Category: Pre 2018

Back in SF for a couple of weeks before moving to the UK. Busy catching up with friends, and logging some internet time looking at flats in Edinburgh. It’s nice to see everyone, but I know without a shadow of a doubt that I don’t live here anymore. The streets seems quieter, but everything else…

First few days in Bali left me wondering what the hell everyone raves about! The island is swarmed with French and Australian tourists, both equally obnoxious (with a few exceptions, of course), in my opinion! There is barely any accommodation available, eating is very expensive and frankly, don’t care that much for Indonesia food…Thai food…

Extremely disconcerting to find an ATM in a foreign country dispensing US dollars!  Not sure why this is the case, when there is a perfectly legitimate local (Cambodian riel) currency?  All of the restaurants, hotels, bars, cafes, taxi…everyone accepts US dollars! Apparently it’s the de facto currency in Cambodia, at least in Siem Reap. Why…

Leaving Thailand tomorrow for Cambodian and the temples of Angkor. I miss Pai terribly…the past 2 weeks has been some of the most fun, chilled out, yet life affirming weeks I’ve spent yet! Met some great people, spent days roaming around town, doing yoga, trying to meditate and taking the initial steps in trying to…

A week before my birthday, arrived in this fantastic little hippie community of Pai, in northern Thailand, with the intention to stay a few days, then head over the border to Laos. Almost a full week later, I’m still here and haven’t made any concrete plans to leave yet. This town is a wonderful respite…

Another bus ride took me to Dali, which is backed up against beautiful green mountain on three sides, the largest being  Cang Shan, elevation of the town is around  6500ft  . It is also very close to Er Hai lake, the 2nd largest highland lake in China, just a short bike ride away, or one…

Chose to fly from Chengdu to Lijiang, in the Yunnan province because an entire day on the bus didn’t sound appealing and the cost of flying was only marginally higher. When I looked out and saw nothing but mountains through that airplane window, I just about cried tears of joy!  Nestled at the foot of…

Chengdu  was more or less another populous area in China. In the Sichuan region with lots of farms, nicknamed the Land of Milk and Honey (and with all that VERY spicy food, one needs milk and honey!). Chengdu is the main access point for people going to Tibet or Nepal. I decided to bag the…

Headed to Xi’an the next day, on an overnight sleeper. Didn’t have the car to myself this time however, had to share with 3 Chinese folks! I was actually able to sleep reasonably well…hurrah! Xi,an has an incredibly well preserved city wall, my hostel is near the south gate of the old city, so quite…

Beijing, possibly more crowded than Shanghai, an absolutely sprawling metropolis! The same old dichotomy exists here as well however, with a multitude of brand new sky-scrapers, not to mention the palatial government buildings (they don’t do things on a small scale here, do they?), but with an underlying rural mindset. I equate it to a…