Archive for April, 2008

Bangkokitis \ bang-kok-i-tis \ (n.) a syndrome that occurs when traveller finds refuge in big city offering cool pristine commercial spaces, international cuisine and experiences difficulty extracting oneself from urban environment.

Symptoms: insomnia due to sub-par guesthouse; weight gain from inactivity; headaches from smog and pollution; jitteriness due to overuse of caffeine and sugar in form of overpriced beverages (also contributing to insomnia, headaches and weight gain); memory loss and confusion as one becomes unaware of the date or plans made the day before.
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It seems the typical thing to do for travellers and backpackers is to outwardly turn their nose up at big bustling cities claiming too touristy, too polluted, too busy or too easy for the rough seasoned traveller while guiltily enjoying them and lingering longer than planned. I’ve somewhat done the same however, I have no problem admitting bluntly that I actually love big city life, especially Hanoi!

After spending 3 days in my luxury 5-star Sheraton Hanoi bubble, I expelled myself back into the fast pumping heart of the Old Quarter and spent the first evening romantically watching and enjoying street life from a barstool perch at a cafe terrace while writing in my journal. Here’s a dreamy little excerpt… (more…)

Simply a quick list of “bests” from our northwest circuit, when we finally got around to the real mountains we’d been waiting for! The summits for which we’d been training. The apex of our journey and challenges. A rare ride tagged as “hard” by our friendly 2001 cycling guidebook. Our pinnacle of greatness. Well, okay, not really all that… but the guidebook bit is true! And by “bests”, I mean best highs and best lows because one month later - high or low doesn’t matter, those are all certainly the best moments! (more…)