Unleashing my inner Evel Knievel

My cousin Gene took this photo of me when we were leaving Hoa Bac School in Nam Yen: I was the first of many of us to hitch a ride from one of the teachers at the school. Getting there by van had been a slow, rough ride, so I was thrilled (and a little nervous) about going back to the party offices, where our bus was parked, on the back of a motorbike:

I sent a link to the photo to Uncle David and made some remark like hey, I haven't been on the back of a bike since 1975.
He corrected me--it was the *front* of a bike. His bike:



And I think I was wrong on the year, too. That had to be 1973 or maybe 1974, and back then one of my favorite toys was this crank-up Evel Knievel motorcycle. (I can remember making little Barbie-doll size Evel crash his motorcycle in my grandparents' living room. I was probably inspired by Evel's televised stunts.)

What is with me not wearing a helmet? I can't say for the older photo, but there is now a helmet law in Vietnam for the drivers (and possibly all adults), but there were no extra helmets around. I was stupid, though, for not wearing a hat in that sun. Got a little sunburn on my scalp that my hairdresser noticed when I got home.

I wish I'd taken photos or video on that ride through the rice paddies and down some meandering neighborhood path, but I was too afraid I'd drop my camera.