E.T.

Although this motorcycle adventure takes me far off the beaten path, it always brings me back to civilization to sleep. I find that I'm always happy to find an internet connection. It's strange to spend days in parts that have barely had electricity for a decade, then to spend those same nights connecting with people across the planet. It's also strange being an outsider. I'm not just a foreigner here. Each town and village has a market much like the one in Disney's Aladdin. Whenever I walk through one, it's like I'm a travelling circus act. Everyone stares shamelessly like they've only ever heard of creatures like me. I'm pretty sure that being bald adds a great deal to my entertainment value. Even the oldest people have a full head of hair around here, and there are a lot of old people. Many point and make some comment in Vietnamese, then openly laugh at me -- or the idea of me, I'm not really sure. Others shout "hello!" Some come up and grab my hand. Some gesture for pictures to be taken. One lady came up and started rubbing my head (she's the random lady in my photos). Kids usually smile and wave. All in all, it feels pretty friendly, so even in the discomfort inherent in feeling like an alien, it's a good time.

My favorite reaction to me so far was from a kid who couldn't have been more than 4. He was walking along the road with his kid brother who was half his size. That, in and of itself, made me smile. But as soon as he noticed me riding by, he jumped and yelled, "hello!" flailing his arms in the air. His mini mini-me immediately followed suit. It was like a scene out of a Pixar movie. It was amazing to me the age at which these kids learn to recognize foreigners and know what to say at that moment to provoke a response.