Colombia Photos

OK, disclaimer: I don't know why all the text in this post is being so stubborn and refusing to just FUCKING HOMOGENIZE ALREADY.... but it's not. Sorry lads.

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So, after a collective total of around 2 months in the country, I walked away from Colombia with an overall favorable impression, and I'd happily second any recommendation to go there. However, unlike pretty much everybody else that has been there... I thought the country was nice- but not really anything more.

It was beautiful, fairly easy to travel around, had great nightlife, plus friendly (and good-looking) people. It was all there, but somehow lacked any real sense of adventure. I spent two months there and never felt like I had to think on my feet or WORK for anything. While most people would be delighted-- I was bored. That being said, it was a wonderful second-to-last country to travel to. All the pieces were there... I just had to sit back and let the (I'm trying not to use this word in the creepy way, but) pleasure come to me. Not thrilling/life-changing/etc... but a great low-stress way to wind-down from my trip and get used to a pretty much Westernized culture again.

One thing you CAN do in Colombia is just chill out, read books, party, dive, and do all those things that you'd do in Hawaii, just for cheaper... and so my two months passed in (maybe not the most earth-shattering, but nevertheless,) a very satisfying way. Below is a visual repast of good memories.

These lovely little guys are the wax palms found in the Zona Cafetera region of Colombia, near Salento. They get so incredibly big—I’m really pissed at myself for not taking a picture so you could SEE how big they get. They’re found at the tail end of a hike that is littered with amazing views and horse poop. The day we went, there was almost nobody else out in the park, and we sat amongst these freakish trees in a happy silence. Zona Cafetera, Colombia.

Here is a picture of Alejandro and ___?___, a pair of happy Colombians that picked me up on the Villa de Leyva – San Gil highway. A note about hitchhiking in Colombia: This will be the most difficult place you will ever try to hitch. Decades of civil war/narcotics trafficking/FARC kidnappings have scared people away from picking up strangers. Worse yet, the bus rates in this country are outrageous! We’re talking like, 30-40,000 COP (25 USD) for a 5 hour ride. FUCK THAT. This is a shitty bus in the developing world, not a spaceship to Jupiter! Anyway, hitching is difficult, but necessary if you intend to stay anywhere under 35 USD a day. Alejandro and his mate here were a sweet duo of electrical workers that stopped and saved me from hours of walking along a sun-baked road in the middle of nowhere. Cheers, guys! Villa de Leyva – San Gil highway, Colombia

I’m happy I DID make it to San Gil, however. I passed my time here caving, paragliding, Tejo-ing, and doing a little bit of this. Sunday mornings in Colombia, the locals get on their most neon-licious gear and break it down at a choreographed dance party in the town square. It’s a lot harder than it looks, but it's a lot more fun than it looks too (and yeah, I know it already looks like a lot of fun. Cube that.). San Gil, Colombia.

Here’s another photo of Richie and Rob, just in case I hadn’t posted enough already. These two were an amusing mix of charming and lewd, passing a lot of their time creating sexually explicit plays on ordinary Spanish verbs. Montamos! I spent a LOT of time with this pair... maybe more than was comfortable for any of us. (Waking up with a random Sam in your room? Not always a good thing). Anyway, here they are getting freaky at Sensations, the (only) club in Taganga. Get some! Taganga, Colombia.

I’m going to post my two photos of Punta Gallinas here because the avi I posted is showing up on the bottom and I don't know how to move it. Not that I couldn't move it if I wanted to, I just don't want to! So how d'ya like THAT? Anyway, Punta Gallinas. It was a real fucking struggle to get here. I thought I wouldn’t meet any other people, and that I’d have to find my way through completely unforgiving, feral desertscape all by myself for … what? For bragging rights that I actually made it out there? I wasn’t sure. I had heard that it was beautiful, but I #1- didn’t plan very well, and #2- pissed entirely too much time away in Taganga to do it properly. I AM, however, glad that I DID make it.. even if only for a couple of days. I met a smattering of other backpackers who helped it all come together for a decent price, and I tied up my loose Colombian ends with the following feast for the eyes. The best part? With the exception of my 4 mates, there was NOBODY else out here. Not any travelers, hardly more than a Wayuu or two, and with the exception of the occasional flock of flamingos, practically no wildlife. Not any stray dogs, bugs, not even the sound of wings flapping. Creepy, and yet so… beautiful. Punta Gallinas, La Guajira, Colombia.

