After a few days in Bangkok we took a van to our village and our niece immediately ran up to us and gave us big hugs around the legs (she is only 6 years old). She proudly showed us her Thai/English language book she has been studying in school. One chapter quickly caught my eye, chapter 8 - "Language for Nightclubs". I spotted phrases such as "you have a nice dall face" - presumably supposed to say "doll face" and "can I have a cigarette", … [Read more...]
Travel Meetup Bangkok, In Search of Sanuk
Sitting in an apartment in some random location in Bangkok surrounded by a diversity of travelers listening to a Congolese refugee tell his riveting story and sad struggles of how he came to be in Thailand, I realized how an event such as this one can help enrich one's time on the road. The diversity of experiences in a single room from those who cumulatively spend some significant time traveling was certainly inspiring. It also felt very good to … [Read more...]
A Speech on Travel in Almaty, Kazakhstan
An acquaintance I met on Couch Surfing a few nights ago is a member of a local Toastmaster's club here in Almaty. A day ago she informed me that she would like me to be the guest speaker at their upcoming bi monthly meeting which draws both students and expats. Toastmasters started in Santa Ana California as one small club in 1924 and now has local chapters in over 120 countries often with multiple meetups/groups in the same city. Their focus … [Read more...]
The Arasan Baths, Almaty – Kazakhstan
Always looking to find a local experience while on the road I hopped in the car with Isa, a likeable individual who has opened his home for me to stay during my time in Almaty. He is an ex military man who is now a boxing trainer. He definitely has the build and look of a boxer. During the ride over the theme song from the Titanic movie came on the radio and he started singing along. Almaty is a huge town - spread out for some distance. There … [Read more...]
Arriving in Almaty, Kazakhstan
I left Chopan Alta, Kyrgyzstan at 8am this morning and arrived in Almaty, Kazakhstan at nearly 6pm. If there wasn't a mountain range between these two points, a line of site drive would probably be a few hours at most - but the route around these mountains through the main border crossing is much longer. Kazakhstan recently opened the border as visa free for citizens of the USA as well as select other countries on a trial basis and supposedly … [Read more...]
The Realities of Adventure Travel Sometimes
I finally arrived in Karakol, Kyrgyzstan on the Eastern edges of Issyk-Kul Lake - ready to head up into the mountains that are always in view from wherever you are in this town. In late summer this town is extremely dusty - washing socks and shorts in a sink left the water brown again and again many times. This town looks like it has seen better days - most of the roads are dirt with lots of rocks and a number of the streets are torn up for … [Read more...]
End of Tian Shan Mountains Trek & Drunks in Minibus
Upon cresting a Tian Shan Mountain pass at 3200 meters above Song Kul Lake we were treated with spectacular views of a valley far below and towering mountains in the distance. The scenery reminded me of parts of Southern California - especially around Bakersfield or around Death Valley. We hiked for several hours, ultimately reaching a small village in the valley. Looking back at the tall mountains it was impressive to see the great distance we … [Read more...]
Oh the “Yurt Mice”, Fermented Horse Milk, Travelers in Kyrgyzstan and Visa Woes
It was brought to my attention that our latest yurt was infested with little mice running around the edges. I dutifully assumed the role of "mice whisperer" and tried to encourage them to leave our habitation. However this was to no avail, as these pesky little furry critters kept up their scuffling about all night. My spot in the yurt this evening was next to a 2 liter plastic soda bottle filled to the brim with some sort of berry jam that was … [Read more...]
Exploring Song Kul, Kyrgyzstan
Waking up late at night and stumbling out of our Yurt we were overwhelmed by the clarity and brilliance of stars in all directions - the Milky Way stretched nearly from horizon to horizon and millions of little lights shone so clearly without any distractions of nearby cities. Earlier this year we saw the same awe inspiring sight from the Outback of Australia but here the brightness of the galaxy was even more clear because of the high elevation. … [Read more...]
Writing from a Yurt at 3000 Meters in Kyrgyzstan
As I write this the temperature is falling dramatically, and the familiar mountain bone chilling air permeates everything. This Kyrgyzstan Yurt is spacious - there are seven of us sprawled out on various mats on the floor. The locals tell us it takes 2-3 hours for four men to setup one Yurt. The insides are colorful with thick canvas and blankets forming the walls. A circular portion of the ceiling opens up for fresh air and sunlight during … [Read more...]
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