The train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai in Thailand has plugins in it. Plugins, clean sinks with liquid soap, a restaurant and air-conditioning, should you prefer it. The 15-hour trip hardly seems difficult, unless of course, you’re custom is flying first class. (Ah, perspective….) As I sit on the train today I realize that this… Continue reading Avoiding “The Easy Way” – My Travels in Myanmar
The Seat with Holes
She chose the broken chair. Three wicker chairs stood side by side at the bus stop – the one to the far right was missing a noticeable portion of its weave. But she sat down, opened up her big flowered bag and took out a cigar. She was not the kind of woman who could… Continue reading The Seat with Holes
Chiang Mai: A Little Slice of California in Thailand
Chiang Mai is really not so different than San Francisco. For starters, there’s a lot of great Thai food. (It just happens to be significantly cheaper and spicier here!) But ethnic food aside, the cultural shocks and adjustments are very limited. Chiang Mai is a modern city. The second largest in the country. It’s a… Continue reading Chiang Mai: A Little Slice of California in Thailand
For my Mother, “Susie”
“There’s no love like first love,” my mother likes to say… I picture her in dirty cut-off shorts on her front porch, 16, coal black hair and big blue eyes, waiting on my dad to pick her up. First love. It’s a biased thing to say when you’ve only had one, mom! I know she… Continue reading For my Mother, “Susie”
Interview with Sunny, from Thailand
Sometimes the best conversations are after the camera stops rolling. Such was the case with Sunny. Her name really says it all, but what kind of writer would I be if I didn’t attempt to paint it for you? Sunny is a beautiful 34 year old Thai woman, wife and mother of 2, with a… Continue reading Interview with Sunny, from Thailand
Saturation: A Traveler’s Decision to Stick Around
Living in the present. Easier said than done when you’re on a 12 hour bus ride! With my curtain pulled back, I can see every market we pass between Bangkok and Chumphon Pier. So many mangos… I could eat one everyday. (Oh wait, I do ☺). Why do we travel? On the bus today I… Continue reading Saturation: A Traveler’s Decision to Stick Around
5 Reasons Not to Take Buses in Thailand
1. The Toilets. Yes, I’m starting here! If you like to pee as much as I do, buses are not for you. While most buses have a small toilet, it’s usually something resembling a horror scene from Candy Man (kudos if you get the reference). There is no small water basin to wash your hands.… Continue reading 5 Reasons Not to Take Buses in Thailand
Interview with Scott, Australia
When I arrived in Chiang Mai, I was a little skeptical about sharing a dorm room with 5 other people. I had reserved it months in advance, and so once I arrived in Thailand and realized how easy it is to find a guesthouse here without a reservation I started to have some buyer’s remorse!… Continue reading Interview with Scott, Australia
Strictly Singapore
All I remember learning about Singapore in school was that it’s illegal to chew gum there… reason enough for an adolescent to scratch it off their list of “Places I want to visit.” I’ve since learned more about Singapore, of course, and it is a fascinating country to visit, not to mention incredibly safe. Still,… Continue reading Strictly Singapore
Interview with Vincent, France
Once in a while, we are lucky enough to meet a person with a luminous soul. So bright and intense, you can’t help but feel its beams around you. This was the case when I met Vincent. It seemed to me that his eyes were 100% open and he saw everything. Vincent has had a… Continue reading Interview with Vincent, France
Amanda in Asia 