and we can hear ourselves think! We can hear each other talk, and we can ride side by side, all thanks to an unusually quiet... A Puppy On A Bed of Silk G Tuesday, January 18th, 2011 I met a puppy today, curled up in the arms of a little Vietnamese girl. They were stationed at the entrance of a grand Chinese meeting house, ready to welcome guests inside. Vietnamese Girl & Puppy... Art Tea G Tuesday, January 18th, 2011 With Tyler hard at work in our hotel room, I've bundled up for an afternoon of solo sightseeing. It's my favorite kind of weather for photographing old, aging places: grey and cloudy, not quite rain... Hội An Lantern Festival: Part Two G Monday, January 17th, 2011 In a small cobbled park, situated between a pair of buildings in Hoi An's old town, a crowd has gathered. People shout and laugh raucously, while a man announces something in Vietnamese through a ca... Hội An Lantern Festival: Part One G Monday, January 17th, 2011 Every fourteenth day of the lunar calendar, Hoi An puts the complications of modern life to rest in favor of a romantic, nostalgic celebration of a quieter era. Once a month, instead of playing host... Tailored G Sunday, January 16th, 2011 There is only one thing more ubiquitous than the colorful lanterns hanging everywhere in Hội An: tailors. Every second building in the old town is a shop overflowing with fabric, just waiting to b... Nightfall in Lantern City G Saturday, January 15th, 2011 From its famous Japanese covered bridge: Japanese Covered Bridge By Night, Hội An …to the smattering of lanterns everywhere: Hội An Lanterns by Night Floating Animal Lantern, Hội An Riv... Street Food in the Rain G Saturday, January 15th, 2011 Under heavy gray skies, a steady drizzle bounces off the conical rice hat of a roadside chef—she is sitting in front of a cauldronful of embers and ash, tending to an array of pork skewers. As... Sightseeing in Historic Hội An G Saturday, January 15th, 2011 It is grey, drizzly and downright cold outside this morning, but the weather suits me just fine; the somber mood it brings about lends even more character to the ambiance of this already atmospheric ... All Alone in Hội An G Friday, January 14th, 2011 For the last two years, every time we've made friends with anyone, we've had to part ways almost immediately afterwards. In fact, before Pete and Natasha, we'd only twice had the good fortune of bein... My Kind of Town G Thursday, January 13th, 2011 As we stroll around town, talking, laughing with our friends, and getting caught up on the last few days since we hung out in Da Lat, it is quickly becoming apparent to me that I am going to feel rig... Arriving in Hội An G Thursday, January 13th, 2011 Gritty and dim, under an overcast early morning sky, we've arrived at just the right time to witness this historical town coming to life. On narrow streets filled with dark wooden homes, we cycle in... A Night on the Space Bus G Wednesday, January 12th, 2011 A few days ago, we came to the realization that cycling the entire length of Vietnam was not only unappealing to us, thanks to the non-stop traffic, but also infeasible due to the duration of our vis... I Want to Go Italy G Tuesday, January 11th, 2011 When we were in Tunisia, barreling down the road towards Douz in a louage, we shared our van with a cute pair of Italian guys who had flown over for a week's vacation on a whim. Lorenzo and Giovanni... Down the Misty Mountain G Monday, January 10th, 2011 Tyler: As we round the bend of our last (uphill) switchback this morning, we're greeted by an ethereal vision in the distance: a swirl of fast-moving white fog drifting across the road. As we approa... Morning in a Mountain Village G Monday, January 10th, 2011 I'm not sure how early it is, but I'm ready to go. As I clumsily dislodge myself from the hammock, all knees and elbows, I leave Tara curled up like a burrito in the netting, dead to the world. Aft... A Long Cold Night G Sunday, January 9th, 2011 As the sun sinks into the horizon, coloring the sky a rusty shady of red, the temperature plummets with alarming speed. Crap. Why oh why did we send home our tent, and why oh why did I just send ho... Free Camping Again G Sunday, January 9th, 2011 Pedaling away from the tiny mountain shop, we round yet another bend, revealing a foreboding indication of more climbing: there is another wide, sweeping curve of a switchback before us. Well, I gue... It's All Downhill From Here G Sunday, January 9th, 2011 We're mentally prepared for an easy day of coasting, excited to reap the rewards of our labor. But as we cycle out of town, a freakishly steep hill looms before us, and I am caught off guard. I tho... Motorbike to the Falls G Saturday, January 8th, 2011 At the behest of Pete and Natasha, we've rented a motorbike this afternoon. They did a loop in the mountains around Da Lat a few days ago, and hearing their story convinced us we should head out for... Trying Betel G Friday, January 7th, 2011 In Vietnamese there is a saying that "the betel begins the conversation", referring to the practice of people chewing betel in formal occasions or "to break the ice" in awkward situations. Wikiped... Hằng Nga Hotel: Da Lat's Crazy House G Friday, January 7th, 2011 Hằng Nga guest-house, more affectionately known as Da Lat's "Crazy House" is a totally bizarro hotel designed by the Vietnamese architect Dang