For many backpackers, Laos is synonymous with tubing. The majority largely ignore my favorite country in Southeast Asia, apart from a small loop through the northeastern corner and the highlight of that loop is Vang Vieng. For years backpackers have been flocking to this little village of bars and guesthouses amidst hundreds of limestone peaks to spend a day tubing on the Song … [Read more...]
Hurry Up and Eat Your Squid Before it Dies!
I know you're not supposed to play with your food, but in this case, our food seemed to be playing with us. The two squid lying on the pile of ice before us pulsated and changed from a translucent white to a dark red with every heartbeat. Dark pupils jumped around in large eyes. Whenever our chopsticks were in range, a tentacle grabbed hold and almost seemed to be engaging in a … [Read more...]
Karakul Lake’s Sawut: A Soon-To-Be Global Fast Food Giant
Move over McDonald's—it's only a matter of time before the Sawut Fast Food Restaurant takes over your spot as the world's number one franchise. Let's just hope they don't forget their humble roots on the shores of Karakul Lake in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China and continue to serve only the freshest horse and camel kebabs. The truth is, this place is probably … [Read more...]
Bagan by Horse Cart: The Best of Three Bad Options
When most people think of Myanmar, they imagine a hazy, flat plain with hundreds of reddish-brown stupas poking up above the patchy tree cover. The area they are picturing is called Bagan. It lies in Myanmar's dusty central plains on the banks of the Irrawaddy River and is characterized by not hundreds, but thousands—over 2200, to be exact—temples and stupas. Due to its … [Read more...]
Hard Truth for Us Good-Looking Slackers
Don't I know it......numerous little snippets of wisdom pepper the trees on the Phra Singh temple grounds in Chiang Mai, Thailand, but this one was obviously meant specifically for me... … [Read more...]