Five Highs and Two Lows – Vietnam (Part 2)

And now the companion piece – the emotional highs and lows of a month in Vietnam.

I have already written about a quiet day on a boat in Bai Tu Long Bay, hiking in Ninh Binh, riding on a motorbike, and generally being surrounded by captivating architecture.  But here are a few other highs from hanging out in Hanoi:

Continue reading Five Highs and Two Lows – Vietnam (Part 2)

A Story About: Community

While in Hanoi, a Story Slam appeared on our group’s calendar for a Saturday night, with the topic of “community”.  I admit that my first reaction was that I would enjoy being in the audience to see my first slam.  I then reminded myself that I am actively working on story-telling skills, so I really should volunteer regardless of my uncertainties of the format and the elusiveness of the topic.  Below is a rough transcript of the story I told that night.  Perhaps put yourself with another twenty people, in a second floor lounge at a Hanoi bar with rearranged, mismatched furniture and the sound of motorbikes coming in through an open window, to get a little bit of the ambiance and spirit of the evening….

Continue reading A Story About: Community

Something in the Air

Today’s Travel Tip: Don’t take good air quality for granted.

My current approach to traveling hasn’t allowed much time to think about the next destination, as I have tried to soak up as much as possible where I am actually living.  This led me to land in Hanoi, Vietnam, rather unprepared for the air that hit me.  An app that I quickly befriended is called AirVisual.  Here are a few notes about my experience with it.

Continue reading Something in the Air

Welcome to Hanoi!

Fifth month with Remote Year, so fifth country – Vietnam.  This is no where near South Africa, so I had a chance to find out if I actually have skills for long haul flights, or if the enjoyable 11.5 hour flight from Paris to Cape Town had been a fluke…..I think I did alright with Cape Town-Dubai-Hanoi, even having already acknowledged that the malaria pills were making me a little prickly.  And when it takes 19 total hours to cross 5 time zones (only five???!), who knows what jet lag even means at that point!  I had to stay somewhat focused to navigate the free-for-all of getting through the crowd blocking the first few customs windows, to find dozens more windows, still with lines – it is worse than guessing which line to pick at the grocery store.  But once truly into Hanoi, I greatly appreciated being fully taken care of by the local team – giving me my new SIM card and taking me right to the door of my new apartment to start the next adventure!

Continue reading Welcome to Hanoi!

Ann’s news, wonderings, and wanderings