Overview Wanna go to Cambodia and Vietnam? Ummm sure…I guess… This trip was Chris’s idea. To me, Cambodia and Vietnam seemed exotic, unfamiliar, and to be honest, a bit scary. We forged ahead since Chris really really wanted this trip (he’s a huge history and war buff) and I love to explore so I figured…
If you’re traveling to Siem Reap and would like to take a meaningful, responsible floating village tour, look no further. The Community First Kompong Khleang Floating Village Tour is the real deal. Paren, the main guide, grew up in Kompong Khleang, a portion of each tour fee (currently 45%) supports the local school and community