Welcome Back

July 14, 2009

3 1/2 hours after going to bed I woke up.  Wide awake at 4 in the morning.
I crept out to the living room trying not to disturb anyone else, only to be joined shortly by Marc and the girls because they were also wide awake.  And hungry.
We got dressed and headed out to Mary’s Cafe for [...]

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The 36-Hour Monday

July 13, 2009

You’ve heard of the 4-Hour Workweek, right?
Well, on Monday, June 22, we flew over 9,000 miles on 3 different planes to get from Hanoi to Dallas, crossing 11 time zones in the process.

Here’s the story of our 36-hour Monday:
After waking up early in Hanoi, we checked out of our hotel and “enjoyed” one last drive [...]

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Winding Down in Hanoi

July 10, 2009

We spent the last few days or our world tour taking it easy in Hanoi, the lovely capital of Vietnam.

We didn’t do much, except eat some good food and think of all the things we’re going to miss.
The streets back home won’t be full of motorbikes,

and the sidewalks won’t double as restaurants.

But after so many [...]

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Cruising Again

July 9, 2009

At this point in our travels, we were starting to miss the 3 months we spent living on cruise ships. So when we arrived in Hanoi, one of the first things we did was sign up for a junk boat cruise in Ha Long Bay.

Just a 3-hour death-defying van ride from Vietnam’s capital city, Ha [...]

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Slowing Down in Hoi An

July 9, 2009

Hoi An was a refreshing change of pace from the frenzy of Saigon. The old town along the river gets the old-world charm thing just right, with perfectly aged buildings housing a handful of great restaurants, some art & souvenir shops, and about 500 tailors.

Surrounding the historic old town are several blocks of slightly more [...]

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Full Moon Festival

July 8, 2009

We cut our stay in Saigon short so we could be in Hoi An on the 14th day of the lunar month for the town’s famous monthly festival.
As we strolled into the historic town center while the sun began to set, it didn’t seem like much was going on . So, we decided to grab [...]

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Cheap Thrills in Saigon

July 7, 2009

The first thing we noticed when we arrived in the last country of our world tour was the abundance of motorcycles. We thought we’d seen a lot in Thailand and Cambodia, but Vietnam takes it to a whole new level.

As a result, crossing the street here is a real thrill. Since there are no crosswalks [...]

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Happy Independence Day!

July 4, 2009

We’re happy to be back in America for her birthday festivities, as we continue catching up with family and friends after our long world tour. (and happy birthday to my mom, too!)
We’ve finally gotten over the jetlag, and I’ve spent most of the past week commuting between freelance work in downtown Dallas and our temporary [...]

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How to Avoid Jetlag

June 25, 2009

You can’t. Suck it up.

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The 2-Wheeled SUV

June 21, 2009

Back in the US, motorbikes and scooters are only used as transportation for 1-2 people. But it seems like people in Southeast Asia have realized more of their full potential.
So, what can you put on a motorbike?

A family of 3 and all their groceries,

several bicycles,

A whole bunch of pillows and blankets,

And yes, even a family [...]

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