“They are an intriguing people. From the moment they wake, they devote themselves to the perfection of whatever they pursue. I have never seen such discipline.” -The Last Samurai. Seeing that fantastic archery demonstration the […]
Peder and I left our pousada in Trancoso and started out for our day’s 30 km walk at around 11am. The plan was to follow the coast all the way to Arraial d’Ajuda, a neighboring […]
On December 20th of 2006, I received an e-mail from my dad. It contained this Powerpoint file. The forwarding messages all included such phrases as: “I CANT EVEN LOOK AT THE PICTURES WITHOUT GETTING DIZZY!!” […]
The Mega Trip Part 9 (The Great Wall)
With the land-based portion of my adventure through China nearly over, I realized that I was still missing a significant piece of what I wanted to see before returning to Japan. Kung Fu. So, after […]
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 […]
KaZantip 2011: Black Sea Paradise
Warning: This post contains a few NSFW photos. View only in good company 🙂 The Republic of KaZantip, the legendary Eastern European Shangri La of parties, lasts for just one month a year in a […]
Wow…two fairly serious injuries in one week. What’s up with that?
Since I have a total of exactly two months between the conclusion of my Middle East trip and my departure for Japan, I’ve been trying as hard as possible to get in 5-6 solid workouts a week. To get back in shape in a hurry. As usual. And also as usual, sometimes that translates into pushing just a little bit harder than I probably should.
Last Thursday was one such day. Continue reading »
Matt Harding has done it again.
I first learned of Matt’s website, www.WhereTheHellIsMatt.com, back in 2005 – long before he reached his current status as a Mega Internet Celebrity. His blog caught my attention because of his particularly amazing travels and his very unique/funny writing style. And, of course, his video. Continue reading »
My ticket is bought and paid for: one-way to Tokyo on August 5th. I should be on a night bus to Kyoto by the 8th, just in time for the final three weekends of 2008’s Suma Season.
I’m so excited I can’t even tell you.
I decided to go with a one-way ticket not because I intend to stay in Japan permanently, but more because I don’t really know how things will go this time around. Peder’s flying in from Norway on the 7th and has a 2-month round-trip ticket; our plan is to get separate apartments as close to each other as possible, spend weekdays at home programming, and weekends catching up with friends, going to festivals, & enjoying the fabulous Japanese summer. Continue reading »
After two long months in the Middle East, I’m home once again. It was a spectacular trip – with more hassles but far fewer logistical problems than Brazil.
Still, I am excited to get home. I haven’t had a haircut in more than 3 months, nor have I done a real workout in two. It’s the longest I’ve been outside of a gym since starting college. I feel like an afro on a stick. Continue reading »
After my two new Israeli friends dropped me off near the Old City of Jerusalem, I began scanning the streets for WiFi networks so I could lookup the address of Heritage House, a hostel where anyone of Jewish heritage can stay for absolutely free.
Man, unlike Birthright, this place was all about religious propaganda.
Everyone inside dressed very very orthodox, and the first thing I was handed upon checking in was a schedule of the following day’s courses on Judaism, Torah study, and the like. Their rules were very conservative – guys and girls stay in different buildings, and everyone had to be in by midnight and out by 9am. I was the only person there without a yarmulke. The guy at the front desk must’ve asked me 10 times if I’d be attending any of the following day’s classes at Aish Hatorah. It’s very, very nice that they provide a free place to stay – but somehow I can’t imagine staying there long 🙂
The first thing I did after checking in was to head across the street for a piece of pizza. I knew of a place right nearby, where I stopped to ask for directions to Heritage House. The guy saw me with my backpack and knew I was a budget traveler. When I went inside and asked for a slice, here’s what he said: Continue reading »
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