If you are going to travel through Japan, there is really only one way to properly travel between major cities: The Shinkansen, or as it is better known in the west, The Bullet Train. The Shinkansen is a high speed train that links up most of the major cities in Japan south of Hokkaido. If …
Perhaps the most unique thing about the Philippines is the transportation system. With the exception of a short light rail line in Manila, there is zero public transportation in the Philippines. Well, they call it public transportation, but the ‘public’ refers to who the service is aimed at not ownership like in the US. The …
There are the top 10 World Heritage Sites of cultural significance I’ve visited so far on my trip, which Includes East Asia, the Pacific, SE Asia and Australia. 10) Temple Complex of Prambanan – Indonesia Prambanan is only about 20km from Borobudur, but it is centuries apart. Prambanan is a Hindu temple dating back before …
I’m in Jerusalem now having spent three days near the Dead Sea. I was able to visit Masada and finally got my chance to float in the waters of the Dead Sea. Let me just say that a Dead Sea float is one of the most overrated things I’ve done on my trip. You float. …
My first day of street food went surprisingly well. I focused on grilled meat products because….well…it was easy to order. Here is how the day broke down: Breakfast – 3 pieces of chicken satay. 15 baht (US$0.45) Lunch – 3 grilled chicken wings and chopped grilled pork. 40 baht ($1.21) Dinner – Chicken with rice, …
I began writing this post last night but had to delete everything once the bullets starting flying around 6-8pm Bangkok time. After a month of redshirt protests in Bangkok, things have finally come to a head. The protests thus far had been peaceful and the government has seen no real need to negotiate seriously with …
The Danakil Depression in Ethiopia is one of the lowest, hottest places on Earth. Geographically, it is part of the African Rift which extends from the African rift lakes of Malawi and Tanganyika, up through the Red Sea and into the Dead Sea of Jordan and Israel. Politically, it is part of the Afar region, …
Latitude: 0° 20.9204’ N Longitude: 6° 45.7471’ E On day 12, the G Expedition pulled into the tiny island of Sao Tome. I’ve spoken previously about the poor conditions and lack of a tourist infrastructure we found in Angola and Congo. On paper, Sao Tome is poorer than either of those two countries (primarily because …
You have probably met them. They get back from a semester of study abroad or their 2-week vacation in Europe and all they can talk about is where they’ve just been. Talking about it isn’t so bad, but they somehow manage to drop the fact that they’ve just been abroad into every single conversation. ..and …