Will you be nearby?

While riding around town over the past weekend--gotta get in as many miles as possible before the rains come--I ran into Eppo at the Westside Co-op.  He was taking a break from playing the violin (I thought it was a fiddle) for passersby, so we sat and talked for a while.  When the conversation turned to my bike, I told him about my upcoming trip.  His first question was, "Are you going alone?"  Then he told me about some of his travels in Thailand and how it's nice to occasionally have some company.

Hadn't really considered it (those of you who know me well are unsurprised)...

So...

Are you going to be in Southeast Asia in December or January?  If so, drop me a email or leave a comment below if you'd like to see if we can spend a couple of days traveling together or just hanging out.  I'll be staying in hostels or B&B's most of the time, eating local food, and meeting the locals. 

The tentative intinerary is:

01 Dec - arrive in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
02 - 09 Dec - purchase a motorcycle; sightseeing and day trips while awaiting paperwork
10 Dec - head north toward Hoi An, Da Nang, and Hanoi
16 Dec - arrive in Hanoi
17 Dec - Ha Long Bay
20 Dec - Hanoi
24 Dec - Sa Pa
28 Dec - Vientiene, Laos
31 Dec - Golden Triangle, Thailand 
04 Jan - Burma?
09 Jan - Bangkok
11 Jan - Cambodia/Laos
20 Jan - Saigon

The route is pretty set, the timeframe is flexible. I look forward to hearing your ideas.

In case anyone is wondering why I'd publish this on-line for potential thieves to know when to stop by and load up a truck, I have a security system, a house-sitter, and an attack cat--plus a County Sheriff friend who'll be making random checks.