Day 166: Luang Prabang (rest day) I would have never predicted I’d wake up in a city in Laos on New Year’s Day in a million years. I guess anything is possible with a dream of adventure and a bicycle. The morning started on the front terrace overlooking the Mekong River. It was raining pretty […]
Laos (Part 1)
Day 161: Dien Bien to Muang Khua The alarm rudely woke us up at 4:00 am. We needed to take another bus to get over the mountains that created the border between Vietnam and Laos. We arrived early to make sure we could purchase a ticket and load the bikes. The bus was supposed to […]
Cycling Northern Vietnam
Day 156: Ta Van to Tram Duang (44 miles) This was the hardest day thus far, both physically and mentally. We climbed uphill for 15 miles! 15! The sweet reward was 13 miles of downhill. 13! The views were spectacular. We had lunch on a rock overlooking the terraced valley. The downhill was scary, though, […]
I Can’t Wait For…
I Can’t Wait For… Here is a list of some of the things we miss/are going to do first thing when we get back home. Megan: Mani/pedi To get waxed Crest whitening strips A hair cut To put make up on To wear a dress with heels A variety of dangly earrings To wear my […]
Rest days Hanoi, Vietnam
Day 149: Hanoi (rest day) Breakfast at the hotel was like a Vegas buffet. Totally recommend 3B Homestay to anyone visiting Hanoi. Laundry is done—always so grateful for clean, dry clothes. In major cities, we always have a list of chores to complete. Today’s list included going to the Thai Embassy for our visas, exchanging […]
Rest days in Sapa
Day 152: Lao Cai to Ta Van At 5:30 am, we were woken by a saleswoman trying to sell us coffee on the train. Go away! Our cabin mates had already left at their stop. I guess I was sleeping pretty well despite the bumpy, rocking ride; I didn’t even hear them leave. We got […]
Cycling China and Vietnam
Day 144: Nanning to Dongmenzhen (55 miles) We’ve stayed healthy this past five months on the road, but I think unhealthy China is catching up with me. I felt achy all day. I zoned out and pushed through the miles just to get them done. As soon as we checked into the hotel, I fell […]
Top 10 food cravings
Cycling China, Guangxi (Part 4)
Day 136: Guilin to Baishouzhen (48 miles) The miles, we’re anticipating, in the next week are going to be long. To avoid riding in the dark, we set an alarm for this morning, something we’ve rarely done on this trip. The first day setting the alarm is always difficult. Maybe that’s why I was the […]
Cycling China, Guangxi (Part 3)
Day 132: Yangshou to Xingping (18 miles) We had a short ride to the neighboring town. The ride was pleasant; still surrounded by the karst, Avatar mountains and the weather was so nice. We arrived at the hostel around lunchtime. After edible fuel, we hiked the 1,150 steps to the top of Laozhai Hill, one […]