Author Archive
Wednesday, March 5th, 2008
A Slice of Pai A La Khao San Road
After several days in Luang Prabang, Laos, we caught a short flight to Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand where we immediately boarded a minibus headed towards the mountain town of Pai (pronounced “bye”). The road from Chiang Mai to Pai is legendary - three hours of countless hairpin turns that combine to create one of […]
No Comments » - Posted in Thailand by Derek
Thursday, February 28th, 2008
“Wat” a Sight to See
Angkor, the Sanskrit word for “city,” was by far the largest city in the world in the pre-industrial era, covering an area of over 1,000 square miles. Between 900 and 1200 AD, the kings of the Khmer empire built over a thousand buildings in Angkor, from small, nondescript temples now reduced to rubble to Angkor […]
No Comments » - Posted in Cambodia by Derek
Thursday, February 21st, 2008
Getting There is Half the Fun
No one ever said that independent travel is easy. For the uninitiated, it can be painfully stressful. Piecing together the logistics of getting from point A to B to C and so forth can test the patience of even the most laid-back of individuals.
For most Americans, vacation is the chance to escape from the stress […]
2 Comments » - Posted in RTW Travel, Cambodia by Derek
Thursday, February 14th, 2008
Oh! Chi Minh City
When I first visited Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon) with my parents back in 1996, I was mesmerized. Decades of French rule ending in the mid 1950s and a massive presence of American military during the 60s and early 70s have combined to create a city steeped in history. In 1996, the […]
1 Comment » - Posted in Vietnam by Derek
Monday, February 4th, 2008
Ringing in the New Year with Ho
Hanoi is a city difficult not to love. After finding a hotel in the Old Quarter, we set off exploring its narrow streets. Historically, each street in the Old Quarter was devoted to selling a certain product, from which it received its name - Flower Street selling flowers, Shoe Street selling shoes and Fish Street […]
No Comments » - Posted in Vietnam by Derek
Saturday, January 19th, 2008
Who Needs the Ocean to Enjoy the Islands?
After flying out of India and enjoying a couple of rejuvenating days in the cosmopolitan city of Bangkok, Thailand, we boarded a plane to the largest city in Southern Laos - the bustling metropolis of Pakse (population 66,000). Laos (pronounced like “cow”, but replacing the “c” with an “l”) is a country that has been […]
3 Comments » - Posted in Laos by Derek
Thursday, January 10th, 2008
Small Money, Big Change
Two years ago, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Muhammad Yunus, the founder of Grameen Bank in Bangladesh - one of the poorest countries in the world. As a result of the award, the microfinance activities of Grameen Bank and other similar institutions around the globe were brought to worldwide attention. I was particularly intrigued […]
No Comments » - Posted in India by Derek
Monday, January 7th, 2008
A Golden City
Tourists come to Amritsar primarily for two reasons - to visit the Golden Temple sacred to the Sikh religion and to watch the closing ceremony at the border crossing between India and Pakistan. After a 7-hour train ride from Delhi, we checked into our hotel with the goal of checking these two activities off our […]
2 Comments » - Posted in India by Derek
Thursday, December 27th, 2007
A CRY for Help
While travel has innumberable benefits, one of the greatest is perspective. When you see how others live and the challenges they face, you can better understand your place in the world. Although I’ve visited many places, I’ve never found a better place to learn perspective than in India. I’ve always said that I wish all […]
1 Comment » - Posted in India, Community Service by Derek
Wednesday, December 12th, 2007
Life in a Postcard
It’s a unique experience when you realize you’ve discovered perfection. Seconds after crossing through the tropical forest abutting the beach and dipping our toes in the poster-board white sand, Shanna and I looked at each other with all-knowing eyes. We instantly knew that we had just stepped onto the most beautiful beach in the world.
The […]