I keep filming vertically, and I don’t know how to rotate it! Damn. Here’s a very anti-climactic video of me looking cool while I get ready to dive. I forgot what he told me to do with my right arm. I love diving. I love the silence underwater, I love the weightlessness, and I especially love how cool I look in the wetsuit and BCD. I think this was my 2nd day out in the ocean, and my 4th actual dive. Ok? OK! Taganga, Colombia.

Venezuela Photos

Coming Soon...!

Ecuador Photos

Ecuador was a surprise. I thought that, for such a tiny country with so many visitors (particularly Americans), I would never get a moment alone. It would be touristy and overcrowded, the culture would be shot to shit, and every other business would be foreign run. It would be hell.

I rarely got a moment alone, there WERE a lot of other Americans, it was pretty touristy, the culture was lacking, and a lot of businesses were foreign owned.... but Ecuador still rocked my socks. That's really saying something. I was hell bent on disliking it, and almost every place I went, I met oodles of other travelers. This is not new ground, people. The thing is: Ecuador isn't really trying to be anything else. The foreigners you meet aren't overladen with "smug hardcore backpacker coolness" (minus one guy) and are actually very well traveled, the backpacker hotspots are mad, but rarely radiate out their lunacy. It's a lovely, lovely little compact slice of traveling heaven.

One of the best things about traveling in tropical environments are yummy little drinks like these. Sugar cane juice, unadulterated (minus a bit of lime juice), squeezed out fresh from the stalk itself, for less than 25 cents! Ohhh.. Baños, Ecuador.


It's odd how massively touristed towns like Canoa in Ecuador can still be without an ATM. Here were are, literally crossing oceans (or, a bay, anyway) to pull out money! This was the great little crew I rocked it with for a few days. Canoa, early morning breakfasts, and communal breakfasts wouldn't have been the same without these guys. On the boat ride to Bahía with Justin, Josie, Oscar, and Julie. Ecuador.

I'm not sure what to say about my birthday this year. I had a good time. All the ingredients were there, the foreign country, the parties, the funny Argentinians... and yet something was missing. Stupid civil uprisings- RUINING MY PLANS FOR QUITOFEST!! Nevertheless, I made the best of what I was given. Here's a picture of HolaOla! from where I was dancing on stage. How did I get up there? Montañita, Ecuador.

Even though working at Paseo de los Monos was one of the first things I did in Ecuador, I wanted to put the pictures last because it was the most important thing that happened to me in the country, and one of the last things that I found true pleasure in doing on my trip. Not that other things weren't great... but you have to really love something if you can smile while getting splattered with feces.

Here's a picture of either Lola or Lisa (I think it's Lola, although I can't see her face). She was one of only three Spider Monkeys in the park. The other was Lisa, who is a troublemaker, (or maybe it's both of them, and we just can't tell them apart), and the other was a male who had to stay locked up in the house until he desisted trying to kill all the other monkeys. This is why I love Spider Monkeys so much, and probably why my mate Will (from CIWY) decided to stay with the S.Monkeys even after getting offered the possibility of working with a Puma. I salute his decision. Everyone wanted, in Bolivia (2007), to work with the cats. If you really love animals, you wouldn't be picky about which ones you worked with. You'd make the commitment, and do the best you could in your position. Spider Monkeys are most loved because they give out the most love. I've never seen any other animal show the kind of affection these guys are capable of (even dogs!). Moreover, it had nothing to do with my sneaking bananas and pineapple to them through the windows of our cottage after-hours. I'm for seriously. Puyo, Ecuador.

Here's a photo of Oliver and Etza. Etza's really cute, but I'll write a note about Oliver here because if I got started on why Etza can't use her arms, well... then I'd be sad. Oliver was an interesting Frenchman who found his way to the park two days in a row. He particularly piqued my interest because of his unflagging enthusiasm for all things animal. I've met lots of people who love animals, but very, very few who like, REALLY love them. Moreover, almost everybody favors humans over animals (as if one life could be valued above another). Oliver went the other way-- HUMANS were the ones that should be put down. Animals had a moral code, animals didn't know cruelty for the sake of cruelty-- they only did cruel things for survival. It was humans who were capable of being mean for no reason. He had a point. He asked for my email address so I could send him this photo, but he never wrote. Shame... it's a bloody good shot. Puyo, Ecuador.

