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New Years in Ubud
I know I’m WAY behind on this Blog, but good things are worth waiting for, so keep your pants on. Cassandra Johnson Leaving the Resort After spending Christmas by a Hilton Conrad pool in Nusa Dua in Bali, Vinisha, Ali and I made the journey to the faraway land of Ubud, Bali. It’s a deceivingly short 45 kilometers between the two cities. But don’t let that fool you. It takes damn near all day to get there. Balinese residents have had the pleasure of living in a peaceful, tourist-free oasis existence until just recently. Because of this, there are no wide-laned highways transversing the island. It’s blatantly obvious that the…
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Christmas in Bali
Stories from my time in Bali, Indonesia
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Central Vietnam: Imperial Cities and Handy Bridges
“Like all great travellers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen.” – Benjamin Disraeli Travel MOOD I’m going to take a self indulgent moment of whining. There are days where I tire of acclimating to new places. Don’t get me wrong. I love traveling. I mean I LOVE it. Obviously, or I wouldn’t have turned country hopping into a full time career that pays in the currency of life experience. But I’m constantly starting over. And there are days where this feels positively exhausting. Great….let’s pull up a map and figure my way around. Again. Time to get lost. Again. Let’s spend the next…
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A Giant Cave in Vietnam
Adventure, yeah. I guess that’s what you call it when everybody comes back alive. – Mercedes Lackey Heading South After leaving my friend Ankit in Hanoi I took a trip south to central Vietnam. Flying into Dong Hoi, I caught a pre-arranged shuttle to Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park. Phong Nha’s claim to fame is its world record worthy cave system. The largest cave in the world, Hang Son Doong, is here. The third largest cave in the world, Hang En, is also here. I came to Phong Nha to camp in Hang En. Let me start by saying I almost didn’t do this particular nature adventure. Vietnam a cheap country…
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It’s Raining in Vietnam
“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.” — Anthony Bourdain Hanoi: Part 1 My early impression of the Old Quarter in Hanoi was that it is just like many other Asian cities. Truthfully, the city didn’t peak my interest much on arrival. The one oddly fascinating quality of Hanoi is the systematically themed avenues of shopping. Our hotel was clearly on Christmas street. …
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Laos. On a Bike.
“I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.” – Mark Twain Heading North I spent my first full day in Laos on a boat for seven+ hours, slowly trolling up the Mekong river. Under normal circumstances I would cringe at this idea. This is a very long time on a very slow boat. But you know what….it was alright. Laos, with it’s serene landscapes and casually chill populace has put me in a zen mood. It also helps that I’m here with a friend. I met my former co-worker, current friend and travel…
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Thailand and Leaving Cambodia
“People don’t take trips . . . trips take people.” – John Steinbeck All good things must come to an end and so must also my seven weeks of volunteering at a microfinance NGO in Cambodia. But first. I had a few more Cambodian adventures to be had and a Thanksgiving in Thailand where I took the holiday to heart. I didn’t eat any turkey but I ate just about everything else. All the foods. Getting out of Phnom Penh After several weeks in Cambodia’s capital, I needed at least one weekend the hell out of Phnom Penh. There is so much more to see of Cambodia. I had already seen…
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Finding Fun in Phnom Penh
“When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable.” – Clifton Fadiman Staying Awhile Cambodia holds a soft spot in my heart. Like meeting a new friend, there is so much more to the country than what meets the eye. It’s only after staying for awhile that I got a real appreciation for the qualities below the surface. The truth of its sad and often violent history, its resilient but reserved people, and constant, almost forceful push forward to catch up with it’s more economically advanced neighbors. When I arrived here I had been…
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Volunteering Abroad
The quality of your life will be determined by the quality of your CONTRIBUTION. – Kurek Ashley Getting Started When I first planned my year (ish) of travel, I always knew I wanted a portion of it to include volunteering in microfinance in a foreign country. I’ve read every book I can find on microfinance, the principals of social enterprise, and the economics of poverty reduction policies in developing countries for YEARS. There’s a reason why I spent 10+ years on a career in banking. Yes, I’m throwing that all away now because I need a change of scenery, but I’m still a giant econ nerd. Plus – why not volunteer…
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Back in Cambodia
“Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” – Miriam Beard Same Country, New Experience Cambodia. I’ve been here before and this time I’m coming to stay for awhile. I’m volunteering in the capital of Phnom Penh for seven weeks working with a local microfinance enterprise. A US based volunteer placement organization called Ubelong hooked me up with a Cambodian volunteer placement organization called Star Kampuchea, which then placed me with a microfinance social enterprise called Mitt Kaksekar Financial. Whew. Ten steps to progress. I’m looking forward to this experience. After seven months of…
