Sand Angels

I'm unsure how to even start... having never suffered from triskaidekaphobia, I had to look up the spelling. After this past Friday, 13 December 2103, they may have a point.

After a very nice respite at the beach, we loaded up, headed out, and got about 2 meters.. and very possibly less.

Annika, Philine and I had decided that the locals riding motos on the beach looked like something we'd enjoy, so we headed for the sand. Has anyone seen my common sense? I'm unsure where it is, but I know it's nowhere near me and apparently hasn't been since I arrived in Việt Nam.

As I've written previously, my Yamaha 125 is a nice little bike. Did I mention that it's little? Add me and my 40 kilos of gear, and I'm constantly reminded of the circus bear riding a tricycle. Even the bear would know better than to ride an overloaded bike into sand unless it's hard-packed—especially when it's running on street tires! My bike, obviously smarter than I, immediately decided to make a sand angel.

With my leg twisted underneath it. No worries, the only thing damaged was my dwindling pride.

The resort owner, trying very hard to keep a straight face, ran down to help me regain my feet and upright the bike. No harm, no foul, right? I immediately went back to hard scape, right?

Uhhhhhhh...

If we've had more than a couple in-person conversations, you've heard me talk about the two things that both women and have and that men have too much of. Each of them is constantly trying to take us (men) off the planet. You maybe already guessed that I'm talking about Ego and Testosterone.

Since I didn't find my common sense while face down in the sand, ego said, "Minor set-back; no one got a photo; we're good." So my ego maneuvered the bike to a more firm (yet not FIRM like the sand at the water's edge) area to launch my beach ride... and I went down again... then a third time.

Had enough? Of course. Not.

By this time I'd made it to hard-pack and Annika and Philine were there also. Upright. So off we rode...

After about a kilometer or so, we were unable to find a route back to the road, so we turned around and got out of the sand 50 meters north of the resort—with the help of the owner AND after two final sand angels. The resort owner is probably still laughing...

Call me Charlie Brown... or is it Barney Fife?

Now that we're on asphalt, we can make up some time by taking a route that even Garmin did not know... And we did, until Philine noticed a slight wobble in Annika's rear wheel. Annika said that she had been feeling something recently, so we pulled over at the first mechanic's shop we saw… which was less than 100 yards away. My guess is that it would be hard to go 10 km here without seeing at least one sign advertising Honda motorbike repair. It's not necessarily that they need fixing a lot, it's that they are omnipresent. The bikes that the girls are riding were actually made in Việt Nam. The mechanics were at first skeptical, especially after they put Annika's bike up on the stand and try to wobble the wheel. When they found nothing loose, they dismissed us and went back to working on the bike that they been working on when we arrived.

It took some insistence and a phone call to Hung for some translation, but we finally got the mechanic to test-ride her bike. He didn't go 50 meters before he turned around, came back, and immediately started disassembling the rear wheel. In well under an hour, he had the wheel reassembled and the bike running just fine. Total cost for diagnosis and repair: US$3.50.

Even better, we found out from the locals that were about 16 km off the road we wanted to be on. We back-tracked and scurried for Đà Lạt. Click here for today's map, including the wrong turn.

The rest of the day's ride was pretty much a blur... and when we arrived in Đà Lạt, the first thing I wanted was a massage!

Unfortunately, as I write this almost 3 days later, I don't even remember if I got one...

Next stop, Buôn Ma Thuôt...

On the road... then on the beach

Fair warning... I'm writing this while watching the ocean surf roll in on a beach just north of Mui Ne.

I began the day with a 6 a.m. swim in the Pacific.

Then, once "the girls" got out of their room, we cut apple, pineapple, watermelon, banana, and a fruit whose name we don't know—all purchased last night for less than US$2—for our breakfast. After a while, we noticed out tongues were tingling and decided to go light on the pineapple. It's going to be a good day when you start with a fruit cornucopia on an otherwise deserted Vietnamese beach...

At least a couple of you are thinking, "Girls? What girls? Wasn't he doing this solo?" Yes, I was. Past tense. If you're thinking "the girls" is not PC, please take a minute to remove the stick before reading on... :)

As reported last time, I took a couple extra days in HCMC for motorcycle repair and scabbing-up. I also got a street side sandal repair and shine,

talked with a few locals (note how the baby is mounted on the scooter),

and watched from across the street as the bar girls await customers...

   (Photo courtesy of Terence)

Also in that interval, Mr. Hung introduced me to two young women (Philine and Annika) from Germany who were about to depart on a journey similar to mine on rented 100cc Honda Wins and with ZERO hours on a motorcycle. They had decided a couple days earlier to do this as part of their four-month holiday and had zero preparation or supplies. Until I met them, I thought I was adventurous!

We talked for a while and I must've scared them a bit because when I invited them to join me for at least the first part of my trip, they accepted with virtually no hesitation. Now my solo trip was a party of four.

