Quarantine diaries_08.04_Vitamin Sea

Preface

I've been living as a digital nomad since 2017. I lived in more than ten countries before I arrive in Vietnam on 25.01.2020. On 28.01.2020 Vietnam decreed the closure of the border with China after the news regarding the appearance of a strange virus in the Wuhan market.

On 1 February all flights from China, Macao, Taiwan were suspended. Subsequently, the flights and the border with China were opened, but the situation kept changing. The restrictions on the entry in Vietnam were changing accordingly to the number of cases growing in different countries. Thus, Koreans and Europeans were also banned from entering the country at the beginning of March.

On March 22nd, all foreigners were forbidden to enter the country. In 28.03 activities such as gyms, cinemas, tourist sites, massage parlors, karaoke, and others were closed.

On 01.04 Vietnam decreed the total lockdown implementing the social distancing measures. Since then, people can only leave home to buy food and medicine.

The restrictions imposed by the country totally changed my reality, my plans and my life as a digital nomad. I decided to write this diary to report these days and somehow continue to travel within an apartment of less than 60 square meters.

Quarantine diaries: 08.04_Vitamin Sea

After more days locked and working at home, I decided to go to the market again. The detergent was almost gone and the noise of the buildings in front of the apartment were unbearable. For some reason, I knew that I needed to go out, the noise was making me crazy!

It was a bright sunny day, so I decided to pick up my bicycle and go to the beach. The beach in Da Nang is still closed, but you can walk or ride around the coast, since you’re wearing a mask. On the beachfront there are some foreigners running and some Vietnamese gardening. The sand is empty, and the scenario of an abandoned city remains.

The color of the sea with the sun is astonishing! I don’t know why but seems that the beach and the sea are much cleaner and brighter than before. No humans to put trash around… I’m sure that coronavirus out us away from nature to save this planet! Since I arrive in Da Nang I’ve got shocked how much trash and dirty was on the sea and on the sand. Unbelievable!

Riding a bicycle is something that I truly love! Every country that I live, I try to buy a second hand one to use as my main way of transportation. On Vietnam I bought just an old local bike, which I named Cecilia. I bought the bike from an old local shop, in the other side of the river. The old guy barely speaks English, but he was gentle and funny.

I’ve been using Cecilia to move around, and recently maybe she become a kind of therapy. When I’m riding my bike I always have positive thoughts on my mind… Riding on this bright beautiful day, with the wind on my face and the hot sun under my skin made me feel so happy and so free. I conclude that maybe freedom is in our head. Don’t know why but riding all over the sea I had a sense of hope and maybe things that are coming are going to be better… Who knows? I enjoyed too much the breeze, the colors and the ride that I guess I stayed more than one hour with my bicycle contemplating and meditating.

Stay positive. There was a voice on myself telling me all the time and on this voice I trust. I didn’t force myself to be happy, but someway somehow this quarantine times are giving us an opportunity to rethink the way we live, and the way life could be. In some way, somehow, this period has been a lot creative for me, even with some difficulties. Quarantine is not vacation, for sure! But, despite of ups and downs, I’m trying to make the best of it. I’m trying to answer a great question: what can I learn from this?

I don’t remember the last time I had a long ride with my bicycle to contemplate something or to meditate… I’ve learned today that maybe I should do more of that and get frequently more vitamin Sea.