Travelfish #391: Wear a helmet—and a mask—please!
Two simple things which make everyone safer
Hi everyone,
Another week gone, another week where travel doesn’t seem to be any closer to being on the cards. Unless you’re in Vietnam or Cambodia it seems. Friends in Vietnam and Cambodia, please stop it with the Instagram pics of all the travelling!
The photos in this week’s issue are all (except for the last one) from Hua Phan province in Laos. A beautiful, if little visited, part of the country.
Filed under wasting our time to save yours. Megalithic site in Hua Phan, Laos. Photo: Cindy Fan.
On Couchfish, last week I finished off my time in Laos. Time was spent in Sam Neua, the Night Safari, Vieng Xai and a remote pile of rocks. If you’ve always been curious about one of the more remote corners of that country, sign up for Couchfish and have a read!
On the free posts, my Diversion was a look at staying in Hue’s Old City, and the Friday free–read detailed the story of the worst day of travel—ever. I dare you to try and beat it :)
Over on Thai Island Time, David took a look at the “other” Ko Chang. If you’re looking for a slightly offbeat island hideaway, you should bookmark this piece.
Cheers and thank you for your support
Stuart
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Wear a helmet—and a mask!
The other afternoon I was on my scooter riding to the beach. A woman on a bike in front of me, travelling at some speed, clipped the corner of a car.
She lost control of the bike, catapulted off it and smashed into a tree. She wasn’t wearing a helmet and she was dead before she hit the ground.
Off for a Night Safari. Photo: Cindy Fan.
An evening last week I walked past a restaurant popular with Indonesians near where I live in Bali. There was some kind of party going on and there were probably 100 scooters parked out front. I didn’t see a single mask.
That same week, I’d taken my son to a bike and skateboard park near where we live. There were perhaps twenty people there, a mix of kids and their parents—almost all were foreign. Aside from my son and I (and the staff), not one person was wearing a mask.
A few days before that, I went to our local wet market to pick up a few things. About half the market vendors were not wearing masks—most shoppers (including me) were.
The haunting Vieng Xai Caves. Photo: Cindy Fan.
Day to day riding around here I’d say most Indonesians are wearing masks as they ride around. I wouldn’t say most foreigners are. Same goes for helmets—while not worn universally, I’d say most locals wear them, many foreigners don’t.
I’m writing about these different scenes to illustrate everyone could be doing a better job. This stuff isn’t brain surgery.
For years ... and years ... travel safety advice for Southeast Asia—right across the region—has said the easiest way to reduce risk to yourself and others is to wear a helmet when on a motorbike. Yet people continue not to—and continue to die.
For months ... and months ... travel safety advice for Southeast Asia—right across the region—has said the easiest way to reduce risk to yourself and others is to wear a mask when in public. Yet people continue not to—and continue to die.
Hua Phan is beautiful in spots. Photo: Adam Poskitt.
This is simple stuff. It doesn’t matter if you are local or foreign. Wearing a mask—and/or a helmet—are two of the simplest things people can do to help minimise both their own risk and the threat they may represent to others.
Please do so. The sooner everyone does, the sooner we’ll be one step closer to regaining some degree of travel (and living!) normalcy.
Good travels
Stuart
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Ten things worth reading
Green light for Southeast Asia's old railways $
Who doesn’t like some time on the rails? and, well, it beats the bus...
Macaque attack: humans try to take back Thai city from monkeys
Oh Lopburi, please make it stop.
In Thailand, it's statues of democracy leaders that are disappearing
Thailand’s ongoing idealogical battle over history.
Thai Dissidents Are Disappearing
How to reverse the “colonial gaze” when you travel
Salt & Pepper $
“In fact, the more I read about Terry, the more I wondered if the film that needs to be made is a biopic about Wallace Terry. ”
Happy Birthday Vietnam Coracle
Hands down the most detailed travel guide for scootering Vietnam.
Why did a palm oil conglomerate pay $22m to an unnamed ‘expert’ in Papua?
A fascinating and very long read on the exploitative industry in Papua.
Eating Thai Fruit Demands Serious Effort but Delivers Sublime Reward
The fruit story near everyone was ranting about last week.
In Siem Reap, locals take to two wheels to escape virus monotony
Angkor on two wheels. Looks like fun.
Something to read
A Cook's Tour
If you’re looking for a page-turning description of what it used to be like to travel and eat in Vietnam or Cambodia as a hungry and curious white American dude back in the day, then Anthony Bourdain’s 2001-published A Cook’s Tour is the book for you.
Photo of the week
Feeding time in Hue. Photo: Stuart McDonald.
Thank you!
Thanks from reading the Travelfish newsletter. Please feel free to forward it to all and sundry and your feedback, as always, is much appreciated.
Travel light!
Stuart & the Travelfish team