Danielle McDonald

Jul 30, 2024 | intrepidtravel.com | Danielle McDonald

Twenty years ago, Do Duy Vi was just 15 years old, shining shoes on the streets of Hanoi, when he met a university lecturer named Michael Brosowski. Today, both their lives look entirely different.  Do Duy Vi, AKA Vi, was living on the streets, working as a shoe shiner to make ends meet with his friends when he offered to shine Michael’s shoes as he passed by. Little did they know this simple gesture would prove to be a pivotal moment in both their lives.

Apr 24, 2024 | intrepidtravel.com | Danielle McDonald

As the sun rises over Kathmandu, the city basks in a quiet stillness – a rare find among the commonly chaotic streets. But the halls of Khachoe Ghakyil Ling, a Buddhist nunnery on the city’s outskirts, are loud – it’s time for prayer (and chai). The fresh morning air takes the edge off our 5 am wake-up. As our minibus winds through the tightly woven Kathmandu streets, we’re glued to the windows. The city we’d wandered in the previous day was different now. It was still.