Here's a picture of Paola. Hahaha. Oh, mischiefmaker. Her mother, like all the other mothers of the monkeys in the park, was killed so that she could be taken and sold as a pet. The people who bought her for a ridiculous sum could handle about a month of having a FUCKING MONKEY live in their house before they gave up and gave her away to the park. As stupid as this story sounds, it's a lot more humane that Etza's (up top), who was shoved into a small, darkened cage for her first few months. It's really sickening. Anyway, since Paola's mom was killed, she's attached herself to one person with a real zeal for as long as they'll stay in the park. Then another. Then another. I was that person for a week or so-- here she is eating dinner with us after refusing to leave my head at the end of the day. She slept in my bed that night and came with me for my nighttime piss. We go way back, this one. Puyo, Ecuador.

Peru Photos

Peru was the first developing country I ever backpacked through and I think, even after all this time, that it's the country that affects me the most. Whenever I'm feeling awash with that elusive "Oh-My-God-I'm-Traveling" sensation, it's usually because I've seen or smelled something that reminded me of Cuzco or Huaraz. While it's not my favorite country, and might not even be in my top 3, there's no country that evokes the same kind of elation and (for lack of a less cheesy term) splendor on such a consistent basis as this one.

The picture above is a photo of a crazy mountain dog that walked us all the way from the base of the Laguna Churrup hike to nearly the snow line. Scaling a waterfall with hands is one thing, scaling them on four legs is another. He was rewarded handsomely with canned tuna. Laguna Churrup, Ancash, Peru.

I had to take this shot discreetly in Huaraz while waiting for my language school to open up after lunchtime break. I'm not sure what it is that makes me like this photo so much. Is it strange to find an 80-year old indigenous lady "adorable"? Huaraz, Peru.

This is Nisan, one of the many Israelis that I found to be such good travel mates on this trip. Every now and again you find someone you can really take the piss out of, who isn't afraid to rip the piss out of you as well. Nisan was one of those people. This crazed one actually flew to the other side of the country for 3 days for the sake of "not missing out" on a shitty, littered beach. I'd have a lot more stories if I traveled a little more like this guy. At Laguna Churrup, Ancash, Peru.

My last stop in Peru. Máncora was an amazing place, but there were just way... WAY too many mosquitoes. My first night, I covered my cheeks and forehead with bug spray, then burritoed my body in a sheet. I awoke several times in the night thinking that I had just inhaled a giant booger or something. I got up in the morning with 32 bites on my face and feet, 16 of which were on the bridge of my nose alone. Those "boogers" were actually mosquitoes biting around the perimeter of my lips. Gross. This is why it's worth it to carry a mozzie net, no matter how much space they take. Máncora, Peru.

Australia Photos

General thoughts on Australia:

1) It's much too much like the United States. Everyone speaks English, the food is roughly the same, and the distances are ENORMOUS.

2) Fruit picking is really a skill. You can't just rock up and expect to be good at it. You'll most likely suck at it, actually... and you won't get better until the contractors have already moved onto another fruit. You'll need at least one season of practice before you can start making any money at all... and that's assuming that they'll actually PAY you.

3) An American accent is actually kind of cool in the suburbs and lesser travelled areas. Never thought I'd live to see a place where my manner of speech was actually interesting to someone.

Australia was a nice stop on my trip. I got to refuel and get my bearings again. I got to make money again, and I got to see some of my old travel mates in their natural habitat. Anyway, I thought I'd just post some of my thoughts up top because in general, I didn't take very many pictures in this country, and most of the ones I DID take were on my drunken night out with Pops and Tom. Oz was a neat place to pause and regain appreciation for how lucky I am to be from a rich country, but I wasn't shocked and awed by much. It was as all rich countries are- clean, organized, and with far too many rules.