Viet Nga. She built it after receiving her PhD from t... Da Lat Market Fun G Thursday, January 6th, 2011 This morning, in a slumberous daze, my flickering eyelids open, and I find myself face to face with a stunning view. A raging sky of fiery orange and bruised purple obliterates the last remnants of ... Working in Da Lat G Tuesday, January 4th, 2011 Yesterday, after a windy ride up our eight hundred meter climb into Da Lat, we were spared a long, drawn out hunt for accommodation. Just a few minutes after arriving in the city, we hit the lodging... Climbing to Da Lat G Monday, January 3rd, 2011 Stepping out of our guest-house, the chill bite of an early morning wind blows in our faces, sending up an army of goosebumps. Our exhaled breath is white like cigarette smoke, and this means one th... Coffee Country G Sunday, January 2nd, 2011 The ride out of Bao Loc this morning is a lovely one. Instead of starting the day with switchbacky mountain climbs, the early part of our route is full of easy rolling hills. As we pedal through th... Happy New Year G Saturday, January 1st, 2011 I love ringing in the New Year. Not so much for the booze and parties, but more as a set time to reflect on my life, and make sure I'm heading in a direction that is meaningful to me. Tyler, on the... Climbing to New Year's Eve G Friday, December 31st, 2010 Figuring out what the problem is, and making a plan to do something about it helps a lot, but at the moment, there's not much we can do to execute our solution. For the time being, we'll just muscle... What's Wrong G Friday, December 31st, 2010 If we were toddlers, we would be dragging our feet, whining "I don't WANNA!" this morning. Since we're all grown up, we seethe quietly instead, and force ourselves out for another ride. As the day ... On Noise & Nature G Thursday, December 30th, 2010 Being on the road today felt more like a chore than a grand adventure. Keeping my sour mood in check was a grim mental battle, and it was a fight which I found myself losing for the majority of our ... Armpits & Brothels G Wednesday, December 29th, 2010 Visa extensions in hand, we're finally ready to leave Ho Chi Minh City. After nine days of waiting, we're feeling fresh and ready to explore once more. Unfortunately, very little about this day tur... Day One Without Coffee G Tuesday, December 28th, 2010 Before this trip, neither of us liked coffee all that much. Actually, we had a mild disdain for the stuff, mostly centered around the fear of becoming dependent on a substance for something as basic... Going to the Movies PG Monday, December 27th, 2010 This evening, with the help of our friends who are both highly motivated to see the new Harry Potter film, we mobilize to go to the movies. Catching a taxi, we arrive at the nearby movie theater / s... Vietnamese Funeral G Sunday, December 26th, 2010 It sounds like a brass band is playing inside our room. The horn section is so eye-poppingly loud that the musicians could very well be hiding in our mini fridge, or playing from the shower stall. ... Ho Chi Minh City's Taste of the World Festival G Sunday, December 26th, 2010 Exhausted from our Củ Chi tunnel adventure (mostly tired out from the ride there and back), we're enjoying some peace and quiet in our hotel room. By the time night falls, the noise of a party out... Củ Chi Tunnels: Part Two PG Sunday, December 26th, 2010 Safely above ground, our guide takes us on a walk around the grounds, teaching us more about the tunnels. As he shows us tricks of the guerrilla's trade, we are in awe, totally and utterly impressed... Củ Chi Tunnels: Part One PG Sunday, December 26th, 2010 Our first introduction to the Củ Chi tunnels is a stroll through the lovely, innocuous woods above them. As we make our way to the first exhibit, leaves flutter on to the path, falling gently from... Riding a Motorbike in Ho Chi Minh City G Sunday, December 26th, 2010 Our destination for today is the Củ Chi tunnels, an elaborate network of underground Vietcong hideouts, used heavily in the War of American Aggression. There are two sites open to visitors: the fi... A Skype Christmas G Saturday, December 25th, 2010 Pleasantly full from dinner, and feeling joyful about our unexpected visitors, we come home to our hotel room with a renewed sense of peace. At last, it's late enough for our families to be awake (w... A Christmas Dinner Surprise G Saturday, December 25th, 2010 Back in our quiet, sterile hotel room, we're feeling positively alone and bleak about the state of the world. As we're busy entertaining comforting fantasies of flying home to be with family, imagin... And So This is Christmas PG-13 Saturday, December 25th, 2010 Here in hot, sunny, loud, crowded Vietnam, Christmas is a day like any other. To pass the time until our families will be awake and on Skype, we decide to visit one of those educational-but-depressi... On Family: The Cost of Adventure G Saturday, December 25th, 2010 There is a price to be paid for following our dreams. This morning, while our loved ones halfway around the world are tucked into their beds, sleeping on the night before Christmas, a quiet melancho... Hein and Luang G Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010 We've been loving the variety of Western food available in the city. Our favorite for the last few days has been a red-and-white decorated pizza and