So…i’ve been neglecting my blog. I’ve had a little bit of an unofficial blogging hiatus since November, because of many distractions from other projects that i’ve been working on. I finally placed myself in French language classes through the Alliance Francaise in Sydney (which, by the way, I wholeheartedly recommend for you would-be multilinguists).
Quit the job, pack the bag, travel. It’s a pretty good summary of my 14-month round the world trip (even though these day’s it’s a bit cliché). What could be better, when you’re feeling stuck, bored at work, or aching for adventure. And guess what – i’m doing it again.
I had two wisdom teeth extracted yesterday. Ouch. I’m OK though. A few weeks ago, I had been given a quote for a dental procedure which had an astronomical price tag. So I contacted a dentist friend of mine for help, had a second opinion, some last minute insurance luck, avoided the biggest costs, and … More The Trend of Dental Tourism
International airport stopover. It could mean many things. A heart-thumping, sweat-dripping sprint for the gate as you and your travel buddies frantically scan the departures board, and yell directions at each other from across the terminal. A bleak, bleary, red-eyed sleep, curled up on a plastic chair like a newborn foetus, trying to block out assaults … More What Can You Learn About A Country From Just Seeing The Airport?
It’s the size of a soccer ball, a stinky medieval morning star of a fruit covered in thorns; the durian. They’re found in many South East Asian markets, on small roadside stalls, or piled up on the back of a motorbike zooming through the streets of Ho Chi Minh City. In the words of one Cambodian that I … More All about durian – the king of stinky fruits
Every backpacker has a special relationship with their backpack. Packing it and repacking it becomes somewhat of an art after those weeks and months, with each item in its own special place, and a million ideas on how to improve the packing system. Here is my list of things I would optimise for next time. Obviously, this … More What to pack for a year or travel (and what not to)
I’m reading a book at the moment, ‘Little Princes’ by Conor Grennan, about an American who (as a prelude to his round-the-world trip) had volunteered in a Nepalese orphanage. Initially it was to impress his friends, but as he became emotionally attached, he was involved in rescuing children from the ugly world of child trafficking.
This year has been a surreal experience to say the least. But, that was the point! I wanted to see wonderful new things, wander the back alleys in Saigon and find curious restaurants serving dog, cycle around the mysterious sun-baked Burmese monuments in Bagan that I never knew existed, drink Belgian beer almost as strong as … More 50 things I learned after one year of travel
StickyMangoRice 