CHINA

ARTICLE: Culture Shock! And The Chinese Driver

April and I are on our way to the Longji rice terraces of northern Guanxi province in China. It’s the rainy season, hot and humid since arrival, but so far we’ve been spared any downpours on our first week in this country. That hasn’t been the case in the mountains. The potholed, winding road, barely a lane and a half wide curls between rocky cliffs and a raging river below…READ MORE

ARTICLE: Culture Shock! And The Porcelain Throne 

For those of you who have not yet experienced the shear adventure brought to you by ‘the squat toilet,’ allow me to paint the picture for you. I entered a restroom stall outside a temple in Lukang, Taiwan and in that moment, much to my horror, I was slapped with a very dark reality. Western style toilets were a thing of the past with my homeland, Canada, now at the other end of the world…READ MORE

 

HONG KONG

ARTICLE: Travel Rollercoaster – A Journey From Guatemala To Hong Kong

The good news is we made it to Hong Kong in one piece. It was not nearly a perfect journey and the effects of the 3 days of travel plus a 12 time zone difference are still weighing heavy…READ MORE

ARTICLE: Culture Shock! And The Sorry Complex – Hong Kong

Welcome to the new series that basically named itself! We’ve just landed in a new continent that is about to challenge us in completely new ways. Some will undoubtedly be intriguing and funny little things we’ll have to adjust to. Others will surely be frustrating or beyond comprehension. Finally, there will be cringe-worthy moments …READ MORE

LAOS

ARTICLE: Freedom Rider -Laos

It started like any other day, waking up in a strange world full of opportunity and discovery with no plans or expectations. What it became, a 2 day expedition; just me, my backpack and a shiny new rented Honda I recently learned to ride, into places seemingly unseen by any foreigner or wanderer…READ MORE

TAIWAN

ARTICLE: Culture Shock! And the Taiwanese Palate

In preparation for my journey abroad Karina wowed me with tales of dining on barbeque cockroaches in Cambodia, snacking on grasshoppers in Indonesia (which she reports, are pretty tasty), and even drinking snake blood in Vietnam. The most exotic meat I had ever tried in Canada was a single experience I had eating caribou and I never really adjusted to the gamy taste…READ MORE

THAILAND

 ARTICLE: Deep Water Tornadoes – Thailand

I haven’t had the chance to do any climbing while here in tiny Ton Sai, a town, no, village, no… a spit of white sand crammed between enormous limestone peaks, jutting out of the earth and ocean. A few bungalows and restaurants have sprung back up since this place was decimated in the 2004 tsunami. There are no roads, and only a few hours a day of electricity… READ MORE

 

 ARTICLE: Things To Do In KohTao, Above The Water

For decades, Koh Tao has been analogous with world class diving at bargain prices. Travelers have been coming to this slice of scuba heaven for the abundant sea life, but there is so much more to Turtle Island above the reefs and beyond the salty sweet coastline.

Just don’t tell them! Because while the divers are away, the island is all yours to play…Read More

VIETNAM

ARTICLE: Rice Terrace Wanderings – Vietnam

As if being set in a terrace laced village high in the mountains of Northern Vietnam wasn’t far removed enough already, I venture farther. Beyond the tracks of any road. Beyond the comfortable reach for many of the other daring travellers with whom I made the overnight train trip to the city of Sapa, followed by a long hike into the countryside to find our tribal homestay…READ MORE