A quick journey to Taipei was not meant to be. Rather than get up with the chickens at 430am in the Thai village I am staying in to catch a van to Suvarnabhumi Airport to catch an 11am flight, I opted to take a a van into Bangkok a day early at a reasonable 3pm departure. I didn't catch much sleep that night due to three women next door partying like it was December 31, 1999. The day of my flight, I left my hotel at 8am for the airport. The … [Read more...]
Penang Hill or Bust & the Lights of Kek Lok Si Temple
My friend dropped me off at the base of Penang Hill. He had strongly recommended I climb this in the early morning, but the night before we were out until nearly midnight enjoying the Chinese New Year festivities. Borrowing his umbrella, a lifesaver from the hot tropical sunshine, I set out on the Heritage Trail. This path, founded in 1890, led nearly straight up the mountain, climbing some nearly 800 meters to the top. It followed the funicular … [Read more...]
Wine Tasting in India?
When I told my brother in law that we were visiting Nashik in India to try their wines, his response was something like, "when I was growing up in Chennai, Indian wines were not considered very good". That was in the 1970s and 1980s. Things have changed in this regard with a select number of Indian wineries having elevated viticulture practices and winemaking, Chandon India being on the forefront of doing so. I arrived in Mumbai from Bangkok; … [Read more...]
Ko Lan Getaway: A Weekend of Sun, Sand, and Crowds
Waiting until the last minute and short on some upcoming vacation time, I scored what I thought was a bargain, at a room located next to the beach on Ko Lan. This was the last budget option I saw listed through various booking sites. And only a few other resorts had rooms, all of which were extremely expensive. Satisfied, I pulled a Spy wine cooler out of the fridge, grabbed a book and hit the hammock for the next few hours. The next morning I … [Read more...]
Where in the World Am I Now?
Driving from Mumbai to Nashik we passed road construction chaos. If I had to guess I would say completion on this project will be sometime between 550 and 750 years from now. It had the appearance of having been worked on for decades with little progress to show for the effort. What appeared to be total chaos for kilometers included piles of rotting garbage, lengthy sections of broken pavement, stones everywhere, partially paved sections covered … [Read more...]
Discover Tashkent: Gateway to Uzbekistan’s Wonders
I landed in Tashkent late in the evening and made it to my hotel just in time to drop off my bags and get dinner at a nearby restaurant. My room was directly across from reception, there were no shades on the windows which had openings looking out onto the nearby street and a street lamp. It was a rough night of sleeping between light all night and the noise off and on from the reception. On a whim the next morning I signed up online for a … [Read more...]
A Visit to Khujand in Tajikistan
Trying to find a shared taxi in Tashkent for the ride to Oybek on the Tajikistan border turned into an effort in futility. After getting directions where to go from my hotel and after a 35-minute drive I arrived at the provided destination to discover an empty parking lot. Walking over to one of the nearby metro stops I asked one of the officers in Russian using Google translate and she then directed me to another metro stop another 30+ minutes … [Read more...]
Thailand Trails: A Road Trip Adventure
Out of the blue, a friend sent me a Whatsapp note asking where I was. Knowing his proclivity for international travels and knowing my schedule, we both could have been just about anywhere on the planet. "Thailand", was my reply. I had recently arrived in the Kingdom, immediately following three months in the Caribbean and Colombia. Remarkably, he said he was in Khorat which was only about 2 hours north of where I staying. It had been years since … [Read more...]
Notes from the latest trip to Bangkok from an Intrepid Traveler
I landed at Don Mueang International Airport (DMK) in Bangkok before the sun had even risen. I first landed here in 1996, the first of what would be many trips to the Kingdom over the past few decades. I lingered in the arrival's hall soaking in the nostalgia. New Year’s morning: the roads were empty, and I arrived at my guesthouse just after the sun came up. The always felt excitement of returning to Bangkok had been replaced by the … [Read more...]
Set me Free, Koh Tao Island, Thailand
One of Thailand's more beautiful islands is located about 1:15 minutes from the pier in Chumphon by water taxi. This is the shortest distance from the mainland although ferries also run from Surathani, further to the south. All tickets can be purchased online. This island offers an ideal balance between tourist infrastructure and natural beauty. Normally Koh Tao would be crowded with both Thai tourists as well those visiting primarily from … [Read more...]
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