salad bar buffet, called Pepperonis. There is ba... Slowing Down G Tuesday, December 21st, 2010 Early in our adventure, a break for more than a day or two gave us cabin fever. We traveled slowly but consistently, with a momentum to "get there" to keep us going. But these days, we're feeling l... Saigon's Alleys G Monday, December 20th, 2010 There is a second city hidden inside District 1 of Saigon; it is an extensive network of back alleys, twisting narrowly behind and between the borough's buildings. This sprawling microcosm is home t... Into Ho Chi Minh City G Sunday, December 19th, 2010 Today, we'll be cycling into the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, and this morning, we'll have to face the grating music: it's highway time. The traffic-free rice paddy paths we've enjoyed for the last tw... Riding in Rice Paddies G Saturday, December 18th, 2010 Tyler: Along the highways in the Mekong Delta, often less than a hundred meters from the road, there are peaceful dirt and gravel paths carving through the quiet villages of Southern Vietnam. Windin... Language Lessons & Boiled Chicken G Friday, December 17th, 2010 Finding food at the late hour of 9PM is proving to be difficult in this small, Mekong Delta town (of which we don't even know the name). After a thrilling day of engaging cycling, we are overtired a... Mekong Delta Bike Paths G Friday, December 17th, 2010 Bolstered by a colorful market experience, and a steady succession of friendly smiles from local cyclists, we're having a spectacular morning. But, after less than twenty kilometers on the road, the... Vietnamese Market Morning G Friday, December 17th, 2010 Tyler: This morning, determined to keep a positive attitude, we take to the teeming roads of Vietnam once more. Now mentally prepared to let the chaos wash over us, the constant dance of dodging peo... Working in Sa Dec G Wednesday, December 15th, 2010 We wake up this morning with zero desire to travel. A peek outside reveals a grey sky with 100% chance of heavy showers. On a more positive note, we really like our hotel room, and the great restra... Culture Shock G Tuesday, December 14th, 2010 Tyler: It is 8AM. We are in the middle of packing our panniers and ferrying them to the lobby, when two women march through the door of our room. One of them, carrying a cleaning bucket and looking... Far From Home: Part Two PG Monday, December 13th, 2010 Tara: I'm standing in the bathroom of our hotel room, trusty yellow scissors at the ready. With one hand, I grab handfuls of coarse, sun-bleached hair, and with the other, I snip. As brown fluff fa... Far From Home: Part One G Monday, December 13th, 2010 Tyler: The day begins with an early morning departure from our beachside bungalow, and a speedy ride across the island to the port. The ferry back is mercifully smoother and faster than the one in, ... The Food Game: Fruits of Southeast Asia G Sunday, December 12th, 2010 Yesterday evening, after our squid fishing excursion, we walked home by way of the night market. On display were the heaps and heaps of colorful fresh fruit that we've come to know and expect in Sou... Squid Fishing G Saturday, December 11th, 2010 Fishing boats are a ubiquitous sight on the beaches of Phú Quốc. During the day, they're either anchored just off shore, or packed in the harbor. The rag-tag fleet of colorful, hand-built vessel... Dinner at Le Deauville G Friday, December 10th, 2010 Hours after our island ride comes to an end, after several journals are written, we're beginning to feel the pangs of hunger. So, in a totally cliché romantic move, we go for a long walk on the bea... Peaceful Ride on Phú Quốc G Friday, December 10th, 2010 Tyler: The sound of waves lapping against the shore rings in another sleepy morning at our beach side bungalow. As the sun rises, we slowly rouse ourselves from a deep slumber, gently awakened by th... Phú Quốc Fish Sauce G Thursday, December 9th, 2010 We've heard that Phú Quốc island produces the highest quality fish sauce in the world, so we've decided to pay a visit to the nearby Hung Thinh fermentation plant. Our maps of the surrounding are... Postcards from Paradise G Thursday, December 9th, 2010 This is the first entry in a series of e-postcards for our friends and family. Hovering on the cards makes them flip over, showing the picture on the other side. It'll work, but it won't look cool ... Morning Light G Wednesday, December 8th, 2010 As if the quiet, empty beaches, and crystal blue water of Phú Quốc aren't captivating enough, we awaken to find that our simple bungalow and the mosquito net around our bed have been transformed i... Ferry to Phú Quốc G Tuesday, December 7th, 2010 "Your passports, your passports!" the man shouts, speeding over to us on his scooter. We're loading our bikes on the ferry to Phú Quốc, heaving them over a railing at the front of the boat, but I... Vietnamese Food G Sunday, December 5th, 2010 I had inkings that Vietnam might deliver some stellar eating, especially after we spent a few days with my friend Tony's Vietnamese grandmother in Berlin. Last night, Tara's barbecued pork was easil... Hello Vietnam G Saturday, December 4th, 2010 According to my GPS, we've arrived at the road leading to Vietnam: it is a dusty red track with no signage whatsoever. Feeling dubious about this intersection leading to an international border, we ...