Four? Oh, yeah... Hahn, the woman I met who, along with her sister, cleaned and dressed my wounds last Saturday, had agreed to act as interpreter on the trip to Hanoi. Although I studied the language before leaving, the lessons were in the Hà Nội dialect which is different than the HCMC dialect. Add that to what I'm sure is my abysmal pronunciation of a tonal language, and I'm pretty sure they're hearing something indistinguishable from Urdu. After eight days, I'd gotten the basics, but the expats I'd met suggested lining up an interpreter and it would be worth the $75 per week expense... If that is how it had worked out. The night prior to departure, Hahn went home to pick up clothes, etc. and never returned. She also took the iPhone 3GS that I'd bought to replace the POS Altell phone I brought from home and a total of just under US$500. Since I'd paid for a room for her at my hotel, I didn't know she wasn't coming back until the next morning—when I got to rush out a buy ANOTHER damn phone. So much for friends of friends of friends! AND I've got to be less trusting, which really sucks! Now back to three...

Tuesday morning a little after 9, Hung led us a km or so from the shop, where we picked up the highway out of HCMC. We were off! Off our nut, as the Brits might say...

I should mention here that Hung had taken them out to learn the basics, and when I asked about low-speed maneuvering, they wanted some more. So Monday afternoon we rode about 15 minutes out of town and found a quiet road where I gave them basic instruction on low--speed maneuvering, head turning (chin pointing), and a bit more. Stop laughing! 

(Note to those of you wondering why someone might be laughing--go back to the first post entitled "The Beginning")

Did you know that there's a moto ferry outside HCMC? Neither did we. It cost about 50 cents US for the three of us and, unfortunately, it was too hectic to pull out a camera or phone for a quick snap. It felt a bit like Hong Kong's Star Ferry, but more utilitarian, no polished wood in sight, and motos instead of people. Unlike the ferries at home, there's no time to get off your bike and no room to walk around if you did. For those unfamiliar with either of the above two references, think LA rush hour gridlock room to maneuver while on a boat.

On the other side of the Saigon River, we headed south and east, then eventually turned northeast. After about a five hour ride that included a stop for lunch, we reached La Gi. During a refueling stop, I called Gee and got basic directions to the hotel where he lives and were we would spend the night.

Once in La Gi, we realized that we had overshot, so we turned around. We missed a turn and ended up in unfamiliar territory; downtown. This point, we stop and ask for directions. The problem was, no one spoke enough English understand what we were asking. This would probably be the time to mention that all of our cell phones were dead. We had left them on for the entire trip, and figure that the constant searching for signal completely drained the batteries. I asked a shop owner if I could use her electricity to recharge my battery enough to make a phone call (all in gestures with a few poorly-pronounced Vietnamese words thrown in for good measure). After I was finally able to call Gee, it took about five minutes for him to show up and lead us back to the hotel, where he negotiated a very good deal for us.

Click here to get to the ferry and here for the other end of the ferry to La Gi without the getting lost part. I had to do two maps because Google won't recognize that you can cross the water via the ferry.

Yesterday morning, after breakfast with Gee, we hit the road again. The first day was about 105 km including wrong turns. Day two was about 111 km including wrong turns. Did I mention earlier that road conditions keep us under 35kph most of the time (~20mph for the metric-challenged).

Without my GPS, each day would be a lot longer with a lot more wrong turns. At least so far, road numbers and directional signs at minor intersections are quite uncommon in Việt Nam. It seems that most people know the route, so it's only a problem for us farangs. 

During a brief rest stop in Pan Thiet (see parking lot [Gui Xe] photo above), Philine and Annika looked for a GPS, but were unable to locate one (pun unintentional). I told them they are more than welcome to travel with me for as long as they like, though I'd imagine some point we will have different ideas as to what's next and I don't blame them for being wanting to be able to strike out on their own without fear of getting too lost. If you're going to make a similar trip, save yourself HUGE aggravation and purchase the SD chip for your Garmin GPS. It is worth many, many times what they charge for it.

Our goal for the day was Mui Ne and we overshot it by 10 or so km while looking for a specific hotel mentioned in our guidebooks. We again backtracked and, using the GPS, found a gravel road off the main road that led to a road we never would've otherwise found. After turning down one resort for $30 per night, our second stop found us at Suoi Nuoca, aclean resort with minimal frills and a very friendly host and hostess who speak no English.
Note: This is NOT "Jibe's Suoi Nuoca Beach Club" that shows up on an Internet search. I think you have to search for this gem in the real (non-virtual) reality. Click here for a map that will get you close... it's also the map of today's route.

Here's the chair 40 feet outside my $12.50 per night room:
We almost immediately decided to take a bit of a break and stay two nights. There's absolutely nothing to do on-property but be, and it feels good. Dinner last night was a kilometer or two down the road and very good. Dinner tonight, we don't know yet. That's too far in the future {smile}.

Please excuse any typos, I am on holiday. I would appreciate it if you point them out to me, though.

