Author: Mike Huber

Iceland

By Mike Huber

It was early November and I had wrapped up my travels for the year, a bit early (I literally ran out of places to go).  Upon returning home to the United States of America and wrapping up my book, it didn’t take too long before I was bored. I mean, there isn’t too much to do in Maine during the winter.  I thought booking a getaway just for a week to a warmer climate would be a good idea.  So, of course, I chose Iceland.

Iceland has been on my bucket list for a couple decades and for one reason or another it just never came to fruition.  I decided to go against all common sense and make it happen (yes, in late November). Packing nothing but a small backpack, I was off the following day on a nonstop flight to Reykjavik.

Upon landing in the capital of Iceland at 9:00 a.m., one thing I really didn’t factor in was the lack of daylight in this country.  As I exited the airport it was still pitch black and the sun didn’t really even start to peak out until well after 10:00 a.m.  It also set just after 3:30 p.m., so any tours or activities I was to attend would have to be done with a purpose.

Having arrived just before American Thanksgiving and with adjusting to the time difference (I slept the entire 1st day), I thought I would hit a local bar for Thanksgiving dinner, possibly some American football, and some beer. I lucked out and found a bar that had great turkey sandwiches, football, craft beers, and a great crowd to hang out with.

It didn’t take long for me to link up with an American Marine who had rented a car for doing photography throughout the island.  He was focusing primarily on photos of the Northern Lights.  Since I hadn’t rented a car, we decided to spend a few days driving around the island and split the cost as we captured the Aurora Borealis, waterfalls, and stunning beaches with black sand.

After traveling around Southern Iceland, I decided to extend my stay another week to just relax in the hot springs throughout Reykjavik and get caught up on some writing, sleep, and meeting locals in pubs around the city.  Iceland has a great relaxing vibe, and even though I was limited due to sunlight, I was fortunate enough to visit. At some point in the future, I’d love to return to do a full trip around the island camping (during the summer months, of course).

Subscribe to ExNotes for free!

We need your support! Do what you can to help ExNotes stay in the black!

More Huber? Check out A Trip Into The Moment.

More Gresh and Berk? You bet! Check out A Cup O’ Joes!

Join our Facebook ExNotes page!

Tokyo Road: Part 4

By Mike Huber

As I wrap up writing about my experience motorcycling in Japan, I am starting to notice that for the most part it was a fairly uneventful 8 days.  I didn’t crash, I didn’t get arrested, and I stayed mostly on paved roads.  I prefer minimal planning on my motorcycle adventures.  This allows plenty of flexibility to adjust for roads, weather, and highlights I discover along the way. Every morning my routine was to just wake up, look for what I thought looked like a fun path on the map while having a coffee and go.  Throughout the day if I stumbled upon other riders, I would obtain current road reports from them, but otherwise it was just fire up the bike, smile, and enjoy whatever came my way.

Along my ride there were a few highlights I made it a point to hit, such as a hike to see the snow monkeys bathing in hot springs, and a short stop in Nagano to visit the home of the 1998 Winter Olympics.  Usually, I spent lunches or coffee breaks in tiny Japanese villages that few tourists are fortunate enough to experience.

Other than driving on the opposite side of the road, most of this journey felt so similar to a fall ride through New England.  Which for me was paradise with roads and tunnels that followed rivers flowing out of the Japanese mountains down to the sea.  The tunnels were quite frequent and some of them were extremely long with minimal infrastructure once I entered them.

The Hida Tunnel was close to 6 miles long and was like going through a cave as there was just the rock above with water flowing in, and it was freezing cold. Between the minimal lighting and reflection of the water at times, I lost all depth perception and it became almost impossible to tell if and when there was a corner coming up.  Upon exiting the tunnel, I pulled over to warm my hands and take a breather in the sun only to learn it was a dead end and I’d have to return through the cold dark dampness again to get back on track.

One of my favorite things about motorcycling in Japan was that no matter how cold or wet I was throughout the day each evening, I was almost always guaranteed to have an onsen (natural hot springs) in my hotel.  These onsens were the perfect way to warm up and cap off a day of riding, especially if I had a cold and wet ride that day.

