[water buffalo, my favorite. Can the baby buffalo be any cuter????]
Sorry, no posts lately. There has been limited Internet connections since Tuesday, it is now Saturday evening.
[government housing for displaced ethnic group moved from their original homes to make way for the hydro-electric plant]My journey with the Cascade Bike Club tour is coming to an end. This morning we loaded up the van and headed into Ho Chi Min City. Tonight we gather for the final time. Three of our members are catching the 1:00am flight back to Seattle. We all have heard about slushy snow and cold temperatures. It's hard to imagine after so many days of warm and humid weather. 
[common housing along our bike route, the children were so beautiful and so happy to see us]
I began planning this trip more than six months ago. As much as I talked about it I bet some of my friends think I've been planning for a year! It seemed like a dream when I began - I didn't worry about being on my own, I wasn't frightened about the cycling or the travel. I tried hard to keep my expectations in tact, not expect too much but to be open to the adventure - to be filled with 'expectancy.' I am happy to report that this trip has exceed any expectations I may have harbored. It has been the adventure of a lifetime. I don't know if or when I'll be able to take a journey like this again but I do know that I will never regret the time I have spent here. It has opened my eyes to the world in a way that books and movies have not. It has illuminated what can I do and what do I struggle with.
There is not enough positive things I could say about the tour company, Pedaltours. Many of my fellow travelers have been on several bike tours, one in fact was a bike tour guide for one season. We all unanimously agree, Pedatours and specifically our tour guides, Nihm and Bing (spelling??) have been extraordinary, seeing our needs even before we realized what we needed.
[boat trip across the river toward the ocean with my friends, Jennifer and Rick Tobin]
Tomorrow I begin the final leg of my adventure. I am spending three days with Marjie Bowker, a fellow colleague and friend of Chris Brown (Harbor Square, another crazy person like me who is there daily at 5:00am). Check out her blog: http://www.marjiebowker.blogspot.com/
[common housing along our bike route, the children were so beautiful and so happy to see us]I began planning this trip more than six months ago. As much as I talked about it I bet some of my friends think I've been planning for a year! It seemed like a dream when I began - I didn't worry about being on my own, I wasn't frightened about the cycling or the travel. I tried hard to keep my expectations in tact, not expect too much but to be open to the adventure - to be filled with 'expectancy.' I am happy to report that this trip has exceed any expectations I may have harbored. It has been the adventure of a lifetime. I don't know if or when I'll be able to take a journey like this again but I do know that I will never regret the time I have spent here. It has opened my eyes to the world in a way that books and movies have not. It has illuminated what can I do and what do I struggle with.
There is not enough positive things I could say about the tour company, Pedaltours. Many of my fellow travelers have been on several bike tours, one in fact was a bike tour guide for one season. We all unanimously agree, Pedatours and specifically our tour guides, Nihm and Bing (spelling??) have been extraordinary, seeing our needs even before we realized what we needed.
[boat trip across the river toward the ocean with my friends, Jennifer and Rick Tobin]Tomorrow I begin the final leg of my adventure. I am spending three days with Marjie Bowker, a fellow colleague and friend of Chris Brown (Harbor Square, another crazy person like me who is there daily at 5:00am). Check out her blog: http://www.marjiebowker.blogspot.com/
[dog meat . . . don't worry P & S, I wouldn't even consider tasting it! I even felt guilty taking a picture of it.]She is teaching at an international school here in Ho Chin Ming City. She is a great writer who writes about her experience teaching but more so than anything, food - all her favorite findings in the city.
Because I've fallen behind on my blog lately, part II will contain the highlights of the last few days of cycling.
Again, thanks for all your warm wishes and comments. I can't wait to get home and see my babies, including Penny and Scout, my friends and work colleagues. I miss you all!!
Wow....sort of at a loss for words. Safe travels home. xo
ReplyDeletewow Michellee, this seems all you dreamed of and more. Can't wait for you to get home, I missed you like crazy!! ps. glad you didn't eat the dog.
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