Chiang Rai, Thailand October 23, 2549 Sean: The infamous “Golden Triangle” - conjuring up images of immense poppy fields, clandestine CIA operations, and nefarious characters processing heroin for the world’s market - is now a legitimate tourist destination complete with huge tour busses and t-shirt vendors. You know a place is no longer edgy when Grey Line ferries large numbers of sightseers to it. Named The Golden Triangle by some long forgotten official in the Nixon administration, this portion of South East Asia where Burma, Laos and Thailand meet (it looks nothing like a triangle to me), used to be where the majority of the world’s illegal opium and heroin were produced. Now, at the epicenter of it all is a western quality museum devoted to the controversial plant and its effects (both positive and negative) ... read more

Chiang Mai, Thailand September 21, 2006 Sean: Being a political science hobbyist, the idea that I would happen to be in a country during such a major government upheaval as a military led coup d’etat makes my heart run aflutter. To be present for history-in-the-making is not only thrilling, but a far cry from our usual modus operandi of arriving places and witnessing the past. I don’t have a death wish, mind you, and have no desire to antagonize armed troops passing by in their Hummers toting M16’s (the Thai military is rolling with US made stock, by the way), but I find this sort of thing quite interesting. Having said that, I’ve got to tell you that the Thai coup of September 2006 has been pretty boring - a comfort, I’m sure, to our loved ... read more

Chengdu, China August 14, 2006 Sean: Everybody loves pandas. Did you know: • That there are only 1,590 (est.) giant pandas roaming around in the wild and only 170 in captivity? • That they have an extra digit on their fore-paws that acts as a pseudo-thumb and helps them to grasp objects? • That they require about 110 pounds of fresh bamboo daily and will “excrete” about 25 to 65 pounds of football (American, of course) shaped pellets in that same time period? Today was spent roaming around the huge expanse of land that constitutes the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base. This is where the majority of magic happens in their black and white world. From genetic research to dietetics to matchmaking, everything you want…nay need to know about this uniquely Chinese animal is all located ... read more

Seoul, South Korea June 30, 2006 Sean: As many of you know, I spent two years in the Land of the Morning Calm and retain many positive memories of my time here. Between the year spent teaching English to the nation’s school children and another year stationed near the DMZ with the US Army, I really enjoyed Korea and was excited about returning. I had also been chatting up the country for so long that the enthusiasm infected my lovely wife as well. So we are both eager to be landing here and look forward to spending a few weeks ‘splorin’ the peninsula. The two things that I remember most were the food and the people. The wide array of dishes that are offered on just about every corner is varied, tasty, and fairly inexpensive. And ... read more

Gizycko, Poland June 4, 2006 Shannon: Chances are, you’ve never heard of Gierloz, Poland or even the larger town near it, Gizycko. Today these are placid little towns in the rolling hills of the Great Masurian Lakes district. With over 2,000 lakes in the area, these days many people come here to ply the waters in sailboats and canoes or to spend their days hiking in the green forests. So it’s hard to believe, amid all this tranquility, that the heart of the Nazi war machine once beat from a 2.5 square kilometer compound nestled just outside this obscure little town. Sean: Wolfsschanze, German for Wolf’s Lair, was the location of Hitler’s principal headquarters and residence from June 1941 to November 1944. Here, in what used to be known as East Prussia (now northeastern Poland), lies ... read more