Countdown Stopped; Launch Delayed... Because I LAUNCHED

Mid-afternoon Saturday (add 15 hours to PST, 12 to EST to get time here) I was taking a scenic ride through HCMC and was, for the first time ever while riding, wearing only a t-shirt, shorts, and my favorite Keen sandals. Thank goodness my toes were covered, because I was going about 25-30 kph (15-18 mph) when a family of three on a moped cut in front of me... then stopped dead in my path. They were less than 50 feet away, so I dumped the bike rather than hit them. As about six locals rushed over to lend me a hand, including turning off the bike, up-righting the bike, picking up keys (more on that later), and checking to make sure I was okay, the offending moped took off.

Once I collected my wits (at least as many as I had that day) I did an assessment… two road-rashed knees, as well as my right elbow, hand, and foot were the first things I noticed. I took off my helmet, and didn't notice any marks. With six other points of contact, I somehow managed to keep my head off the ground. If you're keeping track, you may have noticed that I only was the five points of contact. The sixth was brought to my attention when one of the locals handed me three keys that had been on a new keychain attached to my belt loop. I looked around and found a semicircle fragment of the keychain—all that was left. Apparently, the rest of the key ring was ground down in the slide. I'm going to keep it as a souvenir, because the road rash will eventually heal…

I considered including a photo of the rash on the elbow, and then thought better of it. 
 

You're welcome.

The good news is, that with a little bit of repair the bike will be back in excellent running condition; I guess it's even more important that with the exception of a few 2 in.² patches, I am whole... And they will disappear, though I may end up with a new scar or three :-)

Today (Sunday) was supposed to be the beginning of the motorcycle portion of my trip. With the need for repairs to the bike and the couple days it will take for everything to scab up, I now plan to leave Tuesday morning. In case you're wondering, I'm not riding the bike again until it's fully repaired.

The day started out a lot better. I sat with Cong and my Reise maps of Việt Nam before breakfast and he helped me map out my real world route and time frame. It's gonna take quite a bit longer than I thought to get to Laos (pronounced Lao on this continent)...

Path will be: HCMC to La Gi (home of G)—Mui Ne—Dalat—Buôn Ma Thôut—Pleiku—Hoi An—Đa Nẵng—Dong Ha—Kỳ Anh—Thanh Hôa—Hà Nôi.

Without layover days (Hoi An/Ha Long Bay/Hà Nôi/Sa Pa) that's three weeks! If only I were traveling with a translator <smile>. I'm working on it...

In only one week here, I've already stopped asking—for the most part—what is in the food put in front of me—and I know I've ingested beef or beef broth at least twice. After 39 years without beef, pork, or chicken, that's quite an admission. The good news is that there is no factory farming here, so the slaughter is probably more humane. I'm less than thrilled about this change in diet, but it could be a LOT worse. Who knows? In three weeks I'll surely be closer to an omnivore than I have been since 1974!

The First Three Full Days

It's been quite an interesting three days. Almost as soon as I got here, my brand-new T-Mobile cell phone, purchase specifically for this trip, stopped working. I finished a call; pick up the phone 20 minutes later make another call; and suddenly neither the microphone or the speaker worked! This is BRAND NEW Altell Evolve from T-Mobile and it is now toast. No, it was neither dropped nor otherwise mistreated. One minute it worked, and the next, it didn't. 

This means that the first full day of my adventure was spent first trying to get this POS fixed, and then in search of a new phone. This time (with translation assistance from Hoa, I bought something with which I am familiar... a used iPhone 3GS. I guess I should be grateful that it happened in HCMC rather than in the boonies. I couldn't even call customer service because I can't use my phone and the only number that their website has is a toll-free 800 number that is only good from the US. I contacted them via the on-line "Customer Support" line and, after about 25 minutes of round-and-round, I was told that since they can only ship a replacement phone within the U.S., I am on my own with this one. I thought I was saving money, and now it's cost me an additional $130 and, more maddening, a full day-plus out of my trip. Oh well, it certainly could be worse.

Both Monday and Tuesday afternoons, Ann's friend Khai graciously took me around town on his motorbike, showed me many of the sites and even buying me a bowl of phỏ. He's a very nice guy and a good tour guide. Thank you, Khai!

As mentioned in a previous post, the streets here are full of bikes with a few cars running just of keep it interesting. Hoa, a mechanic from the bike shop, gave me a ride to the hotel Monday night and called it a "people river". So well-put that I'm going to appropriate it :)

Most of the last three days has been spent at Flamingo Travel, sorting everything out for the rest of my trip. They've been extremely helpful, and I highly recommend them to anyone who will be on a bike in Việt Nam, whether you're renting or purchasing. After trying out a number of options, I decided to purchase a red 2010 Yamaha YBR 125cc for US$1300. They are doing a bit of work on it and awaiting the paperwork from Hanoi. For $25 a local craftsman fabricated a new seat that will put me 15cm higher and give me a much more comfortable leg position.

