If Thailand is considered the land of smiles, then Koh Yao Noi is the island of smiles. The locals are genuine, down to earth, very friendly and yes, often you will be greeted with a smile. You will surprisingly find this small island laid back despite being only about a 30 minute boat road from two fairly developed urban areas focusing on mass tourism - Phuket and Krabi. There are no high rises here, crazy nightlife and accompanying noise, … [Read more...]
Praying for Rain on Patmos
John M. Edwards plans to tour the cave where St. John wrote the Bible’s “Book of Revelations” on an idyllic Greek island called Patmos. . . . On the little-known island of “Arki” near Patmos, Greece, four travelers stared at the boat docking under a cliff-shrouded curl of surf and sand resembling a sneer. “Smugglers!” my new friend Leo, an Argentine of Italian descent and owner of a “finca” in Welsh Patagonia, exclaimed. All of us … [Read more...]
Village Updates, Thailand
We have been infested with pigeons! They are nesting all over our roof - any crevice or corner is fair game. We've moved out a number of nests - found a number of eggs and covered any open areas on the roof with some sort of thorny plant material to discourage future nesting. Still they flock to our roof at all hours of the day and night. The scratching continues even in the early morning. Last night at 3am I was awakened dramatically by a … [Read more...]
Pencils In The Land Of Flowers
After hopping off our motorbikes we made our way down the dirt road leading up to the ocean. With the mid-afternoon sun blazing, the smell of yesterday's drying fish was stout. As we passed by the makeshift shops and shacks, we captured the local women's attentiond. They were all seated upon dusty edges raised above the junky, polluted streets (every other one with a newborn plugged into one of her breasts) and quietly began whispering. Stopping … [Read more...]
The Journey of a Lifetime
As I hastily climbed the stairs of my neighbor’s house, gasping for air with sweat dripping across my forehead, I had one goal in mind: to win this game of Hide and Go Seek. I had no idea that this simple game would change my life forever. Continuing up the stairs I had the mentality of many young children - my life seemed invincible and the thought of death was distant and abstract. Thinking that I would outsmart everyone, I climbed onto a … [Read more...]
Escaping the Monotony! Solo traveling in Vietnam
Being an aggressively passionate traveler, I have a very low tolerance for mechanical life that comes along with the working environment. This leads to frustration with a need to elope, to explore a new destination. I decided to take a few days off and chose to fly to Hanoi. I was both, backpacking solo and traveling to Vietnam for the first time. With great excitement I landed in Hanoi. Hanoi is full of life and to me it came across … [Read more...]
Squid on the Floor
At sunrise the buzz of motorbike traffic has not yet begun, and the street is oddly quiet. We come out of the alley and onto the sidewalk where shop owners are opening up and iced coffee vendors await their first customers. We're out here at this hour waiting for a van, which soon arrives. The four of us shove our bags in the back and groggily climb in. The previous afternoon we booked a Halong Bay tour from one of the hundreds of vendors in … [Read more...]
Wanderlust In Bohol Paradise
"Life without travel is dull." ~The Author Our racing machine sounds like a roaring thunder on the highest gear dashing through lengthy and paved highway that connects Tagbilaran and its neighboring towns, all in the province of Bohol, Philippine Islands. The 8:00am sun has finally put itself clear after days of frequent rains in the island. I still sense the morning dew leftovers as I ride in next to Lloyd, going to one of the world's … [Read more...]
Long Way Around
Long Way Around by Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman Join actors Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman as they set off on a round the world 20,000 mile motorbike trip from the UK across Europe, Asia and then North America. A partnership between good friends that produces perspective, perseverance and adventure soon ensues with both Ewan and Charley taking turns providing commentary throughout the book. There is nothing like the freedom of setting … [Read more...]
Ubud, Indonesia – March 2010
Ubud Indonesia Bali is a wonderful affordable arts driven town on Bali Island, Indonesia, well inland from the tourist crazy beach areas of Kuta and Legion. It takes about an hour and 20 minutes from Kuta Beach to Ubud. A plethora of home stays and guesthouses abound providing affordable accommodation. There are also some very nice intimate Balinese resorts for higher end lodging. A stay here is generally relaxed and not for the night club … [Read more...]