I started my long road trip in Chicago, logging thousands of miles through WI, MI, ND, SD, NE, KS, IA, MO, Il, IN and MI. The biggest draw for me was the […]
A Middle American Roadtrip
Italy: Milan, Garda, Venice, Bologna, Lucca, Cinque Terre trails.
With my daughter and her friend in tow, there was a limit how unpredictable the Italy trip could be. But what we missed of real adventure we made up for in kilometers […]
Friendly Visit to Hanoi, Vietnam
Tagging on Hanoi, Vietnam, to my China trip to see friends Ragnhild, Tim and their family. Last year I made it to the city on my SE Asia trip but had to […]
Confused in China: Beijing, Nanjing, Shanghai, Guilin, Guangzhou.
I didn’t know what to expect from China, but I was not prepared for the fact that many areas develop faster than tourist guides can keep up. And however unrealistic, I had […]
Deep in the Peruvian Amazon
Nothing has held a more mythic pull on me than the Amazon. But the trip almost ended as soon as it started after a pack of dogs chased me in a dark […]
Iquitos, Amazon City of Dreams
Immortalized in Werner Herzog’s Fitzcarraldo (see it), the city is less remote now than in the period portrayed in the film. But, this odd town in the jungle is still only accessible […]
Winter in Summer in Lima, Peru
It’s strange leaving sunny July in New Haven, to a drab, cold and drizzly Lima. But that is how it is; Summer is Winter here. During this season, there’s a persistent layer […]
Japan, the Endless City: Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hakone area.
Never on my list of top destinations, Japan was a pleasant surprise. It’s a fascinating society where tradition and modernity seem to somehow coexist against all odds. A huge population, crammed together […]
Climbing and Crawling Up Mt. Fuji, Japan
In the relatively short Summer climbing season, the ascent is more a hike than a climb. But this mountain is, after all, 12,400ft (3,776 meters) above sea level, and weather can be […]
Vietnam Between Ho and the West: DaNang, Hoi An, Hue, Bach Ma
Uncle Ho surely would have turned in his grave at this decadent display of pink… Having started my trip in Thailand and Cambodia, I flew from Siem Reap to DaNang, Vietnam. An […]
Thailand Without the Beach Vacation: Bangkok, Ayuthaya, Khao Yai
My SE Asia trip (Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam) started in Bangkok, Thailand. Like so many millions of tourists. But unlike most of the visitors who come here, no beach resort was on my […]
City of Temples, Siem Reap/Angor Wat, Cambodia
This is leg number two on my three-part trip from Thailand and Cambodia to Vietnam. I travelled by minivan from Bangkok and crossed into Cambodia at the Aranyaprathet / Poipet border point. The […]
