Post #1 Away We Go

“Don’t wear any visible jewelry, keep your possessions close to your body, and try not to make eye contact. If they steal anything, let them have it. Your goal is to leave without getting bitten.” 

I couldn’t help but crack a small smile at the serious delivery of both the advice and its messenger. I replied, “So, essentially we should act like we’re on the subway?”

Now it was the doctor’s turn to smile. “Yes, I suppose the rules for dealing with temple monkeys in Southeast Asia could also apply to the subway.” She laughed and added, “I’m going to use that analogy with my patients from now on.” 

The exchange was part of an instructive – albeit mildly terrifying - discussion we had today with a doctor of infectious diseases at a Boston travel clinic. My husband and I are about to embark on two months of travel in Southeast Asia, a journey that will take us through Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and three islands in the Republic of Indonesia. While we are seasoned veterans of foreign travel, we know this trip will be a challenge. In a list worthy of its own Christmas carol, it includes eight flights, seven hotels, six vaccinations, four boats, three Airbnbs, and enough preventative antibiotics and antimalarials to kill both a partridge and its pear tree.

For the last three months, I’ve been studying maps and reading travel guides to understand the complex histories of these strikingly beautiful countries and their diverse populations. It has been an odd feeling at times to be scheduling street food tours and rooftop cocktails while also planning visits to Cambodia’s Killing Fields and Vietnam’s Cu Chi Tunnels. I have learned that the still healing wounds of these countries are not only present in their people, but also in the experiences they are willing to share with their visitors.

 I was a young child during the Vietnam War, which shielded me from any real awareness of the conflict and the breadth of its impact. But I do remember seeing images of it on the nightly news and sensing the sadness it evoked in my parents. As I prepared for this trip, I often found those blurry memories bumping up against my current readings and research. The experience has left me eager to explore this fascinating region of the world to gain a clearer understanding of it and our inextricably linked histories. I know we are leaving with open minds and hearts, ready to fully embrace the breathtaking wonders and heartbreaking truths we will find along the way. And that will be travel’s finest hour.  

So please come with! I promise to share the good, the bad, and the gastronomically ugly as we roll our suitcases down broad avenues and through twisty alleys in search of adventure and understanding. 

With a fair wind, full sails, and a bottle of Immodium…away we go!