An American Abroad
While I was in Luang Prabang, I stayed at The Manichan Guesthouse, a relaxing family-run hostelry on a quiet side street. It was a lovely place to rest, to meet other travelers, and to feel temporarily like family. My hosts were Peter Van de … [Continue reading]
I arrived in Luang Prabang pretty worn out from my trip to Cambodia and decided to take it easy for a few days -- a vacation from my vacation. So I booked a long boat to take me north up the Mekong River to no place in particular. All I wanted was to … [Continue reading]
[Read Cambodia: Angkor Thom, Part 1.] In Angkor Thom, there is a riot of images carved everywhere into the living rock. But nearby Bauphon looks like a Greek temple, with its rectangular design and column-supported roof. … [Continue reading]
Angkor Wat is stately, symmetrical, and tasteful, a formal masterpiece -- but Angkor Thom, just a few kilometers away, is a feral looking pile of stones. Angkor Wat is Queen Elizabeth: dignified, careful, and articulate. Angkor Thom is your … [Continue reading]
Siem Reap was a pleasant surprise. Since it's the town closest to Angkor, I expected a ticky-tacky tourist town, just a place for people to stay en route to the ruins. It is a tourist town, but as the genre goes, it's a nice one. It's … [Continue reading]
[Read Cambodia: By Motorcycle to Chau Srey Vibol, Part 1 here.] There were no tourists at Chau Srey Vibol. None. No ticket booth, no tour guides, site maps or plaques either. It was just an ancient pile of stones about 75 meters behind a Buddhist … [Continue reading]
I went to the outskirts of Siem Reap to pick up my moto (which is what people here call anything with a motor and two wheels). I was handed the key to a battered Honda Dream, a Frankencycle of a scooter's front end and a motorcycle's back … [Continue reading]
On my first full day in Siem Reap, I got up at five and was out the door by six, hoping to beat the tourist hordes. I hailed a passing tuk tuk and, after a twenty minute ride, hopped off at the end of the ancient stone causeway that crosses the … [Continue reading]
Today was our last day of work at Shane English Yuxi before the May Day vacation. JJ (left), Silas (right) and I are in our professional vacation attire and ready to go. JJ is heading to Beijing. Silas is heading to Guangzhou. And I'm heading … [Continue reading]
This is NOT a new pair of shoes. They are actually about 18 months old and have seen much use. They were stained with mud, tar, road dirt, and food (from where I cleverly dropped a bowl of greasy noodles on my feet). I was on the verge … [Continue reading]
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