I continued to fight a cold and wanted to sleep in because I didn’t fall asleep until 12:30 am. At 7:40 am, there was a knock on my door. It was the front desk woman reminding me that I had a tour that day at 8:00 am. This was the second hotel in Vietnam whereContinue reading “Days 276-277: Friends When You Need Them”
Category Archives: Travel
Day 275: Alone in the Most Romantic City
I went to the small indoor/outdoor cafe that was at the hotel to eat breakfast. I asked the woman at the front desk (who also took my breakfast order) about the hot water because I couldn’t shower the night before without it. She explained that they don’t have a water heater and the pipes areContinue reading “Day 275: Alone in the Most Romantic City”
Day 274: Catching up with Old/New Friends in Da Nang
When I woke up, I could feel that my throat was swollen and I was feeling tired. I ate breakfast at the hotel since it was included with my room. The modern hotel was large and offered a wide spread of breakfast items. I was excited to eat some westernized food like eggs and toast.Continue reading “Day 274: Catching up with Old/New Friends in Da Nang”
Day 273: International Politics at a Vietnamese Amusement Park
I quickly ate breakfast at my hotel and was in the lobby ready for a tour of Ba Na Hills. A woman in her 30s arrived to pick me up and explained that we needed to walk a little bit to the bus because traffic prevented them from getting to my hotel. I noticed thatContinue reading “Day 273: International Politics at a Vietnamese Amusement Park”
Day 272 – No Glitter. No Party: My Introduction to Vietnamese Street Food
After spending a few days in Hue, Vietnam, I continued south to Da Nang. I had arranged for a van company to take me on the two and a half hour drive. At 11:00 am, I received a phone call from the driver, but he didn’t speak English. To communicate, he hung up and textedContinue reading “Day 272 – No Glitter. No Party: My Introduction to Vietnamese Street Food”
Day 271: Abandoned Amusement Park
I spent the morning in my Airbnb deciding what to see in Hue, Vietnam. I saw that there was an abandoned amusement park on the outskirts of the city, so I decided to go there. Why go to another museum or temple when I could visit an apocalyptic park? I walked downstairs and Jack’s parentsContinue reading “Day 271: Abandoned Amusement Park”
Day 270: Exploring Hue, Vietnam
The room I was renting in a house in Hue, Vietnam included breakfast. I slept in and the night before had a hard time communicating with the homeowner about what time breakfast would be provided. I opened my bedroom door and on the small plastic table was a plate of sliced dragon fruit and aContinue reading “Day 270: Exploring Hue, Vietnam”
Day 269: Train Ride to Hue, Vietnam
I took advantage of the free breakfast at my hotel and arrived at 8:45 am, 15 minutes before it ended. I was the only person there and enjoyed the buffet. On my way back to my room, I stopped at reception and asked if they could help me with the train. They didn’t speak English,Continue reading “Day 269: Train Ride to Hue, Vietnam”
Day 268: American Giant
After sleeping for three hours in my last-minute hotel in Ninh Binh, I woke up at 11:30 am. I had a headache and felt rundown. The older that I get, the more overnight busses and planes wear on me. I took some Excedrin and searched online for things to do. I only had a dayContinue reading “Day 268: American Giant”
Days 267-268: Travel Woes
I left Ha Giang after completing a four-day motorbike tour of the mountains in the north of Vietnam. The bus ride from Hanoi to Ha Giang was awful because it was their standard sleeper bus, which is too small for anybody over 5’5”. I booked the overnight VIP bus to return to Hanoi and itContinue reading “Days 267-268: Travel Woes”
Day 267: Driving a Motorbike in the Rain
It was cold at the homestay in northern Vietnam. I grabbed a blanket from the empty mattress pad next to me and put it on top of mine. That kept me warm and comfortable through the night. As I ate breakfast, I talked with the three travellers from Holland about medical school and how theyContinue reading “Day 267: Driving a Motorbike in the Rain”
Day 266: The Chinese Border
After we said goodbye to Erik and Melana, we continued our trek through the mountains in northern Vietnam. Ben and Berry rode on the back of the bike of two guides and I continued to drive my own bike. It was colder that day, 48°F (8°C), so I put my coat on instead of myContinue reading “Day 266: The Chinese Border”
Day 265: Being Silly
I woke up in a homestay in the northern mountains in Vietnam. I tried to use the bathroom, but was told the power was out and I needed to use the bathroom downstairs. Melana and Erik didn’t take a shower the night before because they were tired, so they had to take cold showers usingContinue reading “Day 265: Being Silly”
Day 264: Driving a Motorbike Through the Vietnamese Mountains
I woke up in my hotel, packed my bags, and asked the front desk where the nearest ATM was located. The man didn’t speak much English, but gave a few instructions. After walking for seven minutes and not finding the ATM, I asked store owners if they could help. I kept getting led astray andContinue reading “Day 264: Driving a Motorbike Through the Vietnamese Mountains”