Discover the real Peru on the road

My dear Beard,

Many people travel to Peru just because of the magical Machu Picchu. I was one of them.

But since I had arrived the country 3 weeks ago, I haven’t left my footprint on that famous landmark yet. I’m trying to make it slowly and giving myself more time to do something else. And “something else” is taking a road trip from Lima to Cusco for 7 days, instead of flying for just 1 hour. I had to give up my flight that I booked before and lost my money without regret. So far this is the best decision I’ve made in Peru!

Believe in kindness

8 / 5 / 158 / 10 / 19

My dear Beard,

Recently I’m on my solo trip in South America without knowing a single soul or speaking a single word of Spanish. I

LONDON – PARIS – NEW YORK

7 / 24 / 159 / 22 / 15

My dear Beard,

10 years ago, when I finished college and started to work, my Dad once said: “We are poor, but I believe one day you would travel to London – Paris – New York by your own money!”.

Dating stories: What it’s like to date a Ph.D. student

7 / 13 / 157 / 14 / 15

My dear Beard,

I’ve been dating 3 Ph.D. students in my life so far. I don’t know why the hell I have had crushes on academic guys while I am way so far from that such thing, but it happened anyway, 3 different times, with 3 different nationalities, in 3 different continents.

California road trip

7 / 7 / 157 / 7 / 15

My dear Beard,

“When in America, you must do a road trip at least once!”

Everybody tell me this, and I’m so happy that I was on the road last week with my favorite lady Minerva.

Traveling with a complete stranger

6 / 19 / 158 / 20 / 17

I met him online.

We had some good chat over texts and he asked me to join him at the beach for a couple of days. I thought: “Oh my God he invited me to travel with him even we have never met, didn’t he?”. But the fact that “we have never met” made me curious about the idea of traveling with a complete stranger. I have never done that before.

It’s never too late to live a new dream

6 / 15 / 157 / 1 / 15

10479090_10204028889035768_8123111314112651432_o — Minerva’s beautiful house with a view

My dear Beard,

I just visited an old friend, Minerva. She was my Airbnb guest in Saigon last July. Almost one year later while I am in the US right now, she invited me to stay over the weekend at her beautiful house in Carmel Valley, California.

A deep thought

5 / 30 / 156 / 30 / 15

My dear Beard,

Today I spent hours in my office to read all the essays of the K-12 students for our exhibit Growing Up Asian in America. And this piece made me so surprised and think a lot. It was written by a Chinese little boy who’s just 10 years old, about his grandpa’s journey to the USA long time ago, to make “a better life”.

Sapa experience (part 2): Trekking and homestay

3 / 23 / 153 / 23 / 15

Bring your good shoes, good camera and open your heart

My dear Beard,

After experiencing the first day with good food: amazing Sapa smoked salmon, tempting grilled pork with cooked rice in a bamboo stalk, salty stir fried cabbage and strong coffee; hiking Ham Rong mountain, a human-made park; running away from H’mong sisters; walking around this foggy town and watching some lovely mountain kids were playing “down stair skiing” full of joy, we woke up the next morning and ready to do the trek. A must do when in Sapa.

Sapa experience (part 1): The train, the hotel and the sweet nightmare

3 / 22 / 153 / 23 / 15

How to get there; where to stay and how to run away from H’mong sister

My dear Beard,

I’ve been to many stunning places on this planet from Asia to Europe or Africa, but the other day a friend asked me: “Have you ever been to Sapa?”, I couldn’t believe that I have forgotten this one despite spending over 30 years here in Vietnam. I asked myself: “Ok Oanh, are you a real Vietnamese? Everyone goes to Sapa but you?”

July 2021
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