India & Southeast Asia

On a long day from Cat Ba island to the north to explore the mountains on the Chinese frontier, I ran into a bit of automotive trouble of the donut variety. A young lady, ostensibly making a very urgent bakery delivery, walked out into my lane in a small rural town and forced me to make a maneuver to avoid her. In doing so, I hit a slick patch and both the bike and I went down. In my mind, I sacrificed life and limb to save those baked goods (and the baked good angel carrying them). Yet, when I came to my senses in the middle of that rural road, I noticed a spattering of mini doughnuts and jelly covering the pavement. It was nothing short of a tragedy

Several locals helped me and my motorcycle off of the road, gave me painkillers and ice, and directed me to the nearest hospital. I drove there, got an x-ray, and was addressed by the doctor in the least comforting way possible: an nonchalant shrug and the word "Ok". Being unable to walk or put any weight on my right foot, I slowly made my way back my motorcycle and rode another 3 hours to the city of Lang Son, where I plotted my recovery. A full day's ride from Hanoi, I decided to rest for the evening and morning, then book it back to Hanoi to heal in the cheap accommodation of the big city.Read more