02.29.24
Moving on to Number 43 (Malaysia)
We are finishing up our last days in Vietnam, and it has been a most interesting experience! A few days in Ho chi Minh City, a few more in Can Tho, and then 30 days on the island of Phu Quoc.
The last month has been a bit taxing for me since I was dealing with a nasty cough for much of that time, and even though we got a lot of exploration done, we could have done more. This island is so unique, such a paradox! Long sandy beaches to Disney like resorts with Ferris wheels, aquariums, thrill rides; artificial cities that look like Italy, and the world’s longest cable car ride (almost 5 miles); it truly is a master of many disguises.The east side of the island has been virtually undisturbed, and we found a cool beach bar with a saltwater pool and a very American feel. Meanwhile, the west side has had billions of dollars thrown at it, and as fancy as it is, we were able to get a room for $10 with an ocean view. We also had some challenges with language, very similar to what we experienced in Vietnam four years ago. We never did reach any conclusions on that, but we are hoping as we move to Malaysia we will find a greater level of communication.
One of the fun parts was having access to a scooter for the past 4 weeks. It gave us lots of freedom, but OMG, riders over here are much different than what we are used to:
- They only look forward, and rarely behind, and expect oncoming vehicles to watch for them. I had a hard time with that since I’m used to being on the defensive…
- We never saw one incident of road rage, and they never seem to get mad at each other. They beep horns incessantly, but they do it to say,
“Hey, here I am, watch out!” and not, “Hey, get out of my way a-hole!” - They wear a lot of clothes, and can be bundled head to toe, including masks, while I’m in a tank top and shorts. No question, they are NOT sun worshipers.
- Car drivers are very, very slow, and lane markers are suggestions which they don’t always honor. If they make a U-turn in the street it can take 5 minutes, they are that slow, but they DO respect the bikes, and let us pass on the right.
- It’s okay to ride down the wrong side of the road for up to several blocks, which means sometimes there are rows of vehicles coming right at you from BOTH sides!
- Kids of any age can be riding and we see families of 4 and 5 kids all on at one time. We joked that if you did that in California you’d be arrested for child endangerment.
During our last few days by visiting a French war prison and a bee farm–talk about more extremes! Now we’re moving on to Malysia, and we had lots of different options of where to go after that, so we decided to return to Vietnam, spend time in Da Nang, and check out the central region, then take a train to Hanoi. Our time in Malaysia is unclear, but probably 60 days, including getting some medical tests done in Kuala Lumpur, which is known for outstanding medical facilities.
We are just finishing up 4 months in Asia, four different countries, and now having to learn our fourth currency conversion! Barring any changes, we will probably be here till the end of the year. We love Bali so much, right now our plan is to return there in October. Stick with us as we plan out the next 6 months.
