We took the trip from Vientiane to Vang Vieng on a local bus. Being sore from constant scamming in Thailand and Vietnam, we were stunned to actually meet helpful people who weren’t trying to secretly sneak us onto a crowded mini-bus, but were just kindly pointing which one to go to. The local bus proved [...]
We took the train from Saigon to Nha Trang today. Most tourists take buses, but the train is marginally faster…and had the interesting benefit of traveling mostly with locals. What I noticed pretty quickly is how familiar Vietnamese people are with one another. It’s nice, but also sometimes a bit surprising. I watched strangers offer [...]
Walking around with Hugh today was like walking around with a celebrity. During our tour of the area with the boys we met yesterday, we happened to cross paths with lots and lots of high schoolers on some sort of field trip. Every time we passed a group of girls they would stare at Hugh, [...]
We went clubbing yesterday (actually, shall I say, this morning?) and it was full of amusement. Last time I was in Taiwan, I went clubbing with friends at a famous place in Taipei. I was immediately struck by how much more it was like clubbing in America than it was in Japan. People could dance, [...]
Today began as many of our days in Asia have: with a trip to Starbucks. Now, let me preface this by saying that I have drank Starbucks in America approximately 3 times in my life. However, as any expat will tell you there are certain things that you just sometimes miss. Western food has something [...]
I hope the weather clears up a little today. We’re in Hangzhou, supposedly China’s most beautiful city, but it’s impossible to look over the famous West Lake because it’s been so hazy (or smoggy, you choose!) Tomorrow we leave for a 30+ hour train trip to Guangzhou. China proved more difficult than we expected and [...]
Hey, Hugh here. Time for me to start writing my own entries. What better way to start than with a rant. Ahh China.. Being here really makes me realise how good I had it in Japan. The little things that used to get under my skin seem like nostalgic past times when compared to daily [...]
Well, after staying several nights in dingy hostels that were moldy and/or smelly, with sheets of dodgy cleanliness and showers that leaked into everywhere, I decided I needed a serious break and cancelled my remaining accomodations and booked us into an international standard-hotel (Sofitel, my fave.) I’ve stayed in several guesthouses and hostels and I [...]
Seriously, stop staring at us. What was cute at first has become really annoying. I know that China has only been open to foreign tourists for little over 25 or so years, but this is just ridiculous. Everyone stares, but the worst offenders are men. There have been times where a guy on a bike [...]
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