It’s time to start seriously considering my phase 2 route. As most of you know I initially wanted to travel Japan> China> Vietnam> Cambodia> Laos> Thailand> Tibet> India> Jordan> Egypt> Tanzania> Madagascar> South Africa> Chicago. I got as far West as Myanmar (a country I wanted to go to but hadn’t mentioned to my parents…
The government of Myanmar (Burma) moved the capital of the country from Yangon (Rangoon) to Pyinmana, 200 miles North. Some speculate that the move was suggested by an astrologer (this is not uncommon in Myanmar) and others say the move was to make the country less vulnerable to possible attack by sea from U.S. forces.…
Since I?ve been home I?ve tried to catch up on other travelers? blogs and maybe get a little inspiration. One interesting post I saw was a photo post of a man?s trip to the grocery store in Bangkok, Thailand. Now, the street scenes in Thailand may be more interesting than my day in Chicago, but…
Halloween is my favorite holiday. I love costumes and take every chance I get to dress in one. Last year I was in Jinghong, China on Halloween and didn’t have a chance to properly celebrate. I tried to find chocolate (take my advice–avoid Chinese chocolate at all costs) but ended up with a small piece…
One night in Muang Ngoi (Northern) Laos I was eating dinner with a group of fellow travelers. I ordered a pancake and a plate of fries. When my food came they looked longingly at it and someone said “I wish I had ordered junk fod too!” I laughed and replied “Actually, I was just a…
I am in the process of slowly updating this site, as you can tell from the route maps and budget additions. Now is the time for anyone to speak up and give suggestions on what should be added. Are there obvious questions I haven’t answered in the FAQ? Is something on the site confusing? Let…
The other day I ordered a cheeseburger and fries for take away. Why would anyone want me to eat this much cheeseburger? Almost as disturbing is my impression of a 12 year old in the above photo. I’m beginning to think I will look like a kid even after age 30.
I’ve finally put up my expenses! You can get to the jpg from the planning page, or go directly to the file. Below are some fun monetary facts from my trip–all denominations roughly converted into U.S. Dollars. Total money spent: $10,188.29 Total money spent on all transportation: $2,642.24 Total money spent on flights: $1,468.32 Total…
I usually call home once a month when I’m traveling. My parents wanted to hear from me more often, but with email and expensive international phone connections anything more often seemed a bit silly. When I called home from Bangkok in February my parents gave me the horrible news that my dad had been diagnosed…
One of the suggestions given to me was to increase the readability of the maps in the “route” section of the site. Sometimes, because I know exactly where I was and which route I took, I forget that most people don’t even know where countries like Myanmar are. Now the “route” section includes a detail…
Dreary Chicago in March & congested Chicago in May
Things I Miss From Asia Markets Fresh, cheap, good fruit People smiling Two people carrying one bag People telling me I?m beautiful People yelling ?I love you? from moving vehicles Water Buffaloes Pop in glass bottles Knowing that the hair in my food is mine because it?s not black Taking photos Motorbike taxis Making decisions…
Since I have been home I have thought of a number of things to do with my time. One thing that seemed promising was being an extra in a movie. More than anything, I thought it would be a good opportunity to observe the movie making process in person. There are a number of productions…
If you think of something else you’d like added here drop me a line in the comments. I haven’t sorted out money details so I can’t tell you how much I spent on anything quite yet. Days gone: 185 Countries visited: 7 Photographs taken: 9,303 Average photos taken per day: 50 Cartwheel photographs taken: 42…
If you think of something else you’d like added here drop me a line in the comments. I haven’t sorted out money details so I can’t tell you how much I spent on anything quite yet. Days gone: 185 Countries visited: 7 Photographs taken: 9,303 Average photos taken per day: 50 Cartwheel photographs taken: 42…
If you’re interested in the drawings I created on the road you can see them all now in the sketchbook section. All of my photographs have been uploaded to the gallery section as well, but you may want to wait to look at them at the same time as reading their corresponding blog entries. Enjoy!
I hope you all haven’t given up on me yet. I realize that I have to post my adventures from as far back as December (Laos seems like eons ago!) but it should pick up now. I headed over to Myanmar (Burma) for four weeks where my site was soon blacklisted by the military regime.…
I had to see it. The gold leaf-covered rock balancing on a mountaintop Southeast of Yangon attracts pilgrims and tourists alike. It would be much more popular with tourists if it wasn’t so painful to get to. Even the most luxurious traveler with a private car will only get as far as the mountain’s base…
The main attraction in Yangon is the Shwedagon Paya, but my favorite thing to do in any city is walk around, get lost and watch everyday people doing everyday things. The day after The Shwedagon I decided to head out to another paya described in the Lonely Planet guidebook as having a “mirrored maze”–sounded right…
Day two in Myanmar and I was finally being stared at again! Even though I complained every day in China when the locals stared at me, I missed it when I left. There are so many tourists in Thailand that I wasn’t looked twice at. The most attention I could hope to get was from…