While some regressive political figures look at clean energy with scorn instead of seeing it as the key to abundance and growth (like China does), the advance of solar power worldwide is astounding by almost any measure. Nowhere is this more evident than in Africa, where solar has leapfrogged development in regions the top-down, fossil-fuel-powered electric grid never reached. See this article on how Africa is building the future by skipping the past. Here’s an interesting stat from it to chew on: “[The cost of] Solar panels dropped 99.5% in 45 years. What if we’re only halfway through?”

A Guide to Rail Travel in Vietnam

James Clark of Nomadic Notes has several websites and newsletters about Southeast Asia. He has probably traveled on more trains in the region than anyone else and now has a site focused just on that aspect of travel in his adopted home base country. Check out Rail Vietnam if you will be moving around Vietnam and want to avoid the roads. He says, “This guide covers every train line in Vietnam, station information, and how to buy tickets.”

Afternoon Drinks in Thailand

If you’ve ever tried to buy beer at a 7-11 between 2:00 and 5:00 p.m. in Thailand, you probably a) been turned away and b) left very confused. A law dating back to 1972 has been in place all that time as a nanny state move to keep government office workers from sneaking out for a drink. For the next 180 days at least, in a move to boost tourism, there are no restrictions between 11:00 a.m. and midnight. See the details here.

Portable Mic for the Road

I do a fair number of interviews and video calls when I travel that require good sound quality, but I don’t want to pack the big microphone I use in the home office. Back in March I ordered this small mic that just plugs into my laptop USB port and can then be moved around to face the front. At under $20 it’s not studio quality, but when paired with wireless earbuds it has been good enough for a couple of podcast appearances. It goes into a pouch and takes up almost no room.

A weekly newsletter with four quick bites, edited by Tim Leffel, author of A Better Life for Half the Price and The World’s Cheapest Destinations. See past editions here, where your like-minded friends can subscribe and join you.