Have you ever temporarily settled down somewhere only to find out that when it comes time to leave, you are left to squeeze in the nearby sights in your final days? In our version of this story, we took our motorbike all the way around Koh Samui island last weekend to catch some new sights. Along our way, we found Budai, the Laughing Buddha. … [Read more...]
Thailand Travel Articles, Photos and Panoramas
Two Thai Classics, Six Minutes: A Video Recipe from an Island Kitchen
Oh, Thai cuisine: complexity in flavor, simplicity in process. The flavors are so vast and so varied that the thought of cooking something so rich, so in-the-mouth dazzling is daunting, to some insurmountable. It doesn't need to be. … [Read more...]
Our Beach House on Stilts – Koh Samui, Thailand
Sometimes it's not exactly clear to our readers where we are. We're writing about Argentina one day, posting photos from Nepal the next, and updating our Facebook fan page with observations from Thailand all the while. In this photo we share exactly where we are right now: … [Read more...]
Facing Fears, Wiping Out, and Getting Up Again
Early last week, I was about to write about fears and the process of facing up to them. I would talk about traveling to places that once frightened me, meeting and interacting with large groups of new people, and jumping out of airplanes. Then, I would channel all those fears known and met through a more recent apprehension I'd tackled: riding a motorbike. I would … [Read more...]
The Yin and Yang of Koh Pha Ngan (Or, Yes Virginia, There Really Are People Who Suck)
For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson We often share stories of ordinary people who humble us by showing resilience and kindness in the face of challenges. In doing so, we highlight the positive -- so much so that you might be thinking: “Do these guys only run into good people on their travels? Is the world … [Read more...]
In Bangkok, My Feet Are Fish Food
During our most recent visit to Bangkok, tanks full of flesh-eating fish hungry for dead skin were all the rage. Sound like fun? We thought so. Watch the video below to find out. … [Read more...]
Loi Krathong Festival: Troubles Down the River, Lanterns in the Sky
Sunday was one of those days when misfortunes were set aloft and misdeeds adrift. That is, in Bangkok at least. It was Loi Krathong, a Thai holiday where young and old come out in force. They send their wrongdoings afloat on colorfully adorned lotus leaf rafts down the Chao Praya River and they fire up paper lanterns to carry their misfortunes into the … [Read more...]
Thailand and Kyrgyzstan: Travel, Media, and Fear of the Unknown
If you keep up with the news, it’s hard not to notice that Thailand and Kyrgyzstan have been in the midst of political turmoil and violent protests this past week. In an effort to offer a foil to images of bloodied protesters in Bishkek, I posted a link to a series of photo essays from our visit to Kyrgyzstan in 2007. Some friends thanked us, while another also … [Read more...]
Avoiding Theft at Airport Security
As we prepare for our departure to Guatemala and secure the various latches on our gear, I'm reminded of being robbed by airport security employees in Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport last year. Fortunately, miraculously - and somewhat shadily - I was reimbursed. A recent comment from a woman who had money stolen at airport security in Toronto, Canada served as a … [Read more...]
Robbed Redux: Sticky Fingers at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Part 2
Perhaps you'd like to know what happened after I was robbed at Bangkok Airport security last month. Well, the saga continued with more “investigations” and a mysterious wire transfer. Transparency is not the first word that comes to mind. … [Read more...]