The car park was surprisingly full for such an overcast day; the gravel still soaked from the on-again off-again showers. We were prepared, though, with jackets and plastic bags to wrap around valuables should Washington’s clouds live up to their reputation. Nearly two months had passed since I flew into Sea-Tac from Stockholm, after having …
travel issues
The Long Road to Bukhara
Getting into Uzbekistan was the easy part. Taking a shared taxi to the Zarnisar Bazaar in Dushanbe, finding a ride to the granitsa (border), and waltzing through a series of checkpoints was mostly painless; I was even forced asked to play my ukulele while the Uzbek officials checked my bags. Emerging from the border buildings with a grin …
That Time I Bought a Ural
It was 31 years old and looked it, a heinous shade of blue with beefy tires and two dinky seats. It was a 1983 Ural with a sidecar and I was in love. I’ve been planning this trip for over a year. What started out as a motorcycle trip across China into Kyrgyzstan morphed into …
Chocolate and Executions: Valentine’s Day in Korea
Many people have dubbed South Korea as one of the most romantic countries in the world. Taking ‘romantic holidays’ to the next level, many amorous young Koreans celebrate an unofficial ‘love’ holiday on the 14th of every month of the year. For an excellent write-up on what those holidays are, as well as the traditions …
The Ties Which Bind Us: Why We Need to Travel
I’ve been working on this post for a few weeks and thinking about if I wanted to post it. After the events yesterday, I think it is pretty relevant. Though, as friends have pointed out, bombings like the one that shook Boston occur the world over without provoking such a reaction. I think that’s the …