Day 5 Our day of rest. Before leaving Kruger and Mpumalanga for a more urban experience in Pretoria, we stopped to indulge in a true national treasure...Wimpy's! Basically the equivalent of a Steak n' Shake back home, these little diner-esque eateries serve delicious, frothy, milk coffee and are praised by seemingly everyone. I'd say the food was about what you'd expect: tasty but by no means gourmet, and in under an hour we were back on the road to Pretoria. Day 6 We were extremely fortunate that our hosts were able to arrange for us to visit an AIDS center right on the border of Gauteng and Mpumalanga where we were able to see first-hand the efforts being made "in the field" so to speak. Then, taking things a bit further, we spent the afternoon with ... read more

Day 4 The circular fountain was centered in the plaza that lay at the end of a cobblestone street, lined on both sides by colorful buildings that once housed various Portugese businesses but today are occupied by shops like Haagen Dazs and the Body Shop. Macau has a distinctly old world, European feel at its core and for the day, I felt like I'd left Asia and could have been roaming the streets of 18th century Lisbon. We tried to spend our time seeing the old town rather than the glitz of the casinos and Gucci windows that greet you when you arrive via ferry. So begins our day in Macau... We woke up early to catch the ferry and it couldn't have been easier. There was no need to buy our tickets in advance and ... read more

Day 7 With two days left in China, I was in no mood to waste time. Even more determined to see Mao's mausuleum, I woke up early on Saturday morning to avoid the crowds. Today was the first time I was going to venture out in Beijing completely alone...I contemplated this over breakfast and my enthusiasm didn't diminish. I took a taxi to Tienanmen Sq., walked through the security checkpoint for the thousandth time, and made my way over to the Mao memorial. I was confused as to why, despite reading the sign that clearly stated that the memorial was opened, no one was standing in line and the gates were closed. I didn't want to miss Mao so I chose to suck it up and approach one of the intimidating gaurds in the long, bulky ... read more

Day 1 & 2 Traveling to China during Chinese New Year meant participating in the biggest annual human migration on the planet...and I couldn't wait! Of course, this also means that since we've been here almost nothing has gone according to plan. Trying to find train tickets to Xi'an was hopeless and so when we arrived Sunday evening we quickly scoured the net for flights. Several failed attempts later and we were finally booked to Xi'an and decided to book our return flight at the airport. We've also had a man down for the last few days thanks to a bout of food poisoning so needless to say, things have not been going very smoothly...but I digress. China is a land that immediately calls to mind images of warring Mongols, dragon dances, pandas, the Silk Road, ... read more

To say that Thailand is amazing, is like saying the pyramids are big. Thailand is a spectacularly warm, beautiful country with an abundance of culture and natural beauty. It is unfortunate, though, that the tourist areas can overshadow its natural charm. I won't pretend I completely avoided the tourist spots, what would a trip to Bangkok be without the Grand Palace and the Floating Markets? All in all, however, I think I was able to find a happy balance between the "must-see" tourist sites and sampling the local flavor. Our trip began one night in Bangkok... Day 1 (Christmas Day) My first day in Thailand has been unforgettable! This country is truly exotic in every sense of the word. Although our hotel is in a tourist-y part of town, it’s still a comfort to unwind at ... read more