http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Quarter-Life-Crisis/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Quarter Life Crisis en-us Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:02:13 +0000 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:02:13 +0000 Note on the title Unlike many Americans I do understand that the city is not pronounced Melborn However the proper pronounciation kills my little pun. For the record it's Melburn. The phenetics are a little unfortunate considering the recent Australian bush fires that have ravaged the Victoria countryside. These of course differ from American Bush fires which tend to be ephagies. A http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Melbourne/blog-375375.html The human body is a shamelessly fragile vessel. Considering the mind it protects one that outperforms all others on this planet tenfold its shocking how weak our bodies are. We're confined to the tiny cage that our world becomes when one has such a small survival window. Our pathetic flesh leaves us exempt from the spoils of extreme temperature and warmth we lack the ability to explore the http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/South-West-Thailand/Ko-Phi-Phi/blog-345322.html Laos is the redheaded stepchild of Southeast Asia. Forgotten and overshadowed by its illustrious neighbors. Not that this is Laos' fault. When you share borders with such a lineup of famous and sometimes notorious countries it's easy to be overlooked. Laos lacks anything that would put it on the international map not literally of course. It's on an actual map it's the one that looks li http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Luang-Prabang/blog-341077.html Allow me to be frank. I'm not feeling it. This whole blog thing. The mood's just not there. My imagination's no longer running wild it's been caged in a zoo where it lounges on a log for 18 hours a day and only gets up to strategically lick its genitals when a nun walks by. I need new spark plug's in my brain to get my mental pistons firing. Blah Blah metaphore blah blah something in paret http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Angkor/blog-336078.html Take one of the largest places on the planet with almost one fifth of its population probably the most varied landscape of any one country a history of power and culture that goes back 4000 years and try experience it all in two weeks. THEN try to reduce that down into 1000 words of commentary to be consumed by the masses back at home I may be overstating my audience a little with masses http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/blog-331786.html Koreans love to stare. No hesitation no shame just stare. They'll fix their gaze on you like they're waiting for you to explode or for a beast to erupt from your stomach. There are just certain social taboos that don't translate from one culture to another. The Chinese spit Italians are very forward with woman the Koreans stare. Like it's their job and they get paid hourly. I like to con http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/South-Korea/Seoul/blog-327382.html The first time Kim Jong il went golfing his first time ever picking up a golf club he shot a world record 38 under par. He recorded 11 hole in ones to shatter Solvang native Al Geiberger's previous record round of 59. The folks at the PGA and Guiness Book of World Records refuse to acknowledge this score. They say that there is no evidence either video or photo that confirms the claim. They http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/North-Korea/blog-325156.html Tokyo is Lewis Carrol's Technicolor wet dream. New York on LSD. If London had an illegitimate love child with Hunter S. Thompson and that child did shrooms it would be Tokyo. We've been some strange places in our time but never anything like this. Tokyo is the crazy homeless man who stands on the corner screaming the world's most nonsensical gibberish at the top of his lungs. Thoughts so http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Tokyo/blog-322650.html I am a Viking. My hands of those of Thor god of Thunder. My wit is spy like that Loki. My blood pulses through my veins by decree of Oden. When I leave this earth I will spend eternity in the glorious forever of epic feast and neverending battle that is Valhalla. Unfortunately i was born in the wrong century and with the wrong physique i could be helmet horn polisher at best. Current i http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Iceland/Southwest/Reykjavik/blog-319949.html O.K. I have a scenario for you. I want you to imagine yourself in this situation. Now free your mind and close your eyes wait now you can't read. ok. open your eyes. shit your eyes are closed you don't know to open. My only means of commune are visual. We're stuck. You're just sitting there in your office with your eyes closed in front of the computer like an asshole and i've got no mean http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Greater-London/blog-278190.html Alternate titles Comover it andOur time went Shitaly.Note Any complaints about the infrequency of blog entries should be filed directly to the members of state representing the European Union and the affiliates of the European Economic Area. 10 euro an hour for internet is such an injustice that there exists no word to describe it so i must make them up. Internet in Europe is absolutely http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Piedmont/Turin/blog-272221.html Haha yeah right. April Fools Suckers. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Santa-Barbara/blog-261903.html Here's a riddle for you. What's the one thing that no matter where you travel what monument you see and how much money you spend you can never find it. You'll never see it on any map. Every plane trip boat ride and bus ride takes you further away. Everyone has been there but it's always a different place. The answer is home.No we didn't return to the glories and spoils of southern Califor http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Tuscany/Florence/blog-260994.html Two blogs in 6 days You may be asking yourself what amazing adventures could they possibly be doing that warent such promptness Also shouldn't i put on some pants The fact is that the reason I'm sitting inside an internet cafe writing a blog is because here I am safe. I don't have to go out there. Into the wild. Into Egypt.We took a short flight 9 hours is short for us into JoBurg t http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Lower-Egypt/Cairo/blog-254383.html 1985 Eddie Murphy hit produced by Rick James Anyone No. Ok. On with the BlogWe've been busy little Springboks since we last checked into the Blogosphere. Mostly that means we've spent an unspeakable amount of time on the bus. These aren't your luxorious posh climate controlled hey Jenny should i have my complimentary champagne before or after the film Argentine buses. These are crampe http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Cape-Town/blog-252726.html So after four incredible days scouting out the 'Big 5' at Kruger National Park Mike and I were brought back to Jo'burg for about 8 hours until the next morning when we were picked at 6 AM to head to Botswana It was a riveting day of 13 hours in the minibus where we arrived in Francistown to set up camp. Welcome to Roughing It 101. So I'll be the first to admit that I have only been camping o http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Botswana/North-West/Maun/blog-246198.html In order to convey the feelings i had while writing this blog please have the following paragraph read out loud by an overexcited out of breath 5 year old.This one time in Africa. We saw Lions. And Zebra. And went on a boat. And Then. There was this huge waterfall. And Hippos. And We ate cake made of candy bars. And there were monkeys. And I jumped off a bridge. And we rode in a big truck http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Gauteng/Johannesburg/blog-245107.html Caparinhas. Sunscreen. Sunburns. Hammock naps. Aai pronounced A Sie Ee simple and Acai con granola. Acerola con laranja sucos. Snorkeling. High season prices. Paradise. Mystery Rash. This has pretty much been our life for the past month. Brazil has been one long beach trip which is exactly what we wanted. After we left Buzios we went back to our beloved Rio for a couple more days before h http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Rio-de-Janeiro/Paraty/blog-235874.html My first steps of 2008 were made with a limp. It was early morning Jan. 1st. Jenny and I hit the pavement in search of refueling sustanance. We were coming off a night that neither of us will ever forget. The evening burned an indelible mark on both of our minds but we were more concerned with the physical marks that New Year's 2008 had left behind. My body in particular was left battered fr http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Rio-de-Janeiro/Rio-de-Janeiro/Ipanema/blog-232017.html I tried to just forget it. I thought if I just go back to sleep I wont have to deal with it. But the urge would not and could not be suppressed. Fine...Ill succumb to this feeling but Ill fight until the end. I unwillingly emerged from a warm oven of body heat and blankets and gently pressed my big toe to the tile floor below. I immediately quivered but knew I had to go on. Aside from th http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Rio-de-Janeiro/Rio-de-Janeiro/Ipanema/blog-230561.html