That being said, I'll start with this photo. One of the things that DID shock and awe me was the Sydney Opera House. I know it's cliche'd, but it's an incredible building. Absolutely stunning. When you look at it by itself, it looks as it does in the postcards, and you fail to grasp how.... ODD it is compared to the standard skyscrapers in the rest of town. It perches at the lip of the harbor, lit up and fucking humongous. I had to have taken about a hundred photos from every angle of the building. Really, really nice. Sydney, Australia.

So here's yet another picture of two of my favorite Israelis. Shiri and Shiran are going to probably occupy 30% or so of my ultimate travel photo album, just for the sheer TIME I've spent with them. Shiran and I first met in Honduras, then met up again in Guatemala, then carried on to El Salvador together. 3 months later, we brought the party to Israel, and about a year after that, Australia. We only hung for a day or so, but they gave me the travel budget 101 for Oz, and are a lot of the reason why I was able to save any money at all. Hats off to you two! Outside of Tribal Travel, Melbourne, Australia.

Speaking of people that contributed to my insanely strict budget- I really couldn't have done it without this one. Frase-book, I owe you! Here he is after I convinced him to cat-fish his moustache. He'd probably kill me if he knew I'd posted it online, but hey- it really deserved more than just 15 minutes in a darkened room in the back of his house. The catfish is in protest. It wanted to go out! Anyway, his kind brother, mother, father, dog, and silly cat made my initial landing and culture shock a lot easier. A million thanks, Frase! Sydney, Australia.

Strange how popular these are in Oz. "Pokies" is what people call them. In a country where free-pouring is illegal, all bar staff need to be RSA certified, and even the baristas need to take a day course before beginning work, the prevalence of these little machines is astonishing. I've never actually seen anybody on them though. Brisbane, Australia.

I'm not sure why I chose this picture above all the others, but I love Pops' expression. Hahaha! I can't remember what she was saying here, but I'm amused nonetheless. Thanks to Pops and Tom for the awesome time in Brisbane, and for all the CLOTHES that I got to continue on to South America with. Brisbane, Australia.

About Me

I'm not really sure what to say here. Everyone who's reading this blog already knows me- which is why you would even care enough to click on my awesomely HTMLed button up top (^look). But for those who've stumbled on this blog- or perhaps got the URL at some point before you forgot who I was...

My name's Sam. This is me drinking a putridly cheap beer at the Kirkwood Freeski Championships in 2006. I'm a 24 year old Californian who's going on my round-the-world trip from April 2009 to July 2010, roughly. I'm not exactly sure when I'm coming back (or even from where, contrary to my assumptions up top), as I've not bought my return ticket home yet. I'm doing this purposely in the gap between my undergrad and grad school, yearning desperately for one last taste of freedom before I drown in a mire of debt.

I've spent the last two years living in San Francisco with my awesome friends (a couple of which are featured here) who I'm going to miss very much.... while saving up for this trip. I reckon I'll see them when I come back, so I'm trying not to be too much of a wimp when I wave goodbye to them in a couple of hours.

I have a dog, a sister, and a set of crazy asian parents who love to remind me that people die traveling all the time-- usually after being kidnapped and stabbed repeatedly-- and that they'd have been fine, if only they listened to their parents more often. Regardless, they have all been very supportive, and understand that this is something I really need to do before my feet gave me any peace. This is particularly astonishing given the crew that they run with. I know they are something of an anomaly in a very conservative crowd, and for that I will be ever grateful.

Aside from my life in the Bay Area, I have a secret life in Tahoe, CA (Kirkwood, particularly). This is me with some of my Ohana, during the season of 07/08. Strap a board to these peoples' feet, and they can fight crime.

... or at least drink a lot of beer.

It's these people that inspire me the most, and although I only ever see the bottom halves of their faces, I'm going to think of them all the time and write a great many postcards.

I suppose that's all. I would post more pictures- particularly of my adorable dog-- but I don't think that quite fits here.

See you all in 2010!

Thailand Photos

So, I haven´t got that many photos to upload here. I´m not sure what happened, but all my photos from Pai Canyon somehow disappeared in the mad rush to make sure my Angkor photos all came out perfectly. Harumph! My April self is so short-sighted. Other than that, most of these are party pics from the day or two I spent in Chiang Mai and Bangkok. I don´t have much else, because- let´s be honest... I didn´t like Thailand.

