rapscallion

Happy Holidays! Things are beginning to wind down here as I have recently returned from a two week excursion in north-central Laos. As with everywhere I've traveled, I was uncertain of how my Lao experience would size up to my experience in other SE Asian countries. Tourism is a relatively new phenomonon in Laos. As a result, much of the countryside is untouched by Westerners, and there is even a small population of travelers in the main cities. The transportation system in Laos is not quite as advanced as in other SE Asian countries. Therefore, it's a bit more difficult to get from point a, to b, but those or are willing to withstand the undesirable ride and travel frustrations, seem to have the same rewarding experience that I did. A few weeks ago the entirety ... read more

Greetings, Just as Thailand was beginning to feel a bit like home, we were on the road again. We coordinated some longer traveling with our mid-semester break, so we had more time for this excursion. After a few more days of class my friends from San Diego and I were off to Singapore. AirAsia has monthly promotions which make it very cheap to fly within Southeast Asia. We arrived in Singapore late on a Friday night and were astonished by the cleanliness of the country. We assumed that it was a result of the ridiculous laws imposed in the country. For example it is a 500$ fine for having food or drink on public transportation, a 1000$ fine for littering, and a 100$ fine for jay-walking. The laws seemed to be quite effective. The only thing ... read more

Greetings! Hopefully everything is going well stateside! I hear the Badgers are doing well, but my Saturday mornings have been much different than waking up for football games. The past two weekends, in between my classes, I have done expansive traveling in southeastern Thailand; from Bangkok, all the way to the Cambodian border. The landscape and seascape is absolutely gorgeous, fitting descriptions synonymous with a paradise. Although the islands I traveled to geographically are not that far away, it took about a full day of travel, arranging cabs, busses, ferries, and island transportation. It's always an adventure because often there is uncertainty as to where you actually end up. The language barrier is quite difficult especially with cab drivers who know no English. But I say, better that way than having everything arranged and secure. I ... read more

Hello from Bangkok, Thailand! My journeys are fully underway, following two weeks of solo travel prior my program beginning tomorrow morning. I will journal as often as possible, but I have very little time. Please let me know if you do not wish to receive to update notification e-mails every time I add a new entry. I will try to journal in an organized manner, but I have had many experiences, some of which I will fully elaborate on, and some of which I will forget to. If you have any questions or comments about my travels or experiences, please feel free to leave a message on my blog page and I will do my best to explain. I will begin by saying I was quite apprehensive of solo travel before I left the States. However, ... read more