A haphazard chronicle of my inevitable misadventures during a year in Vietnam and points east.

p.s. I'll be pitifully grateful if you send me email during my exile: TravelerKaty@hotmail.com

October 2002 November 2002 December 2002 January 2003 February 2003 March 2003 April 2003 May 2003 June 2003 July 2003 August 2003 September 2003 October 2003 November 2003 February 2006 March 2006 May 2006

 
I moved out of my house on Sunday, in preparation for going on Vacation for a couple of weeks (too cheap to pay rent and hotels simultaneously), and the experience brought a very serious issue to light -- I have too much crap.

I've been here in Vietnam for less than 4 months, and yet one backpack, two daypacks, and a flight attendant-style rolling suitcase are not enough to hold my expanding belongings. Since I was determined to fit everything in the bags I had, I was forced to leave behind various food items, a ripped pair of pants, my irretreivably bloodstained favorite short, a knockoff copy of the Lonely Planet Laos Guide (I have another), and a bag of marbles given to me by a student who clearly doesn't know me very well.

Were I remaining in Saigon, this would not be such a problem -- in the abstract, this is not that much stuff. Unfortunately, in six weeks or so I won't be looking at the abstract. I'll be looking at hauling all this stuff on planes, trains, buses, taxis and motorbikes all over southeast Asia. So by mid-March I need to get down to the backpack and one daypack if I want to retain any sanity while traveling.

This 12-day trip was, then, in the nature of a trial run. What items do I really need? Already I made one critical error. In the interest of taking more books (a perennial problem, of course) I foolishly decided I could leave my umbrella and rain slicker behind. I mean, it's the dry/hot season and I'm going to the coast, for crying out loud. Who's going to need an umbrella?

Naturally, it was pouring down rain when we arrived in Nha Trang, a seaside resort city where I was going to spend a day or two to break up the bus ride. Beaches aren't much fun in the rain, particularly without rain gear, so I opted to get right back on the bus, thus sentencing myself to nearly 24 straight hours of sitting upright. This is how packing choices can ruin your day!

Upon my arrival in Hoi An, my packing challenges have actually increased. This lovely little town is extraordinarily overrepresented by tailors, who will sew you up a dress, shirt, suit, or whatever in 24 hours for little more than the cost of the material. Since much of my clothing is stained due to my tragic inability to eat noodle soup without getting little drops of it all over my chest, I'm now considering the purchase of more clothes.

I guess I have to go now, since I'm going to have to read a few novels to make space for my new shirts.

© 2003 Katy Warren
posted by Katy at 3:15 AM