Tramping along the Heaphy Track
One…two, three, four. One… two, three, four. One foot in front of the other, in a steady rhythm, we moved forward, up into the clouds. We were trekking along the mountain’s edge or as New Zealanders prefer to call it, tramping. For five days in the northwestern corner of New Zealand’s South Island, we would […]
The Travel Essential
We have been asked a few times recently what our travel essentials are. I assume that the answer people are looking for is what we carry in our bags. The sharp Opinel knife that we cannot live without, the all-important toilet roll, what brand of sleeping bag we use, what backpacks are the best for […]
Nobody Goes To…Dapa
We’re not used to seeing good roads on tropical islands. Dirt roads, sandy curves, bumpy-pebble paved, yes. But not the smooth, easy-riding asphalt that Siargao provides, making it the perfect beach, palm tree and rice paddy-lined road trip destination that it surprisingly is. When not attempting to surf, we would grab a motorbike and explore […]
A Chinese Family’s Duty : Gluttony
gluttony \ˈglət-nē, ˈglə-tə-nē\ – the act or habit of eating and drinking too much It took about 45 minutes from when we stepped off the train for the feeding frenzy to begin. And it continued, full speed ahead, for the rest of our 30-hour stay in Liu Bo 寮步. We had taken the train from Hong […]
Journey to the East Awards – The Best in Travel
When we were on the plane a couple of weeks ago, they were showing a documentary on the house of Christian Dior, giving some background history and the story of the young Belgian designer who took over after John Galliano’s infamous rant. I was not really paying attention, until an old interview segment with Dior […]
Journey to the East Awards – The Best in Food
What are the flavours and food moments you remember most from your travels? Usually it comes down to the very good and the very very bad. There was so much excitement, so much hope when we saw that sign for Chinese food shining in the dark at a crossroad in Mandalay. Oh it was delicious, MSG-laden […]
Taking Stock: 306 Days On The Road
“Don’t Cry. Don’t Cry,” I kept telling myself as the lump in my throat rose higher and my heart bounced. Not wanting to raise the immigration lady’s suspicion for any other reason than having made it. Maaade it! To our destination by land. After 306 days on the road, we arrived in Hong Kong, the […]
Nobody Goes to…Savannakhet
How does a place capture your heart and memory? Is it the splendid setting, the luscious landscape, the opulent architecture, the smiling people, that memorable plate of food or the sun that set at just the right angle while you were walking by? Because Savannakhet has all that and something more. What other destinations on […]
Where Are You Really From?
Taken circa 1985 with my Italian Nonna at the aptly named “Universo” bagno in Carrara, Italy. Where are you really from? … And then they all went, “aaaah…..”. Never before have I been so confronted with a daily question of choosing a label, choosing a place, a culture, a name. Have you ever been asked […]
Myanmar…Through the Funnel
Myanmar is the fifth in our series – “…Through the Funnel”. You can read our previous one on China here. It is a way for us to share 12 aspects that stood out to us in our experience of the country and its people. Did we miss something that stood out to you in Myanmar? #1 Faded Melancholia Myanmar is photogenic. It […]
