a i m l e s s

I’m glad to write this update.  Mostly because for the first time in my existence I created a plan, stuck with it, and succeeded in completing the first leg of my journey! 

This trip has been entirely selfish. I’m not riding for any cause or donating money to a charity (though I think sometimes that maybe I should… hmm..?)  I love to test myself and my limits.  I first and foremost want to know my breaking point; how much does it take to make me crack?  Second, (as taken from The Art of Travel) “my motive was simple and hedonistic:  I was looking for beauty.  ‘Delight and enliven me!’ was my implicit challenge!” 

I feel more alive than I have ever in my life.  The molecules of my body are buzzing.  I’m having moments of clarity all day long.. like when you see the wind whip through the branches of some tree, eclipsing the sunlight, and for a flash of a moment you feel you understand ‘it all.’  I’ve been writing a ton, lots of old and new ideas are germinating in this brain.  It’s mostly nonsensical, but this ride has returned me to myself.  Thank you, universe.

Here are the specifics of my ride so far:
(The kilometer markings are, of course, estimates.  I’ve learned two major lessons while riding.  First, don’t trust mile markers.  They often are 5-10 km off, and come in varying orders. Second, don’t trust maps.  Vietnam is growing so fast, new roads and tunnels and road names make it impossible to follow any kind of a strict plan. 