A year ago I wasn't even thinking about motorcycles and later today I will own two! LOL

The test rides gave me my first experience as PIC on the streets of HCMC today... WOW! It's actually fun! As well as a bit nerve-wracking :)

It's hard to say enough good things about the crew at Flamingo Travel. They have treated me like a valued customer and an old friend since I first walked in the door. They've even invited me twice in three nights for dinner and beer! Correction, beers!

This was dinner Tuesday night, sitting in the shop. Why walk to a restaurant when you can have the food cart across the street deliver? Hanging around the shop also allowed me to meet a few ex-pats who have lived here quite a while. Charlie from New Zealand, Terence from England (who took this shot), G from Canada, and a few others. All great guys and quite helpful when it comes to information and planning on the next stages of my trip. Left to right are Muy (pron. My), Charlie, Chong (Chon), Dy (Dee), me, Hoa (Hwa), and Hung (Hoong).

The original plan was to leave Friday (tomorrow), and then Hung, the owner, invited me to stay through until Sunday because they are hosting a street party Saturday night. I am, of course, very anxious to get started on my trip. Even so, I'm waiting until Sunday. That will also give me time to explore HCMC on the bike

As I predicted earlier, as soon as we made the deal on the bike and even before it's officially mine, I've added a 12v outlet, a large case on the back that will hold my helmet and lock securely, as well as mounts for the Spot Connect and my GoPro Hero3 camera. It already had side racks, so I bought a few bungee cords to help secure everything during the trip. With a good amount of torque for a 125, I'm sure it will carry me well

At one point on Tuesday, we needed to go back to the seat fabricator, so I rode with Dy sitting on the back... IN SÀI GÒN TRAFFIC!!! He speaks very little English, so I didn't bother telling him that he's the first person to ever ride on the back of a bike that I am piloting. He's a good sport and we both survived, so all is well :-)

Yesterday I received my official legal Vietnamese driver's license!

It expires in 2016, so I guess I'm going to have to come back :-)

Thanks again to Chris @ FT for facilitating this... Gee told me yesterday that he tried to apply for a license late last week and they (licensing office) told him that they are not currently issuing them, so I applied just in time!

RIP Mitzi, circa 1999-December 2, 2013

I

Mitzi is free now... and I miss her...

She came to me a scared, twice-rejected little thing and blessed us with her love, acceptance, and bliss for almost nine years. Even Mouse was unable to ruffle her!

She recently lost 1/3 of her body weight and when I left on Friday, I knew I would not see her again.I I told her I loved her, and let her know that it was okay to go. She's now at peace and pain-free and will live in our hearts until the last person and feline who met her is also gone.

Thanks to Kathy, Nick, and the crew at Steamboat Animal Hospital for taking great care of her for me and helping her make the transition easier for her.

Thanks to Mitzi for coming into our lives and loving us.

(Note: In the photo above, Mitzi has her paw on my shoulder – she always wanted to touch you. It was very endearing, and probably what I will miss most about her.)

ARRIVED!!!

Now to find my steed... and remember the bits of the language I could have studied more.

Caught a cab (@ U.S. prices) to my first hotel and saw what I've only read about... There are motos EVERYWHERE! They run in packs that remind me of a school of fish in that they move almost as one unit and there is inherent safety in numbers. My cab driver used his horn at least twice per block and it seemed to have virtually no effect on the riders. 

 

Yes, that is a garbage bin being towed by a Moto... 
It's attached with a 5th wheel-type pin set up.

The roundabout as seen from my hotel window

After a quick shower, I changed $100 to 2,125,000 Vietnamese dong and headed out on foot to feel the city... 

It feels very alive; quite fast yet slow; many, many farang (foreigners); touts for massages, food, and more—sometimes I got "Hello Mister, you want nice girl?" after I said no thank you to a massage or a rental Moto. I'm pretty sure they mean "fun".

A little later, Huong's friend Ann came by the hotel and carried me on her scooter to grab some phỏ (pron. "fa") and send a few minutes at a Moto shop with nice new bikes that look like mini-versions (<=175cc) of what you'd see in the U.S. The salesman quoted US$3000 for an India-made Suzuki and US$2000 for a brand I never heard of made in China. Both of them were fairly adamant that the Chinese-made bike was to be avoided. The prices seem pretty high, but then I am a farang :-) and it was his first number. He then said (with Ann translating) that I was would not be allowed to buy a new bike, even for cash, unless I could show local employment. Will discuss that on Monday with the guys at Flamingo Travel.

Ann bought me a nice cup of peach black tea—literally black tea with three slices of peach in it—on the way back to my hotel. She is very busy with work and school, so is unable to assist me as I would like. She will talk to a friend of hers about showing me around town more and helping me, if needed, with the bike purchase.

After Ann dropped me off at the hotel, instead of going inside, I decided to walk around for a bit. Even though I was quite tired from the 25+ hours of travel. I stayed within 10 blocks of the hotel, because I'm still trying to get my bearings and foolishly left without any way to get back if I wandered too far and lost my sense of place. 

