The page contains our nine blog posts from our most recent bike trip (Oct/2023 to Jan/2024) through Southeast Asia. We rode 3500kms from Hanoi, through northern Vietnam to Laos which we traversed from the mountainous north to its southern most border crossing into Cambodia. We headed west across Cambodia into eastern Thailand and finished up our trip in Bangkok. There are also older posts from when Claire worked with the Red Cross on the Thai – Cambodia border, another of a very interesting trip through Kashmir & Ladakh plus a post of Jim’s treks in Nepal from way back in 1980 (coming soon).
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Claire On the Border: The Genocide and the Refugee Crisis of Cambodia (1980)
This blog post is, in some small way, prompted by the refugee crises impacting so much of the world. The current, tragic situation in Gaza (Oct/23-May/24) has been especially triggering for Claire. Accordingly, she wishes to share a bit about her past work with refugees traumatized by war. Long before she met Jim, Claire was… Continue reading Claire On the Border: The Genocide and the Refugee Crisis of Cambodia (1980)
The Vale of Kashmir and Hiking to Ladakh (1985)
One of the benefits of working in a war zone was regular R&R. During our tenure in Mozambique, which was one tough posting, we decided to use our R&R to travel to Northern India (similar in cost to a return home, to which we were entitled, so we convinced the Red Cross to pay for… Continue reading The Vale of Kashmir and Hiking to Ladakh (1985)
1. A Good Year (2023) & Then Off to Southeast Asia on Our Bikes
I think it was way back in the fall of 2019, that we started planning our next bike trip, with Morocco, Rwanda and SE Asia all being high on the list of possible destinations. And then the Pandemic hit and everything changed. So here we are, in late 2023 (with Covid, btw, making a resurgence)… Continue reading 1. A Good Year (2023) & Then Off to Southeast Asia on Our Bikes
2. Hanoi (and other missteps) – Oct/2023
Another inauspicious start to a bike trip! Our Europe trip started with the damaging of my e-reader beyond repair en route to Istanbul . Our South American trip began with losing our computer at the Newark airport security gate in the middle of the night and now, SE Asia has got off to an equally… Continue reading 2. Hanoi (and other missteps) – Oct/2023
3. North Vietnam: Impressions (of the ill-informed)
Our first three days riding out of Hanoi were both easy and illuminating. We followed the broad, flat valley of the Red River (Song Hong) towards the northwest, and the town of Yen Bai, at which point we turned west and headed up into the mountains. Those three days showed us how densely populated the… Continue reading 3. North Vietnam: Impressions (of the ill-informed)
4. Laos – To the border and beyond
I failed to mention in our last post a couple of classic Jim & Claire screw ups. We were in a small town, but had decent wifi so planned on posting to our blog. I doggedly copy edited the draft, had everything just right then gave the iPad to Claire for final review. A few… Continue reading 4. Laos – To the border and beyond
5. Laos – Over the Hill
After four nights in Luang Prabang (LB) it was time to move on. Doing so meant another two, maybe three, days of hill climbing . Getting decent beta on what lay ahead was a challenge. Highway 13, our route of the past few days, apparently degenerated into a potholed nightmare but an intriguing alternative route,… Continue reading 5. Laos – Over the Hill
6. South Laos – Caves, Climbing & Fine Riding
I guess in some ways Vientiane, the capital of Laos, best personifies the Lao people. For a capital city it is super chill. There is not the entrepreneurial hustle of Vietnam. People are gracious with their time. They are, as most everyone says, laidback. Honking, in our minds the signature characteristic of Vietnam, is almost… Continue reading 6. South Laos – Caves, Climbing & Fine Riding
7. Laos – Island Hopping on the Mekong
Our last post was from the town of Thakhek, after completing the scenic, eponymous Loop. We’ve since continued south following the Mekong on our way to the southern most tip of Laos and the famous riverine archipelago of Si Phan Don (4,000 Islands). The ride south was largely flat and not particularly interesting. Primarily rice… Continue reading 7. Laos – Island Hopping on the Mekong
8. Cambodia – surprisingly different
After almost 5 weeks traversing Laos from north to south, we are in a better position to articulate the differences between the Vietnamese and Lao. With Cambodia, however we see a striking difference right from the outset. With our border hassles behind us, we started the 65 km leg to the first town of note,… Continue reading 8. Cambodia – surprisingly different
9. Thailand – End of the Road (Jan/2024)
Finally, a border crossing that we didn’t screw up. The Cambodian town on the border, Phsar Prom, was full of casinos, which are banned in Thailand and accordingly, the town was full of Thais. We were in no rush to get to the actual border, as we spent our final riel, changed dollars for baht… Continue reading 9. Thailand – End of the Road (Jan/2024)