June 28:  Bought the bike, helmet, got saddlebags made, got tools, ready to go!
June 29:  Hanoi to Hoa Binh (75k)– The traffic getting out of the city was miserable!  After just a few short hours I was into rice paddies and hills in the distance.  Ahhhh, fresh air!  Less frequent air horns!  Yay!
June 30:  Hoa Binh to Mai Chau (66k)– This day broke me into pieces.  The heat, the intense uphills (there were MANY around 10%!), the lack of water and oxygen, the incessant “Hellooooo” and “waa waa waa” of the airhorn were too much to handle.  After about two hours of walking an extra long stretch of uphill (11.5k) I slumped under a bamboo shack.  A few other truckers were there.  I felt my heart pounding in my chest, head light, eyes brimming with tears.  I tried to chit chat with the truckers, choking back tears that cried, “Someone save me! I can’t do this!”  A truck driver offered me a ride to Mai Chau.  I showed him my map of the uphill, he explained that the peak of the hill is in two kilometers.  I rested my weary legs, drank some of the truckers water, and waved them along.  With my old sensei’s words ringing in my ears Marthaa….. Neverrr giiivvve upppp!!!  I suited up, gloves, shades, helmet, GO!  I remember ever second of those last two kilometers.  As the hill flattened and I was able to ride, a glance to the sky showed a quick moving storm.  Just as I reached the top, the scenic view of a downhill gliiiiiide into Mai Chau, I feel the first raindrop.  I hurry to shelter, a family selling ears of corn let me hide during the downpour.  Once it lightened up a bit, I suited up in my oblong maroon poncho (perfect for fitting just over the handlebars!) and coasted ever so graciously into the depths of the valley.  I went fast. The wind tore my helmet back off my head.  The vinyl poncho whipped behind me as I passed some extra careful motorbikes with a loud “HELLO!” and a big grin.  After this day I stayed in Mai Chau for a few days to recoup.  I redesigned my plan to exclude the intense terrain of Vietnam’s northwest, opting instead for the flat fertile plains in the central north.
July 3:  Mai Chau to Quan Hoa (45k)– A short day ended in a home-stay in a small village, new Vietnamese family and friends, eating about 35 mangoes in two days, and lots of language learning.
July 5:  Quan Hoa to Ngoc Lac (60k)– I accidentally ate dog meat at dinner with my hotel owners.  It tasted like rotten stinky dog breath and I almost yakked.  But, with grace and a terribly forced grin, I managed to swallow and excuse myself as the hotel owner’s husband started sucking the marrow out of the dog jaw bone.  (Sorry!  It had to be mentioned!)
July 7:  Ngoc Lac to Xuan Tho (100k)– I came across a church on this long ride, and remembering Oma’s words in one of her previous letters If you are ever in trouble, seek out the church….so I rode up and asked if I could stay.  The woman was terribly angry with me for disturbing the peace and quiet of the grounds around the church.  She kept motioning to me “The priests are praying, be quiet!”  It felt more like a monastery.  The woman said, no, I could not sleep at the church.  It was not safe.  (????)  I could not camp.  I could not sleep in the extra bedroom I found when I was looking for someone who worked there.  I also could not sleep on the roof balcony, with a beautiful view of the mountains.  The woman turned me down, question after question, even when I threw her the puppy dog sad eyes.  I told her I was born a Catholic, but it didn’t matter.  She pointed down the road the way I came and said the closest hotel was about 20 kilometers backwards.  NO WAY.  I continued on another 15, finally found a cafe as it was getting dark, explained my predicament to the cafe owner (Toi kawm khach san: I no hotel.  Toi zuht met: I very tired.  Toi la zao vien, di xe dap Viet:  I am teacher, go bicycle Vietnam.)  This sweet wonderful mother cooked me up some ramen and eggs, fed me beer and peanut brittle, offered me her shower, and kicked her 18 year old son out of bed so that I could sleep.  I have never been more grateful!
July 8:  Xuan Tho to Tan Ky (50k)
July 9:  Tan Ky to Cua Lo (95k)– My first day lost.  I listened to music while riding today, got distracted for 40 k, and ended up 40 k east of where I wanted to be.  It worked out though, because I ended up at a beautiful empty beach where I watched the sun set and rise, and built a driftwood campfire.  It was lovely.
July 10:  Cua Lo to Nam Dan (45k)– Nam Dan is supposedly the birthplace of Ho Chi Minh.  I’ve been reading this excellent book about the American war in Vietnam, and I’ve grown to love Uncle Ho.  He was a true visionary, and I believe if America followed through with our deal to give aid to the north and allow elections in all of Vietnam, he would have won by a landslide (he had about 80% popularity!)  But… oh America and our government’s love of guns and power and (especially) bombs.  It didn’t have to be the way it was.  Ho Chi Minh knew this, was well educated and traveled, and really believed in a better future.  It was really cool to see the house where he grew up, photos of him and his comrades conversing over jai (Vietnamese home grown tea). A nice guy on a motorbike showed me around, bought me lunch, coffee, tea, and about five stops to five different cafes on the way home (I think he was just showing me off!)  The name of this town translates to beautiful waters, and the area is just that.  Streams, lakes, rivers.  More lotus flowers than I’ve EVER EVER EVER seen.  Actually I’m not sure that I ever saw a real true lotus flower, standing tall and glorious over a field of muddy water and lily pads, before Nam Dan.  Hm.
July 11:  Nam Dan to Ha Tinh (70k) – A real big city with real big trucks.  I don’t enjoy sharing the road with these pollution-makers.
July 12:  Ha Tinh to Ngang Pass Beach (75k)– I just stopped off to drink some tea and lounge in a hammock for a few minutes.  The girl working convinced me to nod off, and I did for about an hour.  When I awoke, thankfully, my bike and possessions were just as I left them beside the tree where I rested.  I wandered around the property, to find the pristine white sandy beach cove totally uninhabited, as well as about five empty rooms with fans just sitting on the beach-front.  Decisions; sleep here…. ride bike up huge mountain pass…. of course I stayed!  I swam in the sea, made a pretty shell bracelet for the guest-house owner, and read, wrote, drew.  Felt so peaceful.  The sea will do that to you.
July 13:  Ngang Pass Beach to Phong Nha (65k)– Phong Nha is a national park in Vietnam known for its underground caves and grottoes.  I took a boat tour with a guy, his mom, and his son, who all spoke some English.  The son studies at an International School in Ho Chi Minh City, and stood towering over me (the first tall Vietnamese person I have met!)  Luckily, he translated all the tour information for me (Now we will go up 1,467 steps.  Is he joking?   I don’t think so!)  I had a nice rice and veggie dinner at the restaurant across from my hotel.  The owner’s friend kept coming by with her young daughter.  She was cared for by the owner’s eight year old daughter.  The toddler strolled right up to me, confidence exuding, and sat on my lap and peed on me, but it was okay. She was the sweetest smartest 16 month old I have ever met, but was treated so poorly.  She walked around so dirty, bare-bottomed, and treated like a dog.  If she made any sound or touched anything she was reprimanded, to the point of tears.  When she was sad and wanted a hug, she was pushed away or smacked with chopsticks.  I snatched her up and snuggled her as much as I could in the hour I stayed.  She counted the flowers in my book and I read to her in English.  She called me Me(mom) and settled back into my embrace almost falling asleep.  I returned back a few times in the next day to visit this sweet girl, I thought maybe she could soak up that bit of love and spread it out?  Oh, terrible aching sadness.
July 15:  Phong Nha to Dong Ha (150k)– I’m some sort of cycling maniac.  I don’t know what came over me on this day, but I rode all day, into the night, pushing on on on.  I’m not sure I’ll go that far again, It wasn’t very fun in the moment.  It was hot and my toes got sunburned.  But I treated myself to a nice hotel with a bathtub and hot water!  Ooh la la!

If my math is correct I have gone about 896 kilometers so far.  From here on, my plan is a bit in the air.  I’ll probably go through Laos in a few days (after riding to Hue, a big city with TOURISTS!  And PIZZA!)  Then south to Cambodia, and west into Thailand.  This is only as long as I don’t hear back from Park English in Korea… I have been corresponding with them about teaching English there from August to December.  If that’s possible, it would be great for me to do that, save some money, and maybe see my lovely ladies while I’m at it!  (I MISS YOU GIRLS!)  If not I’ll teach part time in Surat Thani or Chumpheon in Thailand.

