How fitting that I am writing this on Valentine’s Day. The love affair ended before it had barely begun. It was the wrong time but the right place.
Our trip to Vietnam disappeared with the arrival of Coronavirus in Southeast Asia. We spent the last few weeks assiduously researching and checking daily reports from a variety of international information sources (some in Vietnamese, some in Taiwanese) on the spread of the virus.
Finally, reluctantly and with considered caution we cancelled the trip.
As you may imagine we are deeply disappointed and missing this beautiful place we have never seen. But our adventures begin way before we arrive at our destination. They start with the first image of a new place in a new part of the world, a place we may never have heard of before. Dreaming, talking to other travellers, researching on the net, finding the place we will live for two months, buying the tickets, all are part of the excitement, the adventure.
Now, after a couple of days, we’re rallying. We’re thinking about next year, about Marrakesh, or Lisbon, or Brisbane…a new continent, a new language, a new culture are all waiting. And we want you to be there with us.
Here’s to 2021!
MedFlies 
True adventurers to wade into it. Can’t blame you for giving it a try. But Health comes first and I hope you make it back safe. Love.
We are safe and healthy though a little bit blue over missing Hoi An, An Bang beach, rice fields, Buddhist temples and trying pho and banh mi. Another time…
Jill/Dana Read this the other night and had been wondering why I wasn’t getting reports from y’all. Now I know. What a difficult position for you were in. I’m sure the final decision was no less easy. Pros and cons all around. Flu, ordinary flu, kills over 400,000 people each year with over 32,000 of those kill being Americans. Being in a foreign, with questionable national health system, with no way of getting back to the US, it does get sticky. Where this new virus goes is anyone’s guess right now. Which is to say I think you absolutely made the right decision. I know that you are deeply disappointed. Why don’t you consider going some place in the US or Canada as a substitute (for a shorter period of course). Anyway, It’s good to be able to look out my kitchen window and see you casa and know that you are safe. Blessings, Terry
Sent from Mail for Windows 10
Thanks for your thoughtful message Terry. One of the really wonderful things that has come out of all of this is the messages here letting us know that people are traveling with us and thinking about us. Little did we know how many followers were quietly watching our adventures. It is really deeply satisfying. As it happens, we are indeed planning an immediate month-long trip to California, looking forward to warmer weather and palm trees. Thanks for watching over us under our brilliantly blue New Mexico skies.
😢 so sorry that you had to cancel your trip. Thanks for the note – an eloquent expression of sorrow.
Your comment means a lot Joyce. It was a hard decision to make.
Although a hard choice it can be considered as a) a life saver and b) a postponement to going later with full enjoyment and no worries to fully experience this beautiful country. Cheers. Sue:)
Yes, exactly Sue. A hard decision but a good one.
Hi Jill and Dana
Sorry to hear about the change of plans…but very wise.
Hope you are both well.
Thank you Paul. We are both well and thriving. Join us again next year.
Jill and Dana, I’m so sorry you had to cancel the trip. However, prudence seems to be the best course given the situation. We recently returned from Puerto Rico. We were scheduled to go two days after the big quake. After talking with many people, there and here, we still went and were lucky enough to spend a portion of our visit helping with relief work. Very rewarding. Being able to help in that environment was much different than the current environment in Asia. Perhaps a sort trip somewhere warm is still in order. If you go to Morocco, I was there a few years ago and would happily endorse it. Can be abit harder out of the cities, but I’d go again. Also, check out 3 books; Susanna Clarke’s A House in Fez, Building a Life in the Ancient Heart of Morocco, and for back ground of North Africa, Michner’s Caravan and Gorgina Howell’s Gertrude Bell: Queen of the Desert, Shaper of Nations.
Hi Sylvia, I have read Gertrude Bell and will certainly search out the other two titles. Fez and Rabat are also two possibilities for destinations next year. Your Puerto Rico experience is inspiring. At one point we imagined we might be intrepid and see be correspondents from the front. But in the end we chose caution.
Sorry to miss your adventures – Look forward to the next one. I vote for Brisbane, but then again there is too. Cairns, Or Don’t forget Heron Island on the other end of the Great Barrier reef Ben Spent 5 months in Australia on his round the world trip…so many places so little time.
Jeannette Maxey
Indeed Jeannette. I love hearing of new places from “people who have been.”
I can’t imagine how tough it was to make this wise decision. But—why not same time next year?
Perhaps next year. For now we are thinking of “lighting out for the territories” right here in the US.
You probably didn’t miss much, if you have seen the photos taken by experts and amateurs, as well. Try Laos or Myanmar for greater adventures. I will keep returning to those lovely countries.
We will keep Laos and Myanmar in mind on our destination search.