xtreme vietnamese adventures

Just because you CAN do something doesn't mean you should. In the States, there are all sorts of liability issues that keep us, generally, safe. And if we're not actually safe, we know that in case of emergency we would be well taken care of. Here in Vietnam, and the rest of SE Asia, safety and liability really don't seem to be an issue. It is easy to rent a motorcycle whether you've ever driven one or not. Outdoor adventure trips are common and, without certification, it's easy to find your self abseiling down a waterfall or scuba diving in the South China Sea.

It's all about taking calculated risks. Abseiling down a waterfall and scuba diving in the South China Sea are risks I'm willing to take. Scuba diving was great. Sylvan and the instructor both siad I was a natural. Now, of course, Sylvan wants me to get certified so we can go diving all over the place. And a picture is worth a thousand words so I don't think I need to explain abseiling:

It turns out that renting a motor bike was safer than hiring a driver. On the way out to the sand dunes in Mui Ne, my driver crashed into the back of Sylvan's driver's bike. CRUNCH! Both drivers managed to keep the bikes from falling and no one was hurt. I didn't even see the crash coming. We were going very slow because the guy on the bike next to us was out of gas and asking us if he could "barrow" some of ours. As we agreed and started to slow down, we crashed into Sylvan's driver's bike,which had already pulled over. I've been witness to several motor bike accidents since, as they are quite common. In Vietnam, you are required by law to wear a helmet so the crashes seem less severe but people are often thrown from their bikes or somehow trapped underneath it. Just yesterday I saw a woman with a small child involved in a crash. The child flew forward, over the handle bars, and out of her hands. As her bike fell on top of her she screamed, not because she was in pain, but becuase she couldn't reach her child. Someone nearby scooped up the kid immediately. The child did not appear to be injured, just a little scared. Everyone involved was wearing a helmet.