This is one of the things I DID like about Thailand. Well, TWO things I liked about Thailand. #1- I liked that I met Ben. An oddball, to be sure--- but although I met him on his second day of traveling, EVER... he was one of the best traveling partners I had had in a while. Laid-back, easy-going, and he had oodles of stories about shooting guns that kept an arms neophyte like myself absolutely captivated. #2- One of the best things about South East Asia is that EVERYBODY scoots. Men, women, children... sometimes all three (in plural form) on the same scooter. Good times.



I´m not sure what it is about this photo that keeps me laughing almost half a year afterwards. I think it´s the pleasure of saying it out loud. ¨WE BUY THING!!!! ..... -cough- .... s¨Hahahahhaa.


Everyone that has been to Thailand who enjoys a frothy cold one at the end of the day has had a Chang beer. It´s so strange. We all agree it tastes like piss, we all agree that it´s not actually that cheap, and we all agree that when submerged upside-down in water, an unsettlingly murky substance that isn´t beer creeps from the mouth of the bottle .... and yet... we all drink it. I grew to love it- much like how the newly freed prisoner will creep back into the darkness in Plato´s Cave. I kept creeping back to Chang. It took forced relocation to cure me.

Cambodia Photos

I´ve been putting off updating this section because most of my Cambodia photos are really depressing. Loved it there, loved it loved it loved it. .... which is perhaps why seeing dozens of human skulls in a giant pile at the Killing Fields brings me something less than joy. Anyway, here we go.

I'm only going to post one photo of the Choung Ek Killing Fields because it makes me really sad. After a few war-torn countries and poverty striken areas, you start to become really desensitized to it all. Choung Ek will wake you up. 17,000 people. Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

So, I'm not sure what it was about Kampot that I liked so much. It was buggerly hot, there wasn't actually very much to do, and everyone I was hanging out with kept telling me that there were crocodiles in the water. Anyway, this is a sweet view of this cool field that Matt and I passed on our way to the most delicious dinner ever - Rusty Keyhole, if you're interested -. It's not easy to explain what you love about a place. I'll let the picture do the talking. Kampot, Cambodia.

Koh Rong's sandflies are NOTHING against my E-Cran... an odd tube of sweet smelling something that may make my gums tingle, but keeps the bugs away. This means that I can enjoy myself outside to views like this. Man, I wish I'd taken more pictures that day... this was one of the most beautiful places I'd ever seen. Koh Rong Island, Cambodia.

So, I have to post a picture of Matt. Matt was a funny Australian I met in Kratie that told me on the sly that he had accidentally deleted a giant folder of very important information for his company... which would cost them numerous hours and countless Aussie dollars (so, countable US dollars) to replace. We spent most of our time together thinking of probable excuses to tell his boss. Other than that- this was the second time we saw each other... on one of his breaks from work. Sihanoukville, Cambodia.

One last photo of Angkor Wat. I've seen some Wonders of the World. I've seen some that have sucked (Tikal), and I've seen some that were bomb diggity good (Giza). NOTHING compares to what I saw here ... except Machu Picchu. They are tied for top. Check out this shit. Got up at 4 in the morning and got my ass on a bike to ride around ALL day at Angkor. If it wasn't for the fact that Alex and I were literally melting, we may never have gone home. Angkor Wat, Cambodia.

Myanmar Photos

My favorite country. It's a shame I'm trying to do this about half a year after I left. Hard to remember everything.

So this is a lotus stem being broken and stretched to create a fabric. It's much more precious than silk and Inle Lake, Burma, is the only place in the world that makes it. Not to be a fuddy-duddy (is that how you use that term?), but I'm not sure why. It wasn't very soft, and looked quite lumpy when woven into a fabric. Regardless, it was cool to see. Inle Lake, Burma.

Kalaw, and the trek I did there, was one of the best things I did in Burma, and in fact, my whole trip. This morning, Miki, myself, and our guides had a fun time dressing up. In this little Pa'O villge, they believe that they're decended from a dragon and an alchemist that met in the forest. In honor of that, the women dress up in a fuck ton of layers and decorate their heads in the dragon fashion. It's bloody hot.... but cool nonetheless. This was a fun morning. Pa'O village, Burma.