Throughout the 8-day motorcycle trip I hit a plethora of topography.  This ranged from beachfront roads to mountain passes with the roads the width of a golf cart track with mirrors on every corner so I could forecast how wide I had for turns, to pine forests with sweepers that went on for hours. Although motorcycling Japan for me proved uneventful, it did not mean it wasn’t fully appreciated.  Japan is a country I fell quickly in love with and will visit again.

Read the entire Japan adventure!

Subscribe to ExNotes for free!

We need your support!  Do what you can to help ExNotes stay in the black!

More Huber? Check out A Trip Into The Moment.

More Gresh and Berk?  You bet!  Check out A Cup O’ Joes!

Join our Facebook ExNotes page!

Tokyo Road: Part 3

By Mike Huber

I slowly awoke to a sunny Tokyo October morning.  It obviously took me a bit to realize it was sunny as I was inside a windowless pod.  Once I was out and about into the busy streets of Tokyo, I could actually embrace the sun’s warmth. It was time to enjoy a coffee and ensure my head was clear from the previous night’s adventure in Akihabara.  Today was the day I was to begin an 8-day motorcycle adventure through Japan.

The caffeine kicked in as I boarded the Tokyo train to Rental819 in Odaiba, where I had reserved a motorcycle 2 weeks prior. Throughout my world travels I have found renting a smaller displacement on a motorcycle when outside the United States is the way to go.  The larger heavier bikes just can’t compete in terms of agility in most other countries.  For Japan I chose a displacement more in the middle as there are expansive highways in Japan where having some more pick up would be required.  A Suzuki V-Strom 500cc would be my chosen steed for this journey through the land of the rising sun.

You never realize the expansiveness and density of Tokyo until you motorcycle through it. I was familiar with driving on the left side of the road as I have been flip flopping directional driving over the past 2 years month to month and country to country. With this level of comfort, I could fully absorb the awesomeness and size of Tokyo in its entirety. With no highway speed cameras it didn’t take long before I was out of the city and on my way towards Mount Fuji, but before that there was one place I wanted to experience.

I was on the outskirts of the Aokigahara Forest as mist and clouds began to surround me while the trees grew denser. This forest is also known as the suicide forest. This location is one of the most used places for suicides on earth. I parked the motorcycle next to a small sedan and decided to do a short hike to stretch out from the 3-hour ride.  As I began hiking it hit me that maybe that sedan belonged to someone that came here with a purpose.  The atmosphere was already very heavy and not wanting to see a body swinging from a tree I opted to end the hike and briskly return to the motorcycle and leave the forest.

A downside of riding this time of year in Japan was that Mount Fuji was hidden behind a wall of clouds.  It reminded me of my home from a previous life near Mount Rainier, which would only show its ghostly glowing during the summer months. It seemed as though today would not be the day I would get my first glimpse of Mount Fuji, so as the sun began to dip into the clouds I opted to find a hotel for the evening, have dinner and prepare a direction for tomorrow’s adventure.

More Huber?  You bet!

Help us keep the lights on!

Never miss an ExNotes blog:

Join our Facebook ExNotes page!

Tokyo Road: Part 2

By Mike Huber

I still had two days to kill prior to picking up my motorcycle to begin exploring Japan. I found a great pod hotel next to a major hub and subway route, which made getting around Tokyo very easy.

A pod hotel is just that. It was a giant room filled with about 50 or so small containers like sleeping pods that are stacked two high. It is absolutely like sleeping in something you’d see in an 1980s sci-fi movie. This particular pod hotel had three floors of pods, and then on the top floor, an onsen (Japanese hot springs), a cold bath, showers, sauna, and a large dayroom for hanging out. For the price (approximately 40 USD) it was perfect for my 4-day stay in Tokyo.

The following night I listened to my friend’s advice and took the train three stops to Akihabara Electric Town. Akihabara Electric Town is a neighborhood in Tokyo that is pretty much a futuristic sensory overload chamber. It was just becoming dusk as I left the train and entered into this neighborhood of Tokyo. It didn’t take me long to feel overwhelmed by the sights and sounds which now fully engulfed me. Quite honestly, out of every country and location I’d have ever visited this was by far the most culture shock I think I have ever felt. It was like I had just been blasted into the future mixed with an anime theme. After a few minutes regaining my composure, I decided I needed a short break for a drink. Within a few blocks, I found one of the recommended experiences. The name of this place was The Maid Café.

