30 Hours on a Bus With No Bathroom
Riddle me this: Let’s say you are a budget traveler. Which is the best option to get from Hanoi, Vietnam, to Vientiane, Laos… while still maintaining your sanity? a) $150 …
What is it like to travel in Vietnam as a solo female traveler? I spent a month there, journeying from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, including a motorcycle ride through the Central Highlands. See beautiful photos and interesting articles about the experience here.
YUM: Eat Vietnamese Bun Bo Nam Bo!
In Thailand, you can wake up in your hotel room at one pm (two hours after checkout), stagger to the reception clerk and say, “I think I’ll stay another night, …
Hanoi’s Super-Cute Ex-Pat Cafes
“I’m analyzing your deepest fears and desires right now,” said the short-haired, middle-aged Canadian woman, staring at the drawings her French co-worker had scrawled on their paper placemats. The warm …
Little Stools and Other Situations Close to the Earth
Here are three differences between American culture and Vietnamese culture that have to do with being closer, physically, to the Earth. 1. Feet. I went to college with a fellow …
Mannequin Bodies, By Country
One of the most hilarious aspects of teaching is having the opportunity to absorb the latest teen slang. It’s endlessly entertaining! In the Boston Public School in which I worked …
John McCain’s Hanoi Prison, Today!
Across from the glass case holding the uniform John McCain was wearing when he was shot down (pictured, right), Hoa Lo Prison in Hanoi has a sign that reads as …
Travelers: Visas are Important!
The accompanying (rather unrelated) photos for this article are street scenes from Hanoi, Vietnam (particularly motorcycle sights, which never cease to amaze me) and views of Hanoi’s Temple of Literature. …
Vietnam’s Spunk!
Yes, that IS a giant octopus piled on top of a moving motorcycle in the photo to the left. “Remember,” said Ahmar, speaking from his ten months living in Hanoi, …
Loving Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem Lake
Here’s a deeply foolish idea: Check yourself into a hip, uber-popular Backpacker’s hostel when you are exhausted beyond belief and really just need to sleep. Screw being social with nubile …
Salvaging My Motorcycle-Maimed Computer!
The famous author from whom I bought my dear little Asus eee PC threw me a sharp Facebook message in response to one of my status updates. “What happened to …