The attendant showed us the calculator screen,”800,000 rupiah…” The cost for two tickets to Bali Bird Park. We hadn’t done our homework. We made the 30 minute drive south from Ubud and arrived to find out the entrance price, the equivalent of $27 USD/each, was far more than our cheap selves wanted to pay for a nonchalant day trip. We looked at each […]
Having really no real plans for Mandalay, we spent much of our time in a glorious state of wandering. One day we rented a motorbike and drove to the U Bein Bridge to observe the famous spot at sunset. At 1.2 kilometers long, built in the early 1850s of reclaimed teak wood from the former royal palace, this bridge is famed […]
It’s been over a month since we left Burma. The memories of it settle in my mind in a similar way to my memories of traveling in Cuba. Like with Cuba, Burma was filled with those pure, lost in time feelings. Like Havana, wandering through the streets of Yangon or Mandalay feels like drifting through a living museum; an endless […]
Today, on my day off, at 96 degrees (80% humidity), I’ve decided I want nothing more than to stay plopped on my bed, for most of the day. I have big plans to catch up on good TV, watch a movie, make a dent in my book (Game of Thrones!), make food, nap etc. This also seems an ideal time to […]
After my initial honeymoon phase with HCMC ended–once the electricity and excitement faded a bit and the noise & light pollution, thick exhaust and chaos of the city began slowly strangling me, I became desperate to periodically get away. I’d spend free time researching and ask everyone I’d meet where I could go to breathe fresh air again, to see […]
I realize I haven’t been the best at blogging lately. I suppose a pretty full teaching schedule paired with exploring my new city + days off spent at the pool or sweating my culo off have left little time for blogging. Or maybe its the sort of inspiration block common when one finally decides to settle in and stay awhile. I apologize. […]
Lonely Planet describes Vietnamese TET as “Christmas, New Years and everyone’s Birthday, all rolled into one.” But really, TET celebrates the beginning of the new year on the lunar calendar, and the beginning of “spring” in Vietnam. Though the actually holiday lasts only three days; for nearly nine days (with weeks of anticipation leading up) the entire city is held […]
I woke up feeling nostalgic for trees, green grass, rivers and lakes and open spaces. As much as I love the beautiful chaos of Saigon, it is a concrete jungle in the truest sense of the term. The air in the city is far from fresh; people or motobikes and buses can be found in every direction you look. While […]
I’ve been in Vietnam for a little over a month now. My first few weeks were a blur of classes and getting lost in the maze that is Saigon. I spent the holidays in Thailand and Northern Vietnam and now I’m back in the city, getting settled in my new house, applying for jobs, and attending job interviews. In the […]
Deep into an episode of Louie, I barely notice my bus has stopped in a dark, ghost town. I am the last passenger. I had tried my best to take my attention away from the unpleasant 6 hour ride. Crammed between a drafty window and a young man with a small baby in his lap, I had little room for […]
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