My first experience with an orphanage happened when I was very little, maybe 4-5 years in age. My family went to visit this orphanage because my cousin was there. Why was my cousin there? He was mentally challenged. At least that’s what my parents told me. He wasn’t born to my uncle and aunt. He…
Category: My Favorite Posts
The spoils of travel
I had previously volunteered at this retirement home teaching the residents how to use Facebook, Skype, YouTube etc. You know, trying to make them “hip” and “cool” except I was only making them as “hip” and as “cool” as myself, a tech-dinosaur in comparison to the current generation. After these lessons, I gave out an…
The Foodie reawakens
After travelling in Peru for a while, I was beginning to get sick of the same staples available everywhere; pollo con papas (chicken with fries).
Lake Titicaca
There are 2 reasons people stop in Puno: To visit Lake Titicaca To sleep the night before continuing their journey into Bolivia The town itself isn’t worth visiting. I decided to take a 2d/1n tour of Lake Titicaca (“Puma Rock” in Aymara language), the highest navigable lake in the world at nearly 3800m above sea…
Machu Picchu
I kept making the mistake of looking up the endless flight of stone steps, thinking that magically, maybe the top of the mountain was just around the corner. Each time, I looked back down, sweat dripping, and took one tiring step after another to the beat of Lady Gaga’s new album, Artpop.
Cruising in the Galapagos
I am a very lucky guy. The experience of the last week is still sinking in. First, I get out of a contract from what was to be a terrible cruise. Then I spend a week on a cruise that is definitely on the “Top 10 best weeks of my life” list. Maybe it was…
Brief Nightmare in Galapagos
Having said that I’d take my chances at trying to get a Galapagos cruise in Puerto Ayora, I proceeded to go cruise-shopping on the day I arrived in the Galapagos Islands. I was actually facing mild food poisoning that very day. It was a struggle to force myself to walk around town in the heat,…
Wedding crashing in Cambodia
Svay Rieng, Cambodia March 14th 2011 It was an opportunity to experience something new and unique on my travels so I had to finally say yes to an invitation to check out a Cambodian wedding. The girl sitting beside me on the bus, Li Na, asked me once or twice and each time I said…
Varanasi, India
Varanasi, India December 19th – 21st 2010 One of the oldest cities in the world and one of the most popular destinations in India, Varanasi did not disappoint when it came to the topic of life and death, especially the latter. All Hindus try to come here to die so they can achieve “moksha”, basically…
McLeod Ganj, Himachal Pradesh, India
McLeod Ganj, Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh December 3rd – 4th 2010 BEWARE OF ESSAY. My bus from Shimla was supposed to be a deluxe. It was supposed to take 10 hours to get to Dharamsala. My plan was to sleep through the journey on a reclining chair, in the warmth of a bus, and arrive around…