 Toi com biet : I don’t know!

<photos soon to come, as soon as I find a computer with a working USB port!>

Vietnam!

Our unwelcomed entrance to Vietnam included two overnight buses (blasting Lao music ALL NIGHT, squishing three full grown adults into seats built for two, infants wailing away, frequent slammings on brakes, crazy downhill speed stunts, and urine/b.o. smelling locals).  Exhausted, we boarded our final three hour ride; a truck taxi on pot-holed dirt road through northeastern Laos to the border city.

 All of this, and not even a kind welcome.  The Vietnamese guards were nice enough to rid us of our extra ‘kip’ (Lao money) at a terrible rate.  We were warned that locals in this border village were not used to having foreigners, and the ‘bus station’ was a mere 500 meters walk into the village.  The ‘bus station’ as mentioned, was little more than a man whose teeth were in a worse state than his rusted and dirty mini-bus.  He offered us the ridiculous price of 40US$ for a ride to Hanoi.  We were able to bargain him down to 30, but the going rate is about a quarter of that price.  Tired, hot, sweaty, muddy, we had no choice but to board this bus with it’s tiny seats and it’s men with outlandishly long finger and toenails that they ever so conveniently placed between the seats that Danny and I smushed into. 

The ride should have been 8 hours, but somehow we got shifted once more.  We stopped at every village, crossroads, town, and random house on the street, paired with a gentle constant quadruple horn honk at stops, gos, curves, straights, ups, downs, pretty much at any given moment the brake was replaced with the horn.  We arrived around midnight in Hanoi at an unnamed bus terminal to a crowd of pushy Vietnamese men who wanted us to ride on their motorbikes for an exorbitant price.  Thankfully, we knew of these scams and began our walk to the Old Quarter, realizing after just a few minutes, that we would never make it due to our current state of fatigue.  A few blocks away we flagged down a taxi, who put us on his meter and promised to take us to one of Lonely Planet’s suggested guesthouses (it was way too late to look around).  The meter rose faster than any taxi in New York City, and shafted again, we ended up paying 198,000 VND (about 12.50$) for a 15 minute taxi ride in circles.  I was so mad, I envisioned myself spitting at the taxi driver’s face, but somehow managed to keep my cool and snatch the 2,000 change as rudely as possible. 

 WELCOME TO VIETNAM.  The locals are unfriendly, unless they are trained in tourism in which case they forcefeed creepy laughter at inopportune conversational moments.  Bargaining takes on a violent undertone; as foreigners we are expected to pay five times the prices locals pay (which is okay for a vacation, but in long term travel is impossible to keep a budget!)  We’re hoping people are simply more pushy in the city, and once we leave for the south, we will encounter a friendlier vibe.

 We departed Hanoi after just a few days, to the humid and hot Cat Ba Island located in Halong Bay, just a few hours bus ride east.  We slept in a tent on the beach, burnt our fair skin in the powerful sun, swam in the warmest sea, and took a boat tour to see more islands around the area.  The water was clear and greenish, the limestone rock cliffs magnificent and large; they created some magnificent and large thoughts and emotions within me.  There were natural bridges eroded into many of the rocks, some were more narrow at the waterline, upside down tear-drop shaped protrusions of stone and green plant life.  We met a sweet sweedish family who travels together every summer in southeast asia and I felt inspired by them to instil the love of exploration and adventure to my future family. 

Back in Hanoi, our last day together, I must rush this post as Danny and I have a date with the Prison Museum to see photos of John McCain behind Vietnamese bars.  As for my future in Asia, I’ve had lots of questions about what’s next, so here’s a vague itinerary:

1.  Buy a bicycle this week, and gear, and cycle around Vietnam until the end of my visa (about three weeks.)

2.  Ride into Cambodia and explore Khmer culture, cycling through and stopping at many places along the way.

3.  Enter Thailand via bike, explore wildlife in Hat Yai National Park, and meet my new employer at the end of August in Surat Thani.

4.  Teach english part time in the port city of Chumpheon, with easy access to many beautiful islands and beaches.  (Breathe, eat, sleep, learn Thai, practice yoga)

5.  Undergo teacher training at Pyramid Yoga Center on Koh Phangan from February until April 2009.

6.  To avoid a severe beating from family and friends, return to New Jersey and share the shanti things I learned in the past year. 

Hopefully, the money will last and my bicycle will not fall apart.  No worries, I am prepared and safe for such travels (MOM, BREATHE!)

“Journeys are the midwives of thought.  Few places are more conducive to internal conversations than a moving plane, ship, or train (or bike).  There is an almost quaint correlation between what is in front of our eyes and the thoughts we are able to have in our heads: large thoughts at times requiring large views, new thoughts new places.  Introspective reflections which are liable to stall are helped along by the flow of the landscape.”