This is some temple or something in Bagan. I'm not sure what. Honestly, by the time I got here, I was very much over temples. Extreme templing in Cambodia left me absolutely exhausted. But aside from that, I think you should admire the shot. Beautiful, I'd say. Bagan, Burma.

There's a bit of a story with this photo. When I was in Pyin U Lwin, I stayed in a crummy little hotel on the main strip, with way too many mosquitos and a funny bathroom smell that permeated every corner. The only other people there for the first night was this young Burmese couple. I was hanging out on the balcony attempting to escape the smell when the young man (what am I saying, he was older than I am) came out and started chatting. We got on well until he told me (proudly) that he was an officer in the military... and started to ask me what I knew about the Burmese military. Since I didn't want to get deported, I decided to refrain from telling him about the atrocities I'd heard of, and about my vehement desire for Burmese liberation... and just say I didn't know anything. Later on, he took it upon himself to give me the cadet handbook to "educate" me. This is one of the articles. Apparently Buddha wants you to murder people... how did i miss that? Pyin U Lwin, Burma.

Thailand Photos

Coming Soon...!

Sri Lanka Photos

I can't believe it's taken me this bloody long to update this page. Sri Lanka was even my most favouritest country in the world! Well--- it WAS, until I got to Burma.... but that's a thought for later.

These are totally going to be out of order.... especially since I'm starting with a sideways photo of the last thing I did in Sri Lanka--- climbing Adam's Peak. Hey- internet is expensive here- sue me. Now, Adam's Peak is best sought out from a small, shitty little town in the Hill Country of Sri Lanka called Dalhousie. It's roughly 5,200 steps to the top. I completed about 1,000 before I started whinging. It was as very long climb for Danielle and Dave .

What's remarkable about Sri Lanka is the sheer beauty of everything. The country is so clean and unspoilt, the hill country is stunning, the people are good-looking--- and the best sunsets and sunrises I've ever seen in my life were viewed from Sri Lankan soil. Really- nowhere on earth can match it for sheer likeability. This was from the top of Adam's Peak--- the site of Buddha's right footprint as he left the earth and stepped his left into heaven.

I did a lot of climbing in this country-- and none of it was easy. This is a photo of my sweaty back after climbing Little Adam's Peak in Ella-- the hill country. I think this was my favorite climb of my whole trip. The best thing about Sri Lanka-- for the time being (and probably not very much longer) is that it's so untouristed. The people are still so keen to get to know all about you-- a rarity in a world that is fast becoming westernized and homogenized--- and climbs like this illicit so many stares and salutations that even though the view is secondary to the REAL Adam's Peak- it made for a fun one.

This is probably one of my best pictures from Sri Lanka. I'm not sure what about it makes me love it so much. It might be that the guy down on the bottom had been picking his ass just moments before. The horizon is also impeccably straight- a must-have for my photos.

This is me feeding an elephant at the orphanage in Kandy- the hill country. This little bugger ate about 4 bushels of bananas all by himself. A touristy experience, but a fun one nonetheless. It was pretty much a dream come true for Emil- who regularly uses the word "majestic" to refer to different species of wildlife.

Sigiraya was an important experience for me. There is a major difference in traveling with a budget, and existing with a budget. There are some budget travelers that are so focused on stemming the outflow of their money in order to stay out longer... that they don't end up doing anything at all. You get to wondering why they even bothered to leave home in the first place. Sigiraya is a temple built on the top of a protruding rock in the middle of absolutely nowhere in northern Sri Lanka. From what I hear, there's an entire civilization up on the top--- World Wonder material, really. I chose not to go. $30 might not seem like a lot to the average person,... but when you're subsiting on something like $15 dollars a day... it's the difference between staying out or going home early. After my friends took leave of me to ascend the rock, I found myself wandering around aimlessly for about 10 minutes before some locals asked me why I didn't go visit the temple down the road instead. Hitching a ride on a passing bike- I manged to get to an odd little hut with only one tourist- an English man who had made documenting the temples of the north his life's work. He clued me in to this spot right here- and pointed me up a hidden path- untrod for what looked like years to ascend the rock next door. Up on the top- I found this spectacular flat- unknown and unpopulated, where I listened to music, ate cheese nips, and marvelled at one of the World's Wonders from far away. Free! This should have been a learning experience for me- about spending money where it was due... but I somehow managed to dodge that one. Another win for Sam Chu!

