I am on the road again after a quick break in Singapore. This time, I am back in Australia, my second-to-last stop on this extension of the Midlife Crisis Flashpacking Trip. When I decided to extend my travels, I contacted my friend Trixie, thinking she might want to make a trip we had discussed in the past - driving from Darwin to Adelaide. She nixed it because it would be too hot and expensive. She counterproposed meeting me in Melbourne and driving the Great Ocean Road to Adelaide. I agreed readily. Getting to Melbourne I had just about 30,000 miles left in my United Airlines account (I accumulate miles on AAmerican nowadays), so I locked in a one-way Singapore-Bangkok-Melbourne business class redemption on Thai Airways days before United upped partner redemptions between Asia and Australia. This ... read more

Getting to Phonsavan A songthaew came to get me at my hotel at the appointed time to take me to the bus station where our minibus was waiting. The inside of the minibus was already full of stuff; there were sacks of grain on the aisle and cans of cooking oil underneath the seats. Because of this, I was stoked when we set out with four empty seats. The minibus headed north halfway to Luang Prabang, then turned east. Just after turning east, the driver stopped for two women with six children. They put a lot of stuff atop the minibus, including two chickens in a cardboard box. It got crowded. The road was winding and bumpy. The driver didn’t stop much, so I was glad I kept to my regimen of forced dehydration on long ... read more

The slow boat arrived in Luang Prabang late Friday afternoon. A sawngthaew took us from the boat pier to the center of town. From there, I found my way to my guesthouse, checked in, rested a bit, and then took a walk around the night market. At the night market, I found a crowded little alley with lots of cheap eats. I ordered a khao soy, and I was surprised when I got a bowl that didn’t resemble khao soy in Thailand. It was delicious nonethless. I then turned in early as I was tired from the boat ride. Chasing Monks: Disgust and Loathing in Luang Prabang I woke up at 3am from a bad dream and couldn’t sleep after. At 5.30am, I gave up trying to sleep and I ventured out into the early light ... read more

I landed at Chiang Rai Airport on the evening of November 6th, after a day of long connections and delayed flights. I took Bangkok Airways - who market themselves as "Asia’s Boutique Airline" - from Bangkok to Chiang Rai. They certainly live up to this name, with low fares, no hidden extras (checked bags, seat selection, meals are all free) and a lounge stocked with food and drinks for all passengers - you read that correctly - to enjoy. They served a hot meal on a 60 minute flight. You have to wonder how they make money. On the flight, there was a group of young Korean men wearing the same salmon pink blazers. Nobody paid special attention to them on the flight, but at baggage claim there were screaming teenagers waving Thai and South Korean ... read more

Coming Home I landed in Honolulu on the afternoon of September 30th. I took one look out the window, and thought to myself: "ugh". It was very hazy, about as bad as I have ever seen it. In Hawaii, haze means vog - a nasty concoction of smog and volcanic gas. It usually happens when the winds stop blowing. I stayed in Honolulu until October 6, when Jeff and I departed for Cuba. Fortunately, the vog cleared after a few days when the winds started up again. I had respiratory issues for a couple of days while the vog lingered. The transition home had a few minor kinks. I kept walking to the wrong side of the car. I forgot things that were routine, like setting the house alarm, bringing my keys with me, and bringing ... read more