It’s become a thing for me. Heading to the mountains of Sapa Vietnam for my birthday
Purple Haze
Barista of Bad
grinding up life’s bitter moments into something good.
Feral
how do you help the child who has never been disciplined
Motor-psycho!
OK. I cried uncle. I couldn’t handle Saigon (aka Ho Chi Minh City). Too many bikes. A motorcycle even drove through this dive while I was eating, giving a new meaning to drive-thru. I was in Saigon just long enough to fuel up on some tasty dishes and caffeine. The food? I could eat there forever. While northern Vietnam is […]
Cap’n America
The best thing about being left by my husband in the middle of Asia in the middle of your life is that every day is a new chance to figure out who I am. But screw that. I’m on holiday. It’s the Vietnamese New Year so instead of figuring out my purpose, I’ll be searching for something really challenging. Cap’n […]
Danang, Vietnam, Swim Suit Edition
So what is the big attraction in Danang? Nothing. And that’s a good thing. After the maze of craze in Hanoi, AKA H’annoyed, I boarded a seventeen hour train to one of the most spectacular beaches in the world. Danang. Don’t worry, I never heard of this secret resort either, I until I plotted my Chinese New Year’s Getaway. The […]
How to Carve a Peacock
One of the perks of being a DaBiZi (big nosed American) in China is that you get to judge English Speaking Contests. But today? I didn’t even have to judge. I just had to hand out awards. And one more thing: I had to pose for pictures. Yes, English speaking competitions are a big deal. This contest was held in […]
New Years in the Middle of Everywhere
The Facebook message found me on fringes of Southwest Thailand. It was from John, first home-town boyfriend and now writer for the local paper. “Lori Danneffel died.” This can’t be right. I just saw her this summer. Lori? She has a husband. Grandkids. A contagious laugh that still rings in my ears. A pit forms in my stomach, the kind […]
Unknown Tourist, I have Sinned.
Sometimes I think I’m a solo traveler and other times I’m convinced I’m a roaming confessional. When people see me slurping noodles by myself, they are attracted to me like a guilty soul to a curtained booth. They spill their guts then board their next train with a clean conscious. Take for instance, Travis the Fake ID courier. (It’s a […]
What to do if you get a bladder infection in the middle of nowhere
My gut is immune to most bugs in Asia, those I eat as well as those that are festering in a piece of pork. But I did get a bladder infection on the road. Or off the beaten path Actually, in the middle of nowhere, Ayutthaya, Thailand, the ancient capital of Thailand. If I had been in Bangkok, things would […]