Cambodia is the stuff of legends, a forgotten patch of jungle hidden deep in both time and place. Crumbling temples slowly sink under creeping vines, and the ancient races whose kingdoms once stood here can still be seen in the eyes of the local people. Cambodia is a true frontier, where everyday life is lived on the edge. On the edge of safety and the brink of starvation. Always near catastrophe and at the breaking point of civilized law. People here are often struggling for basic survival, and the culture still feels the echo of centuries of death and disaster. And, [View Full Entry]

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Vietnam has not let me down. Each town I stopped in along my way from North to South has had its own character, and it was all surprisingly painless to get from one place to another and find cheap accommodation. The land was pretty diverse as well, and there were more than just tropical beaches to choose from. The mountain town of Dalat was really similar to Portland, with a much cooler climate and evergreen forests. Nha Trang was very much like Thailand, complete with surfer culture and seedy scam artists. Each place had a few sights to see, and renting [View Full Entry]

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Vietnam is instantly more pleasant than China. As soon as we crossed the border, the toilets became bearable, the people got friendlier, the food gained flavor, and the sky became blue again. My first experiences in Hanoi and Halong Bay were so relaxed and beautiful, it was easy to overlook the street people literally thrusting items into my hands to buy. Halong Bay is only a few hours away from Hanoi by bus, and has been listed as one of the 7 Natural Wonders. A three day tour package had me swimming in the tropical sea at sunset, hiking in the [View Full Entry]

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So here I am, back in Hong Kong, even in the same hostel I stayed at 2 months ago. I have to say, my perspective on this place has changed. It's still busy and noisy, but it somehow seems much more bearable after all the strange and awkward sleeping conditions I've been in through Thailand, Laos and China. Even when the street hawkers swarmed me like flies, I only sighed and smiled as I continued to ignore them... just like old times. My camera somehow found a new owner on one of my train trips, so I broke down and bought [View Full Entry]

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After Xi'an, I kept moving East toward Beijing. Along the way I stayed a few days in the tiny, ancient city of Pingyao, where a medieval wall still surrounds the clusters of narrow alleys and pagodas. The crumbling bricks and dusty towers make Pingyao feel like the Chinese version of the Old West, and watching the sun set on the forgotten city is way more peaceful than any of the big cities I've been to. Then it was time to move on to the queen bee of the Chinese hivemind: Beijing! I wasn't really sure I wanted to spend any more [View Full Entry]

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Wow, a lot has happened since Koh Pangan. Let's see... After Thailand, I hopped a plane to the Southeast corner of China to the city of Guangzhou. It's a hot, smoggy, crowded city. It's got all the worst symptoms of the industrialized Eastern world, and after 2 days I was glad to move on to Chengdu. On the overnight train, the all-Chinese passengers first stared at me like I had 2 heads (I had to check myself after a while), but soon novelty turned to friendliness, and they couldn't help but try out their English and chat me up as best [View Full Entry]

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For the last week or so I've been back in Thailand, this time to the gorgeous Southern islands. I stayed on the island of Ko Phangan, which is famous for it's monthly Full Moon Party. Thousands of backpackers from all over the world come here to dance, wear glow paint, and drink cocktails so potent they're made in buckets. The days leading up the Full Moon were just as fun, and the actual event was packed beyond belief. There were fire dancers, enormous sound systems, and a perfect tropical backdrop for youthful celebrations of life. It was amazing, and like Vang [View Full Entry]

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Made it to Laos! The 2 day slow boat down the Mekong river was beautiful at first, then got really crowded and cramped. Luang Prabang was a nice enough town, but definitely a tourist trap. After a 5 hours on treacherous winding mountain roads shrouded in mist, a rickety minivan has deposited me in Vang Vieng. Here I should be able to go tubing down the river and generally chill out. That is, after I do my school stuff... Here are some more pics*, including the jungle trek and some temples in Laos. I didn't get photos of riding elephants, but [View Full Entry]

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Wow. This is the kind of thing that happens to "this one guy who knew this other guy", but it really did go down just like in a movie. Arnthor is missing. Last night, we met some Danish guys who were keen to hit all the seediest bars in Bangkok. I had a couple drinks with them at the hostel bar before hand, but was falling asleep in my drink. Sheepishly, I went to bed instead of going out with the boys. Arnthor, however, wasn't slowing down at all. 10 am, one of the Danish guys stumbles down the stairs, looking [View Full Entry]

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Awesome. After hanging out for a day in Hong Kong, fellow traveler Arnthor from Iceland and I have decided to come to Bangkok. We barely made it on the flight last night, and got to the hostel too late to book anything less than a semi-expensive private room. It's actually been a blessing in disguise, since the beds here are great and the ones in Hong Kong were awful. Today we booked a week long trip to Chiang Mai, where we'll spend some time trekking in the jungle, riding elephants, surfing on bamboo rafts, and inner tubing down the Mekong river [View Full Entry]

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