Pole Dancing!

We arrived in Krakow on the overnight train from Prague at about 7am. This actually turned out to be perfect because we felt rested, as the accommodations in our sleeper car were surprisingly cozy, and ready to start the day. So rather than find a hotel right away we put our backpacks in the locked...

April 1st, 2012 | Feature, Poland, Travelogue | Read More

Hallowed Grounds: Reflecting on the Remnants of Auschwitz

Auschwitz. What do you say really? It is not the only prison camp and death machine the Nazis used during their reign of terror but likely the most recognizable by the West. We all grow up learning about the world wars. We all grow up hearing stories of the Holocaust. We learn about it in school,...

April 1st, 2012 | Feature, Poland, Travelogue | Read More

Czech-ing In!

After a brief stop in Bratislava we rolled into Prague in the Czech Republic, a place I was quite looking forward to visiting. It certainly has become a tourist haven and it seems that the Czech side won the riches battle when the country split in 1993. Prague boasts some awe-inspiring must-sees,...

March 12th, 2012 | Czech Republic, Feature, Travelogue | Read More

Pest in Show!

Arriving in Budapest is like arriving at any other airport after a long international flight. We were feeling tired, smelly, and excited, trying to keep our wits about us while at the same time crossing all available fingers that our bags arrive. Well, they didn’t. Tired, smelly, and in need...

March 5th, 2012 | Feature, Hungary, Travelogue | Read More

Singapore? Singa-rich? Don’t Forget your Credit Card!

Singapore is wonderfully maintained, clean, safe, modern and efficient. It’s reminiscent of Hong Kong in many ways, except for the price tag. Many brand names, particularly electronics, are reasonable and sometimes negotiable. But if you want to go for a couple drinks, be sure to bring your credit...

March 19th, 2011 | Feature, Singapore, Travelogue | Read More

A Visit to the Killing Fields Near Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Sadly this was not the only site, but the most active. A few kilometers south of the city of Phnom Penh lay the killing fields of Choeung Ek. The numbers are disputed but by time the Vietnamese invaded, between one and a half and three million people had been killed, one in five Cambodians. They...

January 22nd, 2011 | Cambodia, Feature, Travelogue | Read More

Koh Mak to Siem Reap

After spending an evening strolling the market streets of Bangkok, people watching, and eating “vacation food” over a couple of cocktails, we decided to arrange to a private taxi to pick us up at the un-vacation-like hour of 4am to drive us about 350km south to a small city called Trat on the gulf...

January 22nd, 2011 | Cambodia, Feature, Travelogue | Read More

Hell: Code Name S-21 (Tuol Sleng)

I haven’t come across many people who know the history of this former high school. It was used as a prison during the Khmer Rouge reign between 1976 and 1979. This was a place of intense interrogation, torture, starvation, and mass executions. This was a place where members of society were forced...

January 16th, 2011 | Cambodia, Feature, Travelogue | Read More

Breezing Through Bangkok

Upon arriving in Bangkok I am encouraged to see that even five years after my first visit, it still remains a gateway to Southeast Asia. As it should be. In many cases visits to the region will begin and end here and this may be the only glimpse of Asia some get. What Thailand seems to provide...

January 16th, 2011 | Feature, Thailand, Travelogue | Read More

Taiwan Burning: Ghost Month on Ilha Formosa

The seventh lunar month here in Taiwan is known as Ghost Month. Rituals are held throughout the month, typically in late summer. However on Ghost Day, the doors of both heaven and hell are open, allowing ghosts to wonder among the living. Traditionally, people here are very superstitious during this...

August 29th, 2010 | Feature, Taiwan, Travelogue | Read More