Tag Archives: tourists

So Long, Uncle Ho

I know beforehand that there will be a healthy portion of propaganda and I had seen the cult of personality still being pursued by the government, but I feel like I’m missing something at the Ho Chi Minh Museum in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Ruined Temples and Smoking Drinking Spirits

I’m on top of an old temple, waiting around for the sunset with a bunch of German and French. About 20 minutes before, I am on top of a different temple, with a bunch of German and French. They are digging in early for the sunset views of Bagan. When the sun finally starts toContinue reading “Ruined Temples and Smoking Drinking Spirits”

Contraband Whiskey, a Late Train, and Satellite Dishes

I am in the Thai border town of Pedang Besar, having crossed over from Pedang Besar, Malaysia. I’ve been directed down the road by a police officer to catch the bus to Hat Yai. As I’m walking past a large covered platform accommodating three large women, one of them asks, “Where you going?” I tellContinue reading “Contraband Whiskey, a Late Train, and Satellite Dishes”

Highways, Monkeys, Beer Towers

Just as I’m finishing up my meal on Jalan Alor, a street lined with restaurants – tables and chairs set up in the street – I feel a few drops, and then I see umbrellas being set up around the tables. I finish my beer, pay, and start walking. Within five minutes, it’s pouring. It’sContinue reading “Highways, Monkeys, Beer Towers”

Ships, Steam Irons, and Noodles

It is so remarkably easy to walk around and see everything that one wonders whether the Hindu founders, the Portuguese conquerors, the Dutch, and then the British built this town as a major fort and trading post adjacent to the Straights of Melaka, or as a future attraction for weekenders with cameras. Large signs alert you toContinue reading “Ships, Steam Irons, and Noodles”

Traveling Easy in Santa Ana, El Salvador

The guy sitting next to me on the bus to Lake Coatepeque sounds like he’s got a bowl of soup in his mouth. Each time he says something I shrug and tell him I don’t understand, but he keeps going anyway. A man standing in the aisle says something in intelligible Spanish that I understand.Continue reading “Traveling Easy in Santa Ana, El Salvador”