The Heart of the Buddha by Elsie Sze This is a story of twin sisters who find themselves in Bhutan for different reasons. Marion goes to Bhutan to direct and improve a local library but instead becomes passionate for a Bhutanese monk, overstays her visa, and then disappears. The story takes place in the late 1990's before email comes to Bhutan and Marion shares her story with her sister Ruth until the letters mysteriously stop. Fearing the … [Read more...]
Gap Year to Australia Increases in Popularity as American Curriculum Changes
Australian Work and Holiday Visa Provides Opportunity to Work, Study and Travel for Up to Twelve Months November 18, 2010 Los Angeles, CA - More American students and recent grads are embracing the concept of a gap year as studies show increases in graduation rates among those who choose to do a gap year. Additionally, the benefits are increasingly being recognized by major universities with Harvard, Princeton and Yale all offering … [Read more...]
Arrived in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire
After 19+ years of writing my first Pen Pal friend, first starting with postal mail I met up with Kwesi, a journalist in Accra. I’ve been staying with him and it was amazing to finally meet in person after all this time. I had re-read all his original letters before this trip. Today I woke up in Accra without any real plans other than I was going to leave the country for some additional exploration of West Africa. After a few phone calls it … [Read more...]
Working in the Corn Fields!
Nothing like working on a computer in a corn field! With the modern wonders of usb wireless modems to connect into the mobile phone's network and the added benefit of having a netbook which inherently has a long battery life, I can perch myself, seated Thai style on the fertile ground among the corn plants, communicating with half the world, albeit agonizingly slowly at times. I compare the Internet speed here to the speed at which these … [Read more...]
The Insanity-Producing, Migraine-Inducing Experiences of trying to Travel The World on a Thailand Passport with your American Husband
Oh the joys of trying to visit countries with a Thailand passport. While not the lowest of the low, trying to visit many countries around the world using a Thailand passport is about scraping the bottom of the barrel and is about as difficult as it gets. My wife is from Thailand and until she can get USA citizenship these are some of the fun times we have experienced trying to travel. We either try to apply for a tourist or transit visas … [Read more...]
Turkey Welcomes You
"Turkish hospitality is impossible to ignore", proclaims the in-flight magazine as I fly to Bodrum. You can't miss it when you set foot in the airport: the welcome visa costs $20. By the exit, the passengers are greeted by a forest of A4 sheets with the names of the people to take to the hotel. It is nice to go to an unknown place, and find somebody waiting for you and calling you by name: in this case, Turkish hospitality will set you back $40. … [Read more...]
Crimea for the Traveler
Populated by the mysterious Scythians, settled by the Greeks, taken over by the Roman Empire, overrun by the Goths, the Huns, the Khazars, expanded into by the first tzar of Kievan Rus, lost to the Byzantines, swept through by the Mongols, used as an economic muscle by the Genoese, blossomed by the Tatars, fortified by the Turks, annexed by the Russians and finally given as a present to the Ukraine. How many more places can boast such a motley … [Read more...]
The Crimean Peace
Known only perhaps for its 19-th century war with the English, Crimea remains largely unknown to the traveller. Yet there can't be that many places on the planet that are so multi-dimensional it makes your head spin. Populated by the mysterious Scythians, settled by the Greeks, taken over by the Roman Empire, overrun by the Goths, the Huns, the Khazars, expanded into by the first tzar of Kievan Rus, lost to the Byzantines, swept through by the … [Read more...]
The Pyramids of Giza
The Egyptian Pyramids! One of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World! I had read about them in school. I had seen them on countless TV programs, and I had always wondered what it would be like to see them in person. And now, now, I was going to do just that - see the pyramids in person! The Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt, Germany to Cairo was, thankfully, not even half full. There was lots of elbow room for everybody, and since I'd been … [Read more...]
Niagara Falls–Is it Worth the Trip
For years Niagara Falls has been one of the most popular tourist destinations in the United States and Canada. Visitors from abroad and North America cannot seem to shake their desire to visit this dramatic aquatic spectacle. But why exactly? The falls are not particularly convenient to any major U.S. city (apologies to Buffalo), which means visitors to the US will need at least two days to fit in a visit to Niagara. Furthermore besides the … [Read more...]