conversationwithmyself

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During my trip in Saigon, I went on a day trip to the Mekong Delta. After taking a bus two hours to the bay, we got on a boat and went along the river to a bee factory where we got to try some honey tea and banana wine (which was nasty). After the bee factory we took a row boat down a canal, listened to some traditional Vietnamese music and then went to ride bikes through the village... This is where my conversation with myself begins...

Duc (our tour guide): Ok, now we're going to ride some bikes throughout the village, will everyone be ok?
Me: I don't know, I haven't ridden a bike in about 15 years.
Duc: Oh, you'll be ok.

Getting on the bike, I'm staring at it wondering if I should get on or not...
Optimist: "Come on Susan, you can do it."
Pessimist: "Yea, I can do it." Slowly I get on the bike and I'm shaking a little.
O: "Ok, I'm on. See it's not that bad."
P: "Oh shit, it's going too fast and turning right."
O: "Just push the brakes."
P: "But I'm not used to the brakes being on the handles. Last time I rode a bike I didn't advance to brakes on the handles, they were on the peddles."
O: "Just veer left."
P: "Damn, I'm going to fall over and there are creeks on both sides of me." I'm sweating at this point and some how manage to stop the bike.
O: "Haha...just get back on you can do it."
P: "It's just a bike, look even the 6 year old kid over there can ride it." I'm passing a family now that is watching me push my bike along the path and they are laughing at me. In the meantime the rest of the group has passed me.
O: "Get on already, the last person in sight is now gone. This is life or death, you may just get stranded on this island alone."
P: "Shit, where is everyone."
O: "I can do this..."
I go for while just to see the group turning around and head back to the hut.
P: "I'll just wait for them to pass so I can lag in the back in case I fall."
O: I'm on the bike and moving ok..."See there's nothing to it."
P: "Ha. Crap I'm building up speed and I can't stop. I'm going to fall."
O: "No your not just control the bike."
P: "No, I'm going to fall..." And there I went into the bush...

That was my Mekong experience. Falling into the bush. I guess it would have been worst if I fell into the water. I'm never riding a bike again!

The next day I went to the Cu Chi tunnels. The guide was 70 years old and fought in the Vietnam war for 8 years. He was pretty sweet. The tunnels were small and hot.

That day I took the evening bus to Cambodia, crossed the border by land which was very different from arriving by plane. And arrived in Phnom Penh last night. I'd say it's a mixture of about 30% India and 70% Vietnam. hmmm...

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Comments

[Molly]

Haha! Someone finally got you to ride a bike! I lve it! I love you! Thinking of youxoxo!!!

[kalpesh]

interesting!
Interesting! Good deal with getting on that bike, at least you did it, and you went into a bush, no big deal, but if you hadn't tried, you might have looked back a year from now thinking "damn, I wish I had done it" so now you don't have to say that! :) -kj