Round the World Trip

April 17th, Washington, DC – It turns out that Dubai’s rules regarding Israeli stamps in the passport are ignored as we had no trouble getting through immigration and spent a few hours in the city. It is a fairly modern … Read More

April 12th, Negombo, Sri Lanka – Yala is a decent park for a wildlife safari though not quite on par with the few African parks left where mass-tourism ‘safaris’ do not dominate. Anybody with eyes should see plenty of deer, … Read More

April 6th, Tissamaharama, Sri Lanka – Sri Lanka is a lovely country and the people are quite friendly and grateful for American aid following the tsunami (virtually everyone thanks us and mentions someone by name who came by their town … Read More

April 2nd, Karon Beach, Thailand – Phuket looks and feels like a typical beach resort. Other than the tsunami warning our first night here that sent us towards the beach to find a nice viewpoint, you would be hard pressed … Read More

March 27th, Yangon, Myanmar – The Burmese people continue to amaze me; they are so incredibly friendly and helpful without asking for anything in return (except the few children who have been taught to beg for shampoo, pens and candy; … Read More

March 21st, Nyaung U, Myanmar – Burma is an incredible place. The unique political situation aside, the Buddhism practiced here is unlike any other place we have been, the art and architecture is a mix of Indian, Sinhalese, Mon, Siamese … Read More

March 16th, Chiang Mai, Thailand – We were supposed to make it from Chiang Mai all the way to Laos so we could catch the 7:30am transport to The Gibbon Experience. We went to the bus station with plenty of … Read More

March 11th, Chiang Mai, Thailand – We spent the period since our last update traveling around northern Thailand with our friends Anna and Lenny. It was nice to have company for a bit and it is good to know that … Read More

March 3rd, Chiang Khong, Thailand – The bus ride from Luang Prabang to Luang Nam Tha was both a little painful and extremely beautiful. Doing the trip in daylight requires a change of bus in Udomxai and the pain derives … Read More

February 25th, Luang Prabang, Laos – After an uneventful night train and a relatively simple border crossing we found ourselves in Laos. The first clue that this country is different is seen when hiring a taxi from the border to … Read More

February 20th, Bangkok, Thailand – Hong Kong, as signs everywhere remind us, is Asia’s ‘world city’. Hong Kong Island feels like Manhattan built on stilts; huge buildings surround you and they are built up the side of a hill giving … Read More

February 13th, Hanoi, Vietnam – For the Vietnamese, Tet is a very expensive time of year; they have to purchase decorations which include flowers, apricot trees, peach blossoms and kumquat trees that cost quite a bit, they have to prepare … Read More

February 6th, Hoi An, Vietnam – We have been fairly lucky with out itinerary in that we have not had many long distances to travel; particularly we have had only one overnight journey since flying from Los Angeles to Tahiti. … Read More

January 31st, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam – When traveling independently, inevitably you have difficult and tiring days; the kind of day where some unexpected barrier pops up every step of the way, frustrating your plans and your psyche. Our … Read More

January 25th, Phnom Penh, Cambodia – The border crossing into Cambodia at Poipet is one of the more infamous in Southeast Asia. It is well known both for the many scams perpetrated against foreigners crossing here and the legions of … Read More

January 20th, Ban Kon Khuang, Thailand – Bangkok is a great city; the people are friendly, the girls always smiling, the atmosphere welcoming, the temples magnificent and the facilities excellent. While I did not find the backpacker ghetto on Khao … Read More

January 14th, Penang, Malaysia – Following up on my previous update, one of the other biases often demonstrated by travelers is assuming that experiences with poorer people are more authentic than with the upper classes. This leads people to dismiss … Read More

January 9th, Melaka, Malaysia – A few days of scuba diving was a nice, relaxing diversion. The diving outfit picked us up each morning from our hotel to take us to their base at a nice resort just outside Kota … Read More

January 2nd, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia – If the mountain was a physical outdoor adventure and the river a cultural one than Danum Valley was our scientific natural experience. The Danum Valley Research Center is part of a private conservation area … Read More

December 27th, Sukau, Malaysia – After climbing the mountain we needed some less physically intensive activity; luckily we were heading to the Kinabatagan river where we could spot wildlife (and possibly orangutan) from the seated comfort of boats. The river … Read More

December 24th, Sandakan, Malaysia – Booking a day before we wanted to go meant our only choice for accommodations at Mt. Kinabalu Park was the hostel. Staying in dorm rooms contains a major negative and a major positive attribute; on … Read More

December 20th, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia – That Brunei is wealthier than its neighbors is immediately noticeable; the number of new luxury cars spanning Mercedes to Lexus to a few Ferrari and Porsche sprinkled in and the elaborate design of some … Read More

December 16th, Miri, Malaysia – After some thought we decided not head to Batang Ai for a remote possibility of seeing orangutan (we will have other opportunities in Sabah) but instead, inspired by a book I read on our trek … Read More

December 10th, Kuching, Malaysia – The contrasts between Indonesia and Malaysia are noticeable as soon as you cross the border. The first difference you see is that the roads are wider with better pavement, signage and frequent, intelligible distance markers. … Read More

December 5th, Pontianak, Indonesia – While most people here are good natured there are some who are just trying to take advantage of you; and even when they are not, the difficulties of communicating can lead to situations where it … Read More

November 28th, Semarang, Indonesia – They say it is always darkest before the dawn; I don’t know if that is completely true but it is really dark outside. We’ve come this far so we might as well go through with … Read More

November 22nd, Cemoro Lawang, Indonesia – The first difference you notice stepping off the plane is the humidity; we have been in the temperate world for so long that it is a shock to our systems. After that you notice … Read More

November 18th, Perth, Australia – Rain; I do not think there was a day in Tasmania without it. But this rain is different; you don’t have those slowly gathering clouds leading to downpours, instead the rain is very localized in … Read More

November 12th, Derwent Bridge, Tasmania – Whenever you switch countries there are certain adjustments you need to acclimate to. Such as: currency changes from the New Zealand Dollar worth .70 U.S. Dollars to the Australian Dollar worth .75 U.S. Dollars, linguistic … Read More

November 7th, Christchurch, New Zealand – Our last week in New Zealand has come and gone with more amazing vistas, exciting adventures and memorable experiences; as well as the side show of a depressing election result (a topic of discussion … Read More

October 31st, Wanaka, New Zealand – We began our driving tour of the South Island the only way that made sense; visiting the vineyards of Waipara Valley. A short drive north from Christchurch brought us to the first wine stop … Read More

October 26th, Christchurch, New Zealand – So far, New Zealand has been an amazing country; the scenery is beautiful, the cities of Auckland and Christchurch are functional but not overcrowded and the people are helpful and polite. The first native … Read More

October 22nd, Mo’orea, French Polynesia – One week since we left D.C., four days since we left the U.S.; and we hardly remember it at all. We spent the last four days on the island of Mo’orea, one of the … Read More