I read about the rooftop bar at the Rex Hotel, and since it's only a few blocks from my hotel, I decided to check it out. It was fairly quiet for a Sunday night, so I sat and ordered a Tiger beer. It tasted like a lighter version of Bud Light and should've been called Pussycat beer (with emphasis on the first syllable). My little cat 5-lb Mouse could've kicked that Tiger's ass :-)

             -

                Mouse

After choking down the beer and some very salty peanuts, I wandered slowly back to the hotel where I called it a night at only 9 o'clock. It was 6 AM Sunday morning at home—more than 48 hours since I woke up in Olympia and traveled for more than 25 hours.

Tomorrow will be about looking for a motorcycle and finding another place to stay. This hotel is very nice, though too Westernized. Nothing against Marriott properties—I'm just looking for something with a little more character.

In case you're wondering, I turned down ALL the touts ;-)

On my way!!!

Finally, after months and months of planning and anticipation, I'm ON MY WAY!!!

House-sitter Nick arrived on time, as did my ride to the airport.

Am writing this while on the 14-hour+ flight from San Francisco to Hong Kong. After a couple hours in the HK airport and a couple more on a flight to HCMC, I'll check into the hotel and head out to explore the city's motorcycle shops. After much thought and research, I've decided to go with a new bike—hopefully a 150-175cc. You may remember from an earlier post that anything over 175 requires special licensing and many more bureaucratic hoops to jump through, some of which may be on fire. I'll pass.

Am pretty sure that after riding my KLR650, even a 175 will seem like a moped. As long as it gets me through my journey—and I don't have to pedal—it'll be great! It will also be much easier to maneuver and make a smaller target for the motorcycle-eating trucks I've heard so much about.

My friend connected me with her cousin in HCMC. She is coming by the hotel mid-afternoon to show me a bit of the city and has said she will help me in my quest for just the right bike. I'm hoping she also will assist me in getting any outfitting (panniers, etc.) I may decide to add. Those of you who know me also know that none of my vehicles are safe from tweaking...

Stay well...

Top Gear in Việt Nam

Been hearing about the BBC show Top Gear and finally watched a couple of their YouTube videos tonight...

I'm still LAUGHING!

Check these out:

Top Gear Vietnam Motorcycle Challenge Part 1

Top Gear Vietnam Motorcycle Challenge Part 2

Once I get to HCMC and find a bike, I'm heading for the shop where James got his helmet to see if they'll make one for me. 

Catching up...

Just finishing up another birthday... that the high point was getting some work done on the four-plus hour flight to Philly for work tells you what kind of day it was. The good news is that now I've completed my 60th lap around the sun, I'm looking forward to the upcoming year and especially this trip! 

Since it's been a while since my last post, there are a few updates to the preparation... I leave in 11 days...

Yesterday found me at T-Mobile, where I bought an Android phone and signed up for their $50 per month unlimited text and data, plus 20 cents per call back to the US or anywhere. The phone also does Wi-Fi calling for free—without using Skype or similar programs.  They offer service in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand, so I'll be able to stay in contact a bit more than I'd thought... though I will most likely keep it turned off most of the time. It's about options...

Update on T-Mobile: They gave me a phone that doesn't f-ing work! After 35 minutes on the phone with "Tech Support", they decided that I have a bad SIM card... in a two-day old phone!!! Three days later, I received the new SIM card—and after another 40 minutes on the phone with Tech Support, they finally got it working. So far, I'm less than impressed with T-Mobile...

In addition to the SPOT Connect and associated Search & Rescue insurance coverage, I have a policy with Global Rescue that will get me back to the US (by air ambulance, if necessary), should I need it. As my good friend Nancy reminded me again on the phone tonight, this is a LOT more prep than I ever would've considered in my 20's... probably because I realize that I'm not bulletproof. Or is it that I'm no longer bulletproof?

Nope, never was. I have the scars and calcium deposits to prove it...

After enjoying a few YouTube videos others made on motorcycle adventures, I purchased a lightly-used Go Pro Hero 3 Black Edition camera on eBay and a few half-off accessories at a local motorcycle shop, including an extended-life battery. It does both HD video and stills; comes in a waterproof case; and mounts to the bike or helmet or just about anywhere. 

While reading a few trip blogs, I learned that, although many get by without one, it's best to have a Vietnamese driver's license. I bought a $10 ebook on maneuvering through the bureaucratic morass: Expats-Getting-Vietnamese-Motorcycle-Licence-ebook and before I got around to reading it, I read How to be legitimate in Vietnam by Chris at Flamingo Travel (chris@flamingotravel.vn). After a bit of correspondence about the license and various bikes, I sent him my documents yesterday. For $120, he'll have my Vietnam driver's license for me when I arrive. That's worth it to avoid the week of dealing with the bureaucracy, running around, and waiting I'd get to endure if I did it myself.

Chris will also get first shot at selling me a bike from his shop in Ho Chi Minh City. His main shop is in Hanoi, so if I am unable to find a suitable bike in HCMC, I now have another option—take a one-way rental from HCMC to Hanoi where there is a much greater selection from Chris and many others.

If you decide to buy a bike anywhere, there's a site called Cycle Ergonomics that will show you how you'll sit on just about any bike there is. The good news is that it looks like I'll be able to get comfortable on either the Suzuki 125 or the Honda 110. I'd love to buy a 175 or a 250, but they're hard to come by and anything bigger than a 175 draws too much attention from the police—and may not be allowed back in-country.

This brings us to Space-saving Folding Techniques. It claims that rolled clothes take up less space than folded clothes. Although I've heard this before, I'm still not convinced. I do believe Adrienne, who told me last week that once you have everything set aside for your trip, take out half. Use the space to bring home clothes, artwork, and more. Sounds like a plan!

Health Care Update

Following up on the almost horror story of the rabies vaccine (see the October 22 post), I just now pulled the trigger on my coverage for the first year of the ACA (ObamaCare)... and it's NOT with Group Health Cooperative.

The "Multi-State Plan Premera Blue Cross Bronze 5250 HSA" plan gives me a deductible (and maximum out-of-pocket) of $5250 in place of my current $2500 deductible and $10,500 maximum o-o-p. It also allows me to get primary care under my plan and within my network out of state--which is important when you spend as much time as I do out of state and've been on over 60 airplanes in five of the past six years! This network also includes my world-class neurosurgeon—no offense, Dr. W, but I hope I don't see you again—who is NOT in the GHC network.  AND, it allows me to keep using my HSA account and the $4300 per year in pre-tax dollars to pay for medical care.

Granted, my premiums are 50% higher than this year, but if that's the cost of opening up health care coverage to EVERYONE with no pre-existing conditions or lifetime caps, then sign me up and call me a Socialist. I'm also pretty sure that part of that increase is because in only 10 days I complete my 60th lap around the sun...

Who the hell starts riding a motorcycle at 59+ laps and goes on a solo 10-week ride across SE Asia at 60 laps?  

That would be me...

The next post will detail some of the new trip-related acquisitions. 

Until then, Namaste.

Quotes and Videos

As I prepare for departure in only 25 days, I'm checking and re-checking my lists, talking and emailing with people who've been to one or more of the five countries I'm planning to visit, and getting in a few last days of work...

I was also recently been reminded of two of my my long-time favorite quotations and came across (and up with) new-to-me quotes:  

     "If what you're doing doesn't scare you, you're not doing enough."
       —Tom Peters

     "No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence
       of the American people."—HL Mencken 

     "If you go home with someone and they don't have books,
       don't fuck them."—John Waters

     "If it all goes well, I'm brave and adventurous. 
       If it doesn't, I'm stoopid... or worse... is there 
       anything worse than stoopid?"—John P (me)


Here are a few very good Việt Nam road trip videos with great scenery that I came across in my trip research:

Đà Nẵng to Huế

Hai Van Pass 

Hà Nôi to Sa Pa (cow at 0:54)

I was already going from Hà Nôi to Sa Pa and Da Nang to Huế, and I may've missed the Hai Van Pass road if I hadn't found the videos. Now I'm thinking about getting a GoPro Hero3 video/still camera to mount on the handlebars.

Additional gear info coming... scored a great deal on the Schuberth helmet integrated communications system; more on dry bags; Kawasaki weighs in; video camera or no; and more.

As always, I love to hear from you with questions or comments.  Thanks to fellow Seattle HUBB members for your thoughts and contributions.  Sorry I'll be out-of-town for the get-together...

How Group Health Cooperative lost me as a customer

Do you read the paperwork they give you after a doctor visit or after getting a vaccine?  Really?  EVERY TIME? 

No, you don't <smile>.

Please start.  Now and forever... I know I will because if I hadn't read the paperwork I received after my first round of shots last week (see two posts ago), AND I got bit by rabid animal any time in the future, it would most likely kill me—even if I'd had all the shots!!! Think I'm being maybe just a bit over-dramatic? Read what the CDC has to say about rabies.

Yikes!

On October 14, I got four shots and a bunch of pills in preparation for this adventure. One of the shots was the first of a three-step rabies vaccine and another was the first of the two-course Japanese encephalitis vaccine. 

A number of people have asked why I'm spending $972 for rabies prevention. The answer if fairly simple—I'm going to be out in the toolies and if I get bit by ANYTHING bigger than a mosquito (see Japanese encephalitis), I want to know that I'm well on the way to avoiding rabies. I'll bet that if I got bit without effective vaccines on-board, I'd probably pay a hell of a lot more than $972 to prevent rabies.  It's like insurance... you don't need it 'til you need it and if you do have it somehow the universe usually decides to fuck with someone else instead.

So... 

The problem is, that after the first round of shots, the nurse told me to come back in two weeks for rabies shot #2 and two weeks after that for both rabies shot #3 and Je shot #2. When I said I'd be out-of-town in four weeks and asked if it'd be okay to come in four weeks after the second shot, she said, "Yes, no problem."

WRONG and WRONG AGAIN! 

The rabies paperwork that this same nurse gave me and that I almost didn't read (and that she apparently didn't read either) says,

The nurse told me it would be okay to get

Dose 2: 14 days after Dose 1

Dose 3: 42 days after Dose 1

According to the CDC, missing their schedule by even one day can compromise the protection and result in not having the antibodies you'll need if you get bit...and the nurse told me it would be okay if I missed by 7 and 14 days.  

I guess my question is, "How the hell can a medical professional give such wrong information and thereby possibly compromise the patient's life?" Or, if you prefer, "WTF?"

The good news is that I caught it, got the second shot on the 21st, and have the final shots scheduled on November 11th—day 28... so I will have the protection I need and paid for.

The bad news is that when I called GHC and complained about this, they told me they had talked to the nurse in question and she said (paraphrasing here) that she was "just a fill-in" and should probably know more before answering questions.  Ya think?

Like many of you, I'm currently evaluating health plans for next year under the ACA.  Until this happened, I was probably going to spend a little more each month to stay with Group Health; in part because I've been taken care of relatively well until now and in part because it would mean a smooth transition.  Does it make sense that I'm seriously re-evaluating? (Update: I'm definitely going with Premera Blue Cross, NOT Group Health.)

Bottom line... it's up to us to stay informed and take care of ourselves.  DO NOT TRUST what the "professionals" tell you—they may just be making it up as they go.

I dodged this particular bullet.  Make sure it misses you, too. 

Read the flippin' paperwork!

The Search for Waterproof Motorcycle Luggage

Note: If you are in the market for waterproof motorcycle luggage, please be sure to read all the way to the end of this post...


It's a slippery slope... an Internet-enabled slippery slope...

For the past seven months I've been on a mission to gear-up for this adventure. I had ZERO idea how much "stuff" it takes beyond all the crap I already had. Let me assure you, it's a LOT!

A couple days ago it finally hit me that the North Face Base Camp Duffel I've been using for a lot of trips and was planning on taking as my main piece of luggage just may not be waterproof.  The best way I know of to check its waterproofness (waterprooficity?) on a sunny day is to put it in the shower and run water on it for about five minutes. So I did just that.

I like the bag, though as nice as it is, it's definitely NOT waterproof. The rubberized material would make a good travel sink, though, 'cause it holds water quite well.

Later the same day, the latest issue of ROADRUNNER magazine arrived and on page 115 there is an ad for Kriega Drypacks. 

 

They come in various sizes; are completely waterproof; designed to securely connect together on the back of the bike; and seemed to be just what I need.  After searching a few different sites and finding that they are not discounted (ya gotta try, right?), I bought a 30L (pictured above) and a 20L from Revzilla.com—one of the great motorcycle web sites (free shipping over $40, <$8 returns) from whom I've bought a number of items.

I had to look it up... 30L is just a hair over 1 cubic foot. I'm going to have to pack really well to get everything in these two bags!  Between the packing cubes, compressed dopp kit, and a few compression sacks, I may make it. The North Face duffel will make a good outer container to keep me within the airline's two-piece luggage allowance.

The Kriega site says that up to three of the 30L bags can be strapped together, so if I have to I can get another one.
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UPDATE (@ departure minus 20 hours): Although the Kriega bags are beautiful and very well made, they are just too small for my current needs. They would be great for a weekendtrip, and I may eventually re-order them. For now, I'm going with one 70L FirstGear Torrent and one 40L Ortlieb Moto. That adds up to 220% of the capacity of the Kriega bags. It might be different if I knew I'd have panniers on the Asia bike; there is too much stuff to keep dry and at departure I have to figure they will be my only luggage holders. Now back to packing...

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Further update (@ 10 days down the road): The FirstGear bag has a more user-friendly handle. The Ortlieb has a pop-out valve that allows you to get most or all of the air out and therefore compress into smaller spaces like the fabric panniers I bought with the bike. If you're on the water, air is good 'cause it will help the bag float if everything goes swimming. Here, it's my enemy. If I were to do it again, I would bring two Ortlieb 40L and leave a bit more stuff at home.

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Further update (@ 22 months down the road): Forget everything else and check out MoskoMoto!

While in the U.S. last month to take a few advanced motorcycle training classes, I got to see the MoskoMoto waterproof motorcycle luggage used by a couple of the instructors and Adventure motorcyclists.

I was so impressed by the versatility and the quality that within 24 hours I went on-line and placed my order for their Reckless 80 system

and the 40L duffel.

As soon as I received them, I sold my Wolfman Expedition dry duffle.

Within a couple days of arriving back home in Đà Lạt, I mounted it on my DR-Z400, and I am very much looking forward to taking it out on next month's extended adventure!

