Tag Archives: travel

Searching for Havana: An Ice Cream Parlor, A Dive Bar, and Streets That Stink of Onions

It is a typically rainy night in Havana. Taka and I linger near the doorway, out of the rain, of Hotel Sevilla – one of those grand, colonial buildings that Cuba is known for – as Lori, a smartly-dressed young Cuban woman, asks the doormen to direct us to the dining room. Her friends willContinue reading “Searching for Havana: An Ice Cream Parlor, A Dive Bar, and Streets That Stink of Onions”

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.

Backpacks in Southern Vietnam

Traveling from Cambodia to Vietnam by bus is like going from Three Oaks, Michigan directly to Times Square without everything between. The minibus is packed with a mix of foreigners with their legs crammed against the seats in front of them and locals. We pick up and drop off several people along the way as theContinue reading “Backpacks in Southern Vietnam”

Brutality and Peace in Cambodia

Some of their faces show contempt or rage, others fear or an obvious resignation, while other faces are sadly innocent – a few even have smiles. I look at all the photographs they have of former prisoners at the Toul Sleng S21 Prison in Phnom Penh. Every photograph shows a little bit of humanity: theContinue reading “Brutality and Peace in Cambodia”

You Are Not a Good Photographer

It’s pitch black outside but it’s easy to find my way. There’s only one way to go: the same way as the tour buses, vans, and tuk-tuks. It’s before sunrise and we’re headed to Angkor Wat. I arrive by bicycle to the biggest attraction at the Angkor ruins in Cambodia. I had read of peopleContinue reading “You Are Not a Good Photographer”

Eastern Cambodian Oases

My skin is red, not from sun, but from dirt. I’m riding through clouds of dust as motorbikes and the occasional truck passes me by, while kids wave to me from the side of the road. I’m on a mountain bike rented from my guesthouse and I’ve been told there are waterfalls around here. WithContinue reading “Eastern Cambodian Oases”