Early morning Koyasan. The air is crisp and cold. -1C. A refreshing shock to the system, we walked down from our guesthouse to Okunoin Cemetery. The entrance was lined with stone lanterns and towering Japanese Cedars. These cedars, around 1300 of them were massive, towering at around 165 feet and being anywhere between 200 and 600 years old. They reminded...

I arrived in Cat Ba after taking the scenic route to the island. We first took the train from Gia Lam station for about 2 hours to Haiphong City. At the station, we got suckered into purchasing 150K VND (foreigner price) ferry tickets through a company called HADECO. It was only until we got to the port that we...

My first year of teaching English in Shanghai seems so long ago. The chaos of 40 kids early in the morning screaming and running around ready to bash each other’s heads in was a huge test of patience for me. I wasn’t assigned a Chinese teacher assistant so I was on my own. After one class was done I...

Videos and snapshots from a month-long, 3,000+ kilometer motorbike ride through the northern loop of Laos and across the border into Vietnam. https://youtu.be/kYYK3n3ZBsE Plain of Jars. Dated to the Iron Age is one of the most important prehistoric sites in Southeast Asia. Lao legends tell of a race of giants who inhabited the area and who were ruled by a king. The...

Last night I took a final run around the river. Crossing the walking bridge next to our hotel you can spot people unwinding. Fishing, sitting and eating, kissing and cuddling, salsa dancing, children in mini 4 wheelers, and scooters with parents controlling them with remotes. It's lively at night and the river tour boats all lit up going up and...

The mini red flags bearing the yellow star alternating between the sickle and hammer, rapidly flapping in the wind hovering over the lazy side streets where people on motorbikes, bicycles, and the occasional whale of a van or car tries to squeak on through like threading a needle. The buildings brightly colored blue, red, green, and that special brand of...

Located in the southwest Texas region. From the Chisos mountain range to the Chihuahuan Desert. The massive Santa Elena Canyon that the Rio Grande carves into. Steep limestone cliffs. The Langford Hot Springs and Native American pictographs near the foundation of an old bathhouse. The Old Maverick Road. Emory Peak and the Window Trail. Hiking and exploring the desert...

This massive dome of pink granite is a go-to spot when out in the Texas Hill Country. It’s taken off in popularity so now lines will form and tickets will be given out to handle the influx of daily hikers. Legends refer to the Tonkawa Indians who considered the dome to be haunted by spirits due to the sounds of...

Da Lat has been known as a small charming city with vast flower gardens, winding mountain roads, green pine forests and hospitable people. The Clay Tunnel or Da Lat model village of clay sculptures is a highlight and must-see destination for travelers in the central highlands province of Lam Dong. The Clay Village covers over 1,200 square meters of lush...

Just north of Hanoi, past the Noi Bai airport and only a short 1.5 hour motorbike ride is a hidden pocket of wealth. A huge resort chain called the Flamingo rests along the Dai Lai lake where wedding events and people go to “summer”. The luxuriousness and uniqueness of the Flamingo Dai Lai Resort is a perfect quiet oasis that...