well, here i find myself again - on the flip side of the equator, enjoying life and travel in the southern hemisphere. except this time, instead of spanish, the locals are speaking austrailian, the tango has been replaced by afternoon barbeques on the beach, and red wine eclipsed by crisp victoria bitter or a freshly poured toohey's new. i haven't been in austrailia (affectionately know as 'oz' ) long enough to acquire the salty, tangy, and very 'acquired' taste of vegimite, but three months has been plenty long enough to absorb and appreciate the laid-back, easy going and fun loving aussi [View Full Entry]

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i read recently that if you allocated one day for each of Indonesia's 12,000 islands, it would take you three years and one month to visit the entire country. a little less ambitious at this point in my travels, i spent almost the whole month of October on just one: the lovely and picturesque bali. arguably (although i cannot personally attest for the others), bali is one of the most beautiful, charming, and idyllic, of Indonesia's islands. it's unique history, warm and inviting culture, and gorgeous landscapes create a rich island atmosphere, making it no surprise why bali has always a [View Full Entry]

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a big hello to everyone from singapura! its been awhile since my last update. i am still on the travel circuit (for those who've inquired as to my recent whereabouts), so this is an attempt to get all caught up - time fly's when you are having fun ;) the last 2 months have been filled with the emerald green rice fields and historical vistas of vietnam, the charismatic, warm, genuine people and ancient ruins of cambodia, the hustle and bustle of the asian capitals - bangkok and kuala lumpur, and the white beaches and warm waters of the thai and [View Full Entry]

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it was a drizzly, gray morning as the bus from chiang mai dropped us off in the little riverside town of chiang khong, at the northwestern border of thailand. after a five minute tuk-tuk ride from the bus station, i found myself at the port office, waiting with a handful of other travelers for our visa's to be processed so that we could be paddled across the infamous mekong river and into the neighboring county of laos. after about an hour's wait (it was sunday after all), we carefully trudged down the slippery slope, visa's in hand, to the waiting wooden [View Full Entry]

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If Africa is the land of Savannah's, big game, and endless horizons...then Thailand is home to the world's wats (Buddhist monastery's), Buddha's, and spicy, hot curries! my first week was spent in Bangkok, the country's capital and home to 9 million of the 62 million or so Thai residents. Bangkok is a unique blend of culture, religion, and modernity. supposedly 90% of all cars in Thailand can be found in Bangkok, and its not hard to believe after spending a few minutes in the traffic and congestion of the city streets. skyscrapers and modern buildings populate both sides of the chao [View Full Entry]

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despite all the information packed guide-books, tourist maps, and information kiosks, its a travelers fate to inevitably get lost every once and awhile. the term 'lost' can apply to a variety of confused logistical states, including; needing a reassuring nod that one is plugging along in the correct direction, having a semblance of an idea about area & scope - but hard-pressed as to which direction to proceed, and the ultimate state of oblivion i.e.: not having the faintest idea where one is. i would be remiss to say that within the past 7 months of travel i have not hit [View Full Entry]

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whoever thinks that bigger isn't better, should spend a bit of time in Dubai! heralded as where east meets west (although i have heard this about turkey as well?), Dubai is basically a man made mega-tropolis. one of the seven states (emirates) that makes up the united Arab emirates (UAE) and governed by the maktoum sheik family, Dubai occupies a plot of dry desert on the Persian gulf. 50 years ago, Dubai was mainly a small, quiet desert town with a lively fishing and pearl diving community. today, the city of 1.3 million is a mecca of modernity. glass skyscrapers, high-rise [View Full Entry]

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sakina, sakina, saKKKIIINA! this isn't the howl of a fabled african monkey, nor the sullen call of a majestic african bird...but rather the piercing rattle of the dala-dala man, slipping the rest of the way out of the sliding minivan door and onto the gravel side of the road, as the dala-dala lurches to a 4 stop. the old and tattered mini-vans that were originally manufactured to seat 8, maybe 10...are being used to full capacity here in arusha, no inch or cubic air of space gone unnoticed. zillions of dirty white vans zig and zag around the streets, shuttling the [View Full Entry]

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There are a few common Kiswahili Proverbs that go like this: 'Haraka haraka haina baraka', which means: In hurry, hurry there is no blessing. 'Pole Pole ndiyo mwendo', translated to: Slowly, slowly is indeed the proper path. And my favorite - 'Kawia ufike': Be late...but get there. At first read, these may elicit a little chuckle...but after a few days in east africa, you begin to realize the true nature of their origin and their infinite wisdom at summing up the rhythm of the African timetable. After leaving victoria falls, i traveled across the zimbabwe-zambia border i [View Full Entry]

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even before the first rays of light begin to emerge, a friendly and sing songy "good morning" seeps in from somewhere outside the canvas walls of my tent, penetrating the cool blackness and confirming to me, in my sleepy haze, that the time has come to fully awake. using the light of my head-torch, i pull on a few layers of "safari" clothing and rummage around for the spot that i strategically laid my toothbrush and face soap...always a morning scavenger hunt, no matter how prepared i attempted to be the evening before. after a quick trip to the facilities and [View Full Entry]

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