Saying “yes” to a Chinese tout was a good choice
DAY 12 – About a tour of Kaifeng, China with a local named "Jason", a.k.a. Golden Phoenix, a great guy who showed us the city on his bicycle rickshaw. [keep reading]
The amazing food stalls of Kaifeng
DAY 7 – The food at Kaifeng, China's nightly market is so good we stayed a few extra days, just to eat more of the cheap, delicious dishes there. [keep reading]
The ancient clay army and the small wild goose
DAY 5 – How travel can show you places you'd only ever dreamed of visiting – like the Terra Cotta Army near Xi'an, China, a real trip across time. [keep reading]
The big grey skies of Xi’an, China
DAY 1 – The grimy air of China can actually enhance the distant, ancient feel of some of its modern cities. That's how we found magnificent Xi'an in central China. [keep reading]
The strange beauty of Sa Pa, Vietnam
DAY 333 – Sa Pa is the best of northern Vietnam in winter: cold, rugged, with nice guesthouses and a mystical feel. Here's how it inspires you to continue traveling. [keep reading]
As Khmer kids in canoes do circles around my motorboat
DAY 228 – Traveling Cambodia by river, like we did today, can be a great way to see local people and the real countryside. As long as your insulin stays cool and dry. [keep reading]
Unexplained dinosaurs and psychedelic statues by the river
DAY 227 – Battambang, Cambodia is a small and sleepy town with a prideful air and some really weird statues and temples. And an English-speaking doctor! [keep reading]
Why nobody stays overnight in Poipet
DAY 218 – Between Thailand and Cambodia lies the town of Poipet, a rough and chaotic place. Most travelers pass right on through but I stuck around to check it out. [keep reading]
Sukhothai’s split but happy personality
DAY 211 – Visit Sukhothai, Thailand to feel the instant and warmly welcoming embrace of 800-year old ruins lying with beautiful inevitability under the golden sun. [keep reading]
Somewhere over the rainbow is Udorn Thani
DAY 206 – How much insulin do you need for chicken feet? I had the chance to explore this dilemma in Udorn Thani, Thailand, but my stomach was having none of it. [keep reading]
Recuperating by the Mekong River: After the hospital
DAY 201 – Out of the hospital and eating more and more, the last week in Nong Khai, Thailand has gotten me over my weird tropical illness. Time to continue the trip! [keep reading]
Emergency ambulance across an international border
DAY 192 – The gory tale of how I got so sick with a mystery illness in Laos that I had to take an ambulance across the border back into Thailand. [keep reading]
International culture and medicine, Laos-style
DAY 183 – Vientiane is not chock-full of amenities but we have managed to find wi-fi, coffee, riverside meals with new road friends, and even some thyroid pills. [keep reading]
Over the river and through the woods to Vientiane we go
DAY 180 – On Day 180 of this long SE Asia trip we entered only our fourth country: Laos, and its capital of Vientiane. A busy day of trains 'n' tuk-tuks. [keep reading]
A reunion and a romp through Bangkok
DAY 179 – Long-term, open-ended travel allows you to explore obscure sights in a big city at your own pace. For example, these places in Bangkok, Thailand. [keep reading]
Forget the big cities – go to the provinces
DAY 127 – Do you prefer big cities or smaller, unknown places when you travel? Here are some reasons the smaller places might offer you a better experience. [keep reading]