Then, on my first ride on a Burmese train I immediately missed the relative freedom and space of a rooftop truck ride! With the aisles so crowded that the only way to walk was to use armrests as steps over other passengers, I joined a couple of vendors on top […]
Travel Words
Mt. Popa
What Bagan is to Buddhism in Myanmar, Mount Popa is to local deities. The road to Mt. Popa, passing through dusty desert most of the way from Bagan, changes significantly in the final approach into a beautiful green zone amidst the desert of Central Myanmar. The temple itself stands atop […]
The Temples of Bagan
Temples of Bagan So, granted, this is an overused descriptive: Bagan is incredible. Unbelievable, maybe, would fit more accurately? The immediate comparison is to Angkor Wat, in Cambodia. While the two are similar in idea (ancient temples, old cultures, Buddhist sculpture), the vibe is completely different. The joy of Angkor […]
Conversation with the man in Orange
“Sit down, I would like to talk to you. Where you from? America?! I would like to know about your Obama.” “Do you know what is the ‘Tri-Lateral Commission’ in your country? IT is all the richest businessmen and politicians, lead by people like your Vice-President Dick Cheney. They have […]
CouchSurfing: Makassar
I had originally intended to just pass through Makassar on the way out of the country but, as so organically happens sometimes, a friend of a friend that we met changed my mind. J’ona, the swedish girl who Greg and I traveled with through Togean and Tana Toraja, had Surfed […]
Togean Islands
The last time Greg and I parted in Indonesia was in Lombok’s Gili Islands, full of snorkeling and scuba and travelers and beautiful white beaches. It only made sense, then, that we headed back to such a place at some point during this trip. The Togean islands promised all of […]
Hey there! I'm Stephen, this is my travel blog, and that's me in the poofy hat.
I'm a photographer / writer traveling since 2008, and I've been doing my best to visit amazing places.
My current focus is Central Asia, because for a hiking and camping enthusiast it's as good as it gets.