Aaron's Worldwide AdventuresSee this sunset? It is by far one of the most lasting images from my time at Laos‘ simply divine Si Phan Don or 4,000 Islands. From spending the day lounging around in a hammock on the Mekong River to renting a bicycle for some exploring, life at the bottom of Laos is just incredibly […]
In Laos‘ “Deep South” lies a collection of stone structures and steps that rise up a hill. Structures of the Khmer era, most famous for the archeological sites surrounding Siem Reap, Cambodia, with its crown jewel, Angkor Wat. The good folks at UNESCO saw the need to deem the Lao equivalent a World Heritage Site, […]
In the middle of Vientiane (pronounced Wi-eng Chan), the capital of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (more commonly known as Laos), sits this bizarre monument: That is Patuxay, a victory monument that was constructed in the 1960’s with cement that was supposedly intended for an airport (according to Lonely Planet). But it’s construction was interrupted […]
Picture, if you will, a town packed to the brim with backpackers who come to get trashed. A town that long ago lost its soul and solely relies on pandering to the foreigners’ every need, even going so far as to rocket their tubing to fabled status thanks to the additions of bars! This is […]
Move over Mexico, with your fancy minivan “Colectivos.” There’s a new mode of transportation around and it’s that ubiquitous symbol of Southeast Asia, the songthaew (pronounced sowng-taow). The name quite literally means “two rows,” named for the two rows of benches that are set in the back of a pick-up truck for passenger seating. In […]
Near the overrated Chinese tourist hot spot of Guilin lies one of its star attractions…the equally overrated “Seven Stars Scenic Area.” Aside from a cave that was illuminated in a rainbow of colors and a whole host of man made “attractions,” there wasn’t a whole lot that impressed me about this place. That is, except […]
Sometimes, “Say What??” isn’t just about the funny, but also the cute. In fact, today’s photo marks the very first photogenic sign that I spotted after stepping off that plane in Hong Kong. I had just arrived on Hong Kong Island on the speedy Airport Express and made my way upstairs to the throngs that […]
The Chinese metropolis of Guangzhou (formerly known as Canton) was my first stop in “real” China. Sure, I started my travels in Hong Kong, a “first world” city that bears little in common with the mainland due to it’s colonial background. Guangzhou hence also marked my first encounter with the phenomenon known as “Chinglish,” or […]