India Photos

India-

Oh India. I hated you. I loved you. I thought you were overrun with tourists, and I thought I might be the only person alive inside you. How is it possible to choose but a few pictures for 2 1/2 intoxicating months?

I'm going to choose this picture, but only because I think this is the only one I never put on my facebook. I was trying for a ninja kick-- but as you can see, 2 weeks of Tae Kwon Do at the age of 12 doesn't amount to much. Thanksgiving Day, 2009. Agra, India.

I chose this picture as well, even though I know I posted it somewhere else. Tom and Poppy (not featured) were the first people in nearly 2 months of travel that I had more than a cursory conversation with. This is Tom serenading our Singaporean mafia on Anjuna beach. First week of December, Anjuna, India.

I've posted this photo a bunch, but I never get tired of it. Henrik- you're a genius! This is from the top of Matanga Hill, in Hampi, India. I've also got to post one of Emil- the first and only person I've ever travelled with for more than a month, and indeed, the only person I can stand for 24 straight hours, several weeks at a time (albeit not without having to rip ruthlessly at his knee-pit hair every now and again to keep him in line). It almost looks fish-eyed here... but no, that's just Hampi. Wonderful, breathtaking, and my favorite place in India. Hampi, India.

I have only a few travel mottos that I 100% believe in: If it's Not a Good Time, it's a Good Story, Pack Light, There's Always a Cheap Option, and The Quality of your Trip is Dependent on the Quality of the People in it. That being said- I've got to post one of my Swedes (Matt, I count you here- your Swedish is too good!) It's of course, very easy to find people you like when you travel... but to find people that you like still one month 2 countries, and 5 cities later? RARE! Gotta love them- best party and travel mates I'd had in a long time. Left to right- Emma, Emil Henrik and Matt. Love you guys! NYE party, Shiva Valley, Anjuna, India.

I've uploaded a lot of scenic pictures of India all over my posts and facebook- so I thought I'd post this. The last picture I took of the country--- the back of an average newspaper. Zero in on some of these--- if I'm still single at 50- I might be revisiting this page of the paper with more interest. Tiruchirapalli, India.

Ethiopia Photos

OK- getting to this point has taken forever. Ethiopian. Computers. SUCK!!!! I thought I had bad internet in Bolivia, but then I got to Guatemala and was corrected.... but when you're on the only computer in town with a guy standing behind you tilting a weird metal box so that the possibility of DIAL-up is within reach... you know you've hit bottom.

Anyway, here are a couple of pics I've been holding onto for a month and a half...


Here I am with some of my KGers. The great thing about spending my Wednesdays and Fridays at this school was that the students are happy to learn how to draw the letter G. Then they want to play with your hair and hit each other with sticks. It was much less stressful than the grade school, where you're actually expected to TEACH something.

This here on the left is Muhammed. See how cute he is?? How very cute! He was easily my favorite student (and he knew it too) but I'm pretty sure neither he nor I knew why. I think it's just that he was the cutest kid in all my classes... plus he thought it was funny when I rolled my "R"s. I like that.

This is me near the end of my time in Ethiopia. I went eastward to Harar, an ancient walled city and the first place Islam really took off in the country. The place was alright overall--- but the cool thing was that there were tons of hyenas everywhere. They were really cute, except when they launched into killing mode. Here is me forking over a sliver of decaying flesh--- note how I'm in my ready-to-jump-up-and-run position. I even put on my track pants for effect.

I'm only going to post one more since everything else can be found on my facebook. This is Helena, the first grade teacher, rocking out in a coffee ceremony for me at her house. The coffee in Ethiopia was REALLY good. If you know me, you know that normally, not only do I not drink coffee, but I want to punch it, and the little cups it comes in in the face. However, it was actually alright here. Not too bad, unless you had more than a cup. I also thought the smoke looked sweet in this photo...

I would post more except that I'm in India and can't bother. Maybe I'll update more in the future...