Hanoi, Vietnam

After my unfortunate motorbike accident, I return to Hanoi to rest my foot and determine my next move. Although my less than mediocre doctors found no breaks in the X-ray (which only ran me 4 dollars), the severity of the sprain, the pain around my foot, and all around swelling prevented me from exploring Hanoi by foot. Hobbling to and fro in the proximity of my $2.50 hostel, I became quite close with an elderly coffee shop owner in the area. Every day I would show up and she would treat me to free tea and coffee, set me up at a nice street side table, and play with Google translate. The raw egg coffee and civet coffee (weasel-digested beans) certainly made the traces of mundane a bit more appealing..

I remained in Hanoi, grabbing casual drinks, enjoying the chaotic yet comfortable ambience, while slowly recovering until I could walk without crutches. I did make another major life choice amidst these bustling streets: that my next major travel decision would take me not back to the United States but instead to another entirely different continent. Despite my injuries, my enthusiasm for travel somehow increased further.Read more