Velo Transit Backpacks
We came to learn of Velo Transit shortly after moving in to our Old Rainier Brewery space down in the SoDo industrial district of Seattle south-east of the sports stadiums. Steadfastly positioned out front of one of our neighboring buildings was a mannequin in a rain jacket and a backpack which you can only drive past so many times without scratching the itch of curiosity. Scoping the vicinity online led me to their company’s website and by the time I ventured over in person, they were gone! Gasp!!
Bees!
Today the unthinkable happened! Somehow a bee, or some other stinging Southeast Asian monster bug, flew into the finger whole of my gas hand while I was speeding around a curve! Surprised, I’m sure, the hapless bee proceeded to sting the ever loving shit out of my finger.
Luang Prabang
Arriving in a new city has been a consistently bittersweet experience for us. Each has its own unique feel, from the exuberance we’ve felt reaching a destination we’ve read great things about to the delirious emotional void while simply trying find a halfway comfortable horizontal surface to flump upon. Luang Prabang was fertile ground to germinate our appreciation of Laos at the conclusion of our four day motorbike journey.
I hear there’s a boat… woof woof snarl woof!
When considering our next destination while in Luang Prabang, northwest into Thailand or south through Vang Vieng to Vientiane were both equally appealing options initially. We had overheard a few stories of there being a boat option either up or down the Mekong River which sounded like a great side-trek to augment the hard riding days ahead.
Of dogs and waterfalls
Thank god it was not a child, thank god it was not a child I thought as I slowed my bike to a safe stop.
Around me the village was in activity, but all had ceased and everyone was looking at me.
Why on earth would you want a new one?
Minor issue, but the kickstand seemed a bit thin way back when I was first introduced to my green Future Neo II mermaid driving machine. Somewhere along the trek out from Hanoi it had ultimately given way and bent upwards like a freshly opened can of anchovies. Not much of a support for my heavily laden girl on anything other than flat smooth concrete. Surely we can find a new one in this lovely town of Luang Prabang, right? When vehicular parts wear out or break, you get new ones … right? This logic didn’t even remotely compute with the first mechanic we found when hunting around town for a fix.
Down and out without my skivvies
Finding replacements would surely not be possible here in Laos so some sort of acceptable stand-in is going to need to be acquired … and fast! This single pair that I’ve now been wearing for days washing by hand every other day in the sink is not a workable long-term situation!
Hanoi to Luang Prabang Motorbike Trip
In early January, our hosts in Hanoi, Marc and Hien, put out the rallying cry for hearty adventures to join them on their final motorbike trek before emigrating from Vietnam. Excited by the idea of embarking on the journey through rural and mountainous northern Vietnam with a group of experienced folks, Dina and I nearly immediately said, why not!?