Please, before you buy ANY waterproof motorcycle luggage, check out MoskoMoto's versatile offerings.

Shot Four Times... Three more to come

Heard something the other day that might explain why I've done some of the things I've done... "Pain heals. Chicks dig scars." 

Just a thought...

Since I'm traveling to places I know little about (and have zero personal knowledge of), I'm doing a TON of research. I'm taking precautions (e.g. the Connect device) to ensure the trip lasts as long as I want it to and isn't cut short for something against which I could've taken precaution.  With that in mind, I had a phone interview a month or so ago with Group Health's Travel Nurse service to find out what medications/shots/etc I should have on-board or at least in my kit.  The nurse made some good observations and even told me about things that I probably won't encounter, but might want to prepare for—rabies, typhoid, polio, and more. Hell, I thought polio was erradicated in the 60's...

Yesterday (14 Oct) I went to get my shots and pick up my meds. YIKES!  The four shots were a piece of cake—the administering nurse was very good and has a sense of humor, which is always preferred.  The biggest shock was administered prior to the sticking... three shots (polio, rabies, Japanese encephalitis) cost $491! The flu shot was free.  I tried to make the argument that, like the flu shot, these other three were preventative and should, therefore, be at no charge, but the person taking my money was not amused. There are two more rabies shots needed and a final Je.  Quite a lot—until you figure what it would involve if I got even one of the diseases they're preventing.

Next we stopped at the pharmacy and coughed up additional $ for three prescriptions (oral typhoid vaccine, azithromycin (traveler's trots), and doxycycline (malaria).  I was also supposed to pick up four EPI pens in case I get a bee/hornet/wasp/other bite, though when they told me that the price had gone from $30-something to $120-something each, I decided to wait until I can check the price around town and at the nearest Canadian pharmacy.  It might be worth taking a drive...

La Creme de La Creme

Ran across a web site with AMAZING motorcycle tours of Thailand and Burma... Asian Bike Tours

It would be great to be able to add one of their tours into my itinerary. I'm thinking it's time for a bake sale to generate my admission fee.

Safe... and Dry in the Rain

What happens when we’re out in the toolies and something goes sideways—a crash, a bike mechanical meltdown, or a sudden medical issue? How do you get help?  Although I’ve thought a little about this, Victoria brought it fully to my attention the other day when she simply asked, “What if... ?”  She’s been a dirt bike rider for almost 40 years, so I’m inclined to pay attention when she talks about riding.  Soon after, I received an email suggesting I look at the SPOT line of GPS signaling/tracking devices…so I did.

I had no idea such a thing existed!  Using my vast reasoning powers, it only took me an hour to decide which of their three offerings will best suit my needs… the SPOT Connect.

Once you have the unit, there is a yearly subscription fee that allows sending of unlimited GPS coordinate location updates to friends and family with an “I’m okay” message via a smartphone/tablet app. For an extra 10¢/message (in a pre-paid bundle), it will also send 41-character messages—all from most of the land masses on the planet, including everywhere I’m planning to go on this trip, via satellite, without cell phone or Wi-Fi service.  Total cost is ~$350… an extravagance—until you’re in the soup.  Once I get the unit and it’s set up, I’ll post the URL here that you can use to see where I am and my route to-date.

Thank you, Victoria!!!

Yesterday I took my first ride in a serious rain and it was enlightening.  At one point, I took a bit longer than normal to change lanes and dawdled a bit on the white striping. As I felt the back tire move a little side-to-side I suddenly remembered hearing that the striping is as slippery as snot! They were right... it is!  

You’re going 65 mph… you'd better CONCENTRATE, DAMN IT, or you will end up as a spot of snot!

Those of you who know me will be less than surprised that these thoughts brought this video to mind: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egCeIwjIuZM

My first reason for wanting a lot of rain-riding time is to ensure that I’m as ready as I can be for anything that may appear during the trip.  The second reason is that I need to ensure that my gear is what it needs to be—safe, waterproof, and comfortable. Good thing I checked...

Schuberth Hi-viz helmet—check

Tourmaster Transitions 2 jacket—check

REV’IT Tornado pants—check (IFF the waterproof liner is in-place, duh!)

Alpinstar CR-4 Gore-Tex boots—check (AWESOME boots!)

Olympia gloves—NOPE! They’re summer gloves. I went to Paulson’s and picked up a new pair.  Would've rather had the hi-viz cuff, but they only had the black in XXL and I wasn't interested in riding home with COLD hands.

Next rain (this is the Pacific Northwest, so it’ll come soon enough), I’ll give it another try… last thing I want are cold, wet hands—or a cold, wet anything else.

Speaking of rain… my friend Rain said something a few minutes ago that I will put out there and would appreciate if you'd do the same: 

“We shall manifest that you are a magnificent rider with preternatural instincts that keep you safe. We shall envision you in a white light that will keep you safe."

Thank you!

Cheers!