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Erik Timmons
I am twenty-four and just graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Liberal Studies. I enjoy travel immensely and look forward to each new trip. To celebrate my graduation and to prepare for my future in graduate school as an anthropologist I am taking a trip "around the world." On this trip I will spend time in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, India, Kenya, Uganda and the Netherlands. Part of the trip will be pleasure travel and part will be to work as an intern for organizations in India and Uganda. My previous travel experiences include two summers of backpacking in Europe, 6 weeks studying in Bangalore, India and 5 weeks in Uganda and Kenya. Traveling has given me a radically different perspective on the world and my life and that's essentially why I do it. The people I have met while traveling and the places I have visited have shaped my world view and made me a more thoughtful global citizen. For that I am very grateful.Terik
Travel Blog Posts
January 14th 2008
Christmas Eve was spent in the Mumbai airport waiting for my 4AM Christmas day flight to Nairobi, Kenya. I used an incredibly overpriced internet kiosk to check my email and pass some time. It was here that I looked on www.allafrica.com to find out what was going on in Kenya. There were already accusations of vote rigging even though the elections were still two days away. The extent of my knowledge of the 2007 elections in Kenya were confined to an article I read in “The Economist” about how Kenya had the chance to set the example for the rest of Africa by holding free and fair elections. When I asked my girlfriend who is a native of Nairobi whether we could meet a friend in town on the night of the elections she showed concern ... read more
November 4th 2007
In Singapore I stayed in Little India. It was a festive place with Dihwali fast approaching. Fragrant incense and curry excited my olfactory while Bollywood music drenched the air. I was mostly an unmotivated tourist in Singapore. I slept late and never rushed out to see many things when I finally did roll out of bed. I feasted on curry for most of my meals and lazed around shady park benches next to old retired men where I could nap and read interchangeably. I went on an excellent tour of the oldest monastery with an anthropologist, but since many of the things he discovered during research are of a sensitive nature to the government, he explicitly asked that I not repeat what he said. I will respect his wishes and keep mum. The highlight of Singapore ... read more
October 26th 2007
For my first day in Bangkok I had unambitious plans. Basically, I was planning to walk around and maybe wander into a couple of the more famous temples in the city. The whole morning and beginning of the afternoon were spent wandering around the backstreets and along the canals of Bangkok. At one point I stumbled upon Wat Pho, which is the famous temple that houses the giant “Reclining Buddha.” The Buddha is reclining because he is entering Nirvana. It was an interesting sight, but short-lived. To fill some more time I decided that I would go to the Grand Palace. Using my map I thought that I had located it. I began to walk up to an armed guard outside of the walled off compound that I thought was the Grand Palace. But before I ... read more
October 9th 2007
In Hualien I rented a motor scooter and set off into the Taroka Gorge National Park. I spent most of my day winding up and down the narrow serpentine highway 8. The making of the highway was a perilous endeavor as more than 400 workers lost their lives. There is a shrine in their honor not too far from the park entrance. I was so glad to be in the scenic gorge and its surrounding mountains after spending three nights in Taipei. I stayed the night in the small mountain oasis of Tiensang. There were two choices for budget hostels and I chose the shabbier of the two. The price, however, wasn’t too shabby, and I pretty much had the whole place to myself. There were two other guests that I met. One was an American ... read more
October 6th 2007
On my first morning in Kyoto I accidentally climbed a mountain! It was definitely not my plan to climb a mountain when the day began, but one thing lead to another and, well, I ended up getting a great workout. I was visiting a shrine that my guidebook recommended. It was early in the morning and I was at the base of a mountain. I gazed up into the misty peaks of the mountains above and my mouth dropped open at the natural beauty I beheld. When I approached the shrine I noticed a poem in English. I read it several times and was taken by the beauty of the words: Summer, Saisho-in The evening bell, solemn and bronze In the grandfather temple down the hill, Sounds dimly here. Slow beat of the mountain’s heart, perhaps, ... read more
September 29th 2007
I wanted to grab a bite to eat at a local inexpensive restaurant the other night. Fortunately, I found one next to the guesthouse I was staying at. The dishes they served, each with its price were pictured on the outside wall. Unfortunately, the door was difficult for me to find. The door I went in led me up a tight wooden stairway. When I got to the top I could hear the thump of dance music coming from behind the door. I thought it was strange, but went in the door anyway. Once inside the room I saw that there was a disco ball and mood lighting to go with the dance music. A woman approached me looking stunned. I asked if I could get something to eat. She looked confused, then ran to the ... read more
September 26th 2007
The flight from Chicago was long and grueling, but I survived and even made a couple of friends. Paul was my seat neighbor and Ben was a guy I met at the airport in Des Moines. Paul is retired and unmarried and was heading for Phuket, Thailand for the second time in the last eight months. He didn’t say it directly, but I gathered that he goes to Thailand mainly as a sex tourist. Several time he alluded to the women and how he needed to save his money for them. His constant references to the women he was going to be spending his time with in Phuket made me uncomfortable. He was actually a bit creepy. I think he’s just a lonely old man that’s looking for some company. The other friend I made on ... read more
Preparing to Leave
Published: September 19th 2007North America » United States » Iowa » Ames » Iowa State UniversitySeptember 19th 2007
I just jointed travelblog.org so that I have a means of sharing my trip with close friends and family as well as documenting my experiences for myself. I leave on Sept 24 on a trip that will be the biggest I've ever done. My first stop is Japan and that will be followed by visits to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Cambodia, Brunei, Malaysia, India, Kenya, Uganda and the Netherlands before I make my way home to the United States next July. I have some international experience, but have never done a trip this big and have been away from family and friends for so long. These last days before I leave are going to be full of preparations and goodbye's to those friends and family to whom I am so close. I am so grateful for ... read more
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