• Into the Lion's Den

    Into the Lion’s Den

    How many of you have heard the name “Transdniestr?” Not too many, I’m guessing. Transdniester – also known as Pridnestrovie in Russian – is a small rogue nation occupying a narrow strip of land along […]

  • Dare to Dream

    Dare to Dream

    Somewhere around six months ago, I was sitting in my apartment talking on the phone with my mom. From just outside my window I could hear Buddhist monks chanting at Ninnaji, an enormous wooden temple […]

  • A Different Experience

    A Different Experience

    I’m here. In Tokyo. Finally. During my idle time on the flight over I kept on thinking, “what am I going to write to everyone once I finally get to Japan?” Most of you already […]

  • Mostar

    Mostar

    Although I’d suspect that most people have never even heard the name “Mostar,” a relatively small town in the Herzegovina region of Bosnia-Herzegovina, it turned to be one of the most intriguing places I’ve ever […]

  • Magnificent Petra

    Magnificent Petra

    At long last, I made it to Petra. Petra is a place that’s intrigued me since before I even knew its name – since I first saw Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade as a […]

  • Kyoto Drift

    Kyoto Drift

    You know how I’m always seeking out new and interesting experiences? Well last weekend I went drift racing. One of my coworkers, Miki, is extremely into cars. He has a Limited Edition Impreza (one of […]

I was last seen 5 months ago in Los Angeles, .

Friendly Lodge, Friendly Meals

 Malaysia, Public  11 Responses »
Jun 012011
 
The pleasant, garden-like entrance of Hutton Lodge. Highly recommended!The pleasant, garden-like entrance of Hutton Lodge. Highly recommended!

Third time’s a charm.

After waking up and immediately checking out of Jimmy’s most unwelcoming guesthouse, I moved to yet another spot just a few blocks away: Hutton Lodge.

The terrace where breakfast is served.The terrace where breakfast is served.

Oh my God, it was like night and day! For only 10 ringgit more (a total of 50) I upgraded from a dank, drippy old building to a bright and spotlessly clean proper hotel – with a fully air-conditioned lobby, outdoor terrace, and even free breakfast. Bathrooms had huge hot-water showers which, unlike Love Lane Inn, weren’t crammed into a tiny cubicle shared with the toilet. Yet amazingly, if I’d paid Jimmy’s “air conditioning fee,” the price actually would’ve been the same! Man am I ever glad I moved.
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Setting Up in Georgetown

 Malaysia, Public  12 Responses »
May 312011
 
One great thing about Malaysia: a change in cuisine! Street food seems just as plentiful and cheap as in Thailand, but with a whole new variety to sample.One great thing about Malaysia: a change in cuisine! Street food seems just as plentiful and cheap as in Thailand, but with a whole new variety to sample.

God was it a mistake to try Windows XP 64 bit.

Now that I have a laptop with 4 gigs of RAM, it felt dumb to be running a 32bit OS (which can’t even address all that memory). But after struggling for half a day in Krabi, until 4am last night, *plus* a few hours this morning, I have just one thing to say:

Fresh fruit smoothie in a bag.Fresh fruit smoothie in a bag.

Stay away at all cost! That crap OS isn’t supported by anything. 😳
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Instant Differences

 Malaysia, Public  4 Responses »
May 312011
 
Justin Klein crosses yet another border.Justin Klein crosses yet another border.

Welcome to Malaysia – my first “new country” of the trip. First stop on the way South towards Singapore: Penang Island.

Malaysia’s multiculturalism is perhaps most readily noticeable in its street names: all within a few blocks of each other, one could easily expect a combination like Buckingham St, Sultan Ahmad Shah St, and Lim Chwee Leong St. At times it almost feels like three countries in one.Malaysia’s multiculturalism is perhaps most readily noticeable in its street names: all within a few blocks of each other, one could easily expect a combination like Buckingham St, Sultan Ahmad Shah St, and Lim Chwee Leong St. At times it almost feels like three countries in one.

As the oldest of the British Straits settlements – predating both Singapore and Melaka – Penang has been described as one of Asia’s most fascinating islands, a fusion between Malaysian, British, Indian, and Chinese cultures.

For my brief “en-route” visit, I made my way by bus straight from Krabi – this time, thankfully, without any extra-charge shenanigans. Most of the ride I spent socializing with a friendly American traveler/climber and Facebooking on my phone…until I crossed the boarder and was once again without Internet (oh, my! :P)
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