The Maid Café is difficult to describe. I think the best description I can come up with is to take Hooters and put it in a blender with a futuristic anime environment. In order to request a menu or a beer you have to do this happy dance thing with your waitress and it involves all these intricate hand signals and gestures, which they sorta teach you. Sorta. The Maid Café along with the entire night was quite an overwhelming experience. I am sure that if one had consumed any type of mind-altering substance the evening would have been insanely colorful. Insanely colorful and I am sure you would end up at some arcade fishing a Monchichi out of a machine. That is if you had you consumed anything.

The remainder of the evening was spent in and out of uniquely themed bars and arcades. In one particular arcade I ended up losing all my subway money attempting to pull a Monchichi from one of those claw machines. My love of the Monchichi (they are such a peaceful, loving people) made it well worth the time and money to finally win one, which is now attached to my backpack as a reminder of my evening exploring Tokyo’s colorful nightlife.

We need your support!  Do what you can to help ExNotes stay in the black!

More Huber? Check out A Trip Into The Moment.

More Gresh and Berk?  You bet!  Check out A Cup O’ Joes!

Join our Facebook ExNotes page!

Help us keep the lights on:

Tokyo Road: Part 1

By Mike Huber

I believe I am skipping ahead a couple countries I experienced in 2025, but I really wanted to write about one of my favorite ones (that being Japan). This country opened me up to its unique culture and really welcomed me. As with previous places I visited, I did minimal to no planning ahead, outside of my arrival in Tokyo. This is the best way to travel, with no schedule or time constraint pressures.

I am usually comfortable with no planning, but before arriving in Tokyo (one of the largest cities on earth), I was feeling overwhelmed. Within 30 minutes of landing I learned there was no need for those feelings, though. Tokyo is one of the most organized, safest, cleanest, and well laid out cities I have ever visited. As I traveled through Japan for the next five weeks, I learned the people are some of the most beautiful in the world, and that is coming from someone who has seen quite a bit of the world.

Being overly social and making friends everywhere, I happened to have a friend in Tokyo. I met Maico when I was traveling through Peru in 2012 and we kept in touch over the years. She owns a cute little coffee shop called Ami Cono (AmiCono) just two train stops outside Shibuya Crossing (a popular tourist destination).

I met Maico at her gelato shop and as we were reconnecting, she offered to take me out to dinner. Of course, I wanted sushi and she knew just the place! The restaurant was called Hiro Ishizaka, it was Michelin rated and much more than I expected. We spent the better part of three hours there as the owners (a husband and wife team) kept an endless train of sushi and saki coming at us until we couldn’t eat anymore. I feel fortunate Maico was able to get us a reservation, as they only served six people per evening.

As the evening came to a close, the other two couples left and Maico and I stayed to chat with the owners. It turned out the husband was a motorcyclist and being that I was about to rent a motorcycle that Monday for a week (or so), he and I had a deep conversation (mostly through Google Translate) on different roads to ride.

It was a great welcome to a new country. I was now armed with the knowledge of some great motorcycle roads and a few other highlights to add to my ever-growing list. I was ready to ride Japan!

We need your support!  Do what you can to help ExNotes stay in the black!

More Huber? Check out A Trip Into The Moment.

More Gresh and Berk?  You bet!  Check out A Cup O’ Joes!

Join our Facebook ExNotes page!

Challenges Abroad

By Mike Huber

Even though I was an IT (information technology) Project Manager for 12 years, a weak point of mine happens to be IT.  Yes, IT.

As an IT team leader one of my greatest strengths is not only placing others in positions where they can excel, but ensuring I do the same for myself. Living in Colombia I happened upon a new challenge. One morning my laptop refused to connect to the Wi-Fi. The laptop I had been using the past two or three years was gifted to me by a friend. This laptop had sort of “fallen off a truck,” or was “found in the alley.”

My guess is the problem I was now faced with was due to the organization it “belonged to” running an audit. I am certain the audit didn’t dig the Colombian IP address, so the laptop was terminated. I now had to purchase a new laptop here in Medellin, Colombia. Shouldn’t be a big deal, right?

Not the case, of course.

Finding a mall in Medellin wasn’t difficult. It was a huge modern three-story mall with nothing but IT and telecom stores. It was a bit overwhelming. I Googled reviews as I walked through the mall and it didn’t take long to settle on a store. I found a representative that spoke decent English to bridge the gap with my never-ending Spanish stumbling. He recommended a few basic machines. I began more research on reviews and picked out a basic laptop that would suffice (mainly for writing ExNotes pieces).

After installing Windows and basic MS apps, I returned to my apartment and noticed something was off. The keyboard was in a different format. It was a Spanish QWERTY layout. OK, not a huge deal: I could learn a new keyboard. What really confused me is they loaded the software for a standard American keyboard. This meant the keys did not match many of the symbols. I learned this on my own, but not before walking the streets of Medellin with my laptop asking locals to assist me. No one else could figure it out, either. This was becoming frustrating, but some relief that it wasn’t my incompetence that caused it.

Returning to my apartment, and after a bit more Google research, I learned to toggle the keyboard to the QWERTY format to match the keyboard, which is where it will stay. Yes, I am sure I could exchange the laptop and hunt down one with a normal keyboard, but what fun would that be?

I will be in South America for quite some time (more on that in another blog), so I thought I would just embrace the change. Also, it is now easier for me to do “¡” and “¿” symbols to impress the locals.

We need your support!  Do what you can to help ExNotes stay in the black!

Coming up…more on Cycle Garden and their impressive work on Moto Guzzi and other Italian motorcycles!

More Huber? Check out A Trip Into The Moment.

More Gresh and Berk?  You bet!  Check out A Cup O’ Joes!

Join our Facebook ExNotes page!

Help us keep the lights on:

Returning to Vietnam – Ha Giang Loop: Part 5

By Mike Huber

I had stopped at the perfect place for my morning coffee.  Not only did the owner know of less chaotic roads, but the coffee shop was at the exact location to turn off to hit these mostly unexplored roads.  I quickly finished my coffee and was out the door in minutes.

This would be the Vietnam I was looking for. No congestion, no traffic stops, just miles of mountain switchbacks.  This new chosen path didn’t come without a bit more adventure, too.  Over the next five days I didn’t see one Westerner or tourist.  None.  The village homestays I chose were so far off the beaten path I don’t even think many of the locals had ever seen a Westerner. Communication was strictly between my charades and some Google Translate.  The more rice wine I drank at the end of the evening, the less I relied on Google and the more colorful my charades became.

The roads were beautiful as the paved switchbacks disappeared into the lush jungle mountains and became dirt.  Some had precarious places with mudslides that consumed the dirt along these roads.  On more than one occasion I would be filled with confidence as I successfully negotiated these obstacles, only to be put in my place as a 10 year old girl on a scooter would overcome the same obstacles (but one-handed as her other hand was busy texting). Talk about an instant ego check.

The days actually became very isolating with the empty mountain roads, and even emptier villages where I found myself staying. On more than one occasion I found myself alone in a rundown hotel room having ramen for dinner by boiling water from a tea kettle.  Those moments were overshadowed by the adventure that always arrived the following day as I chose new mountain roads. It was exactly the experience I desired while motorcycling Vietnam.

For the next five days I hardly saw pavement or even other vehicles. When I would stop for a break at a viewpoint or for a drink of water there was absolute silence.  Even if there had been noise, the dense jungle would have absorbed it.  The jungle even consumed the sound of my moto crashing into the rocks when I occasionally lost focus.  It wasn’t dense enough to absorb my pain-induced swearing as I reinjured my broken rib from my Thailand crash.

After nine days I returned to the sensory overload of Hanoi, which came in the form of massive traffic and chaotic roundabouts. I had completed the Ha Giang Loop.  It was such an epic road.  The greater accomplishment was leaving the tourist trap loop and experiencing the true, raw, and mostly unexplored roads of Vietnam.

Catch up with Huber’s Vietnam adventure ride:

Ha Giang Loop: Part 1
Ha Giang Loop: Part 2
Ha Giang Loop: Part 3
Ha Giang Loop:  Part 4

We need your support!  Do what you can to help ExNotes stay in the black!

Coming up…more on Cycle Garden and their impressive work on Moto Guzzi and other Italian motorcycles!

More Huber? Check out A Trip Into The Moment.

More Gresh and Berk?  You bet!  Check out A Cup O’ Joes!

Join our Facebook ExNotes page!

Help us keep the lights on:

Returning to Vietnam – Ha Giang Loop: Part 4

By Mike Huber

Awakening the following day, I was eager to begin my second day on the Ha Giang Loop in northern Vietnam. Thankfully, the remainder of my first day on this road went without further incidents with local law enforcement.

As I continued northward in this beautiful mountainous region there wasn’t a day that went by where I wasn’t pulled over at least once.  The officers I had paid the 8 million Dong to were true to their word as each time I was pulled over at license checkpoints the officer would pull out their phone and scroll through the many photos of tourists until I would stop them. “Right there!  That’s me.  See?  I paid.”

The police officers then signaled me to be on my way.  Outside a few verbal warnings to slow down, the police check points just became part of my daily routine as my journey continued.

Hitting the Vietnamese North Pole was one of my objectives along this ride. Starting off early in the morning was the best way to go.  The early start was not only to avoid police check points and tourist traffic, but also to watch the mystical fog burn off the mountains as I weaved my way north. The roads were in pristine condition.  The only thing more pristine was the green mountain views that unfolded as I powered through the corners.  It was wonderful to have the road to myself, outside of the few meandering water buffalos that lazily crossed in front of me every so often.

Every day as afternoon approached, the police check points would appear. After a few days of constantly being pulled over to scroll through the police text thread, point out my photo, and on occasion be given a breathalyzer  test (Vietnam has zero tolerance for driving under the influence), it began to get old.  The road was filled with rental scooters.  Most carried Westerners.

After four days of riding along the Ha Giang Loop, I reached my limit.  I’d had enough of tourists, police stops, and crowds.  Tigit Rental had written a solid itinerary, but at this point I needed more solace. I pulled into a coffee shop to see if there was another route I could take to deviate from the Ha Giang Loop (and there was).  I hit smaller, less traveled roads. The coffee shop owner must have seen the frustration on my face as I zoomed through maps and roads to explore on my phone.

Using Google Translate with the shop owner, I described what I was looking for in terms of roads and a Vietnam experience.  She quickly pointed out a direction.  The roads she identified were remote and they met my criteria.  The path would also send me north along the Chinese border, and then loop down to Hanoi.  This would get me away from the Ha Giang Loop chaos.

Catch up with Huber in Vietnam:

Ha Giang Loop: Part 1
Ha Giang Loop: Part 2
Ha Giang Loop: Part 3

More Huber? Check out A Trip Into The Moment.

Join our Facebook ExNotes page!

Help us keep the lights on:

Returning to Vietnam – Ha Giang Loop: Part 3

By Mike Huber

At 10:00 a.m., I was behind schedule, for whatever that means as I don’t really have much of a time constraint these days.  But I did want to complete 200 kilometers that day. My usual thinking is to make up time by simply twisting my right wrist. I fully controlled time and distance with that slight move. This mentality had been successful in the past and so why not stick with what works?

It only took about 20 minutes of thinking that way before I saw a metal overhang with what appeared to be a speed camera. Tigit Rental warned me about speed cameras. I was not concerned.  I figured it would be a fine when I returned the motorcycle. The fine would be a small price for the control of time and distance, and just another problem for future Huber to deal with.

Well, this time future Huber and present Huber were about to meet as three Vietnamese police and waved me over. There was quite the collection of motorcycles from tourists that had also been pulled over. I was then ushered across the street and found myself instantly sitting in front of a judge.  I was quite frustrated and said, “Look, I just paid your buddy down the street 8 million Dong.  I have no more money to pay.”

It was a stalemate between the police and me.  I refused to pay the fine. After about 30 minutes he came back and started a video call with who I am assuming was the officer I had just paid 8 million Dong. By this time my day was shot, so I didn’t care if he had me sit around the courthouse all day. I wasn’t paying.

After another 30 minutes of me obnoxiously broadcasting the play by play of the other tourists in front of the judge, they decided I had learned my lesson (and they had obtained enough of my money). The judge and officers took pity on me and let me go.

It was now approaching noon, and it was finally time to put some kilometers and the morning’s incidents behind me, but perhaps at a slower pace.  I had spent about four hours of my morning with the local police and the courts. It was time to salvage the day. I kept my speed down, at least in the more populated towns and villages. Either way, I was now officially on the Ha Giang Loop.

It only took a mountain pass or two before the morning’s frustration was replaced with my enjoying being back in the moment.  The road and the amazing mountain ranges of northern Vietnam lay before me.

Catch up with Huber in Vietnam:

Ha Giang Loop: Part 1
Ha Giang Loop: Part 2

More Huber? Check out A Trip Into The Moment.

Join our Facebook ExNotes page!

Help us keep the lights on:

Returning to Vietnam – Ha Giang Loop: Part 2

By Mike Huber

I awoke in Ha Giang prepared for an early start. This would be my first day on the Ha Giang Loop. After a quick breakfast (see the photo above) and some coffee, I was packed and ready to ride.

I knew the roads could get busy, so I made it a point to have everything packed up.  This would allow me to wrap up riding by 3:00 p.m., so I could explore whatever city or village I would be staying in that afternoon.  Tigit Rental had printed out the route they preferred and my plan was to stick to it.

My kickstand was up just after 07:30 and I was off.  It was about 07:40 when my kickstand went back down. I had been pulled over by the Vietnamese police.  I wasn’t speeding (I never am, right?).  It was a routine license check. I quickly pulled out my IDP (International Driving Permit) and handed it to them.  Tigit Rental had warned me that my IDP was not valid in Vietnam.  It literally goes back to some clause Vietnam refused to sign in 1949.

Tigit Rental had also warned me to keep a certain amount of currency separate to pay the “fee” to the police.  That was where my ADD kicked in and I had forgotten the amount.  Utilizing Google Translate and handing my phone back and forth, I now had three officers around me.  One officer said it was 8 million Dong (about 256USD).  I didn’t have that amount with me.  I explained that to them and that a trip to an ATM was required and I would return with the payment for the “fee.”  I was forced to either surrender my passport (which was not happening) or leave my bag.

As I ran the money conversion in my head, I realized the amount was not good.  What’s worse is it took visits to three banks to find one that took my card (and that would allow that amount to be withdrawn). I also had forgotten to pay myself that month, so my bank account was now pretty close to zero after my previous numerous withdrawals.  I was getting a bit flustered as I finally got all 8 million Dong and was ready to head back to the checkpoint, pay them, get my backpack, and depart.  That was when I realized I had forgotten where the checkpoint even was located.  I had been turned around so many ways in hunting down banks I was fully disoriented.  The only thing I could think of doing was returning to the starting point, my hotel, and just re-riding my path from that morning.

That worked out and I finally made my way back to the checkpoint.  The officer than asked why it took me so long and I know I typed something to the effect “I’m not that smart” into the translator.  He then ushered me over to a van and in the passenger front seat opened a briefcase full of cash.

Looking back, this entire experience is a “what NOT to do” outline for these types of situations. I get it, and I fully deserve any bashing I get because I was beyond dumb here.  I managed to get ever more stupid.

I thought taking my phone out to take a photo of the briefcase full of cash would be a great addition to this story, which I knew I would write eventually.  As I angled my phone, another officer behind me grabbed it.  This was not good.  He spent five minutes reviewing every piece of data and photo in my phone searching for the photo that I never managed to take, and all the while I kept repeating “no photo.”  He finally returned my phone.

I unknowingly overpaid the Vietnamese police about 150USD ((2 to 3 million Dong is the going rate; I had paid 8 million).  I was almost arrested due to my own stupidity.  There was just one final step to take before I could go on my way: A photo of myself and my motorcycle.  This photo was uploaded to what I will describe as a massive group text chat for future altercations with the police that would prove I had paid my “entry fee.”

It was now close to 10:00 a.m.  My early start was shot. I threw my leg over the Honda and fired it up.  Feeling relieved I wasn’t going to jail, there was still plenty of daylight to salvage my slow and difficult start.  Sadly, that relief was short lived. In just under 30 minutes, I found myself sitting in front of a judge and more police.

More Huber? Check out A Trip Into The Moment.

Join our Facebook ExNotes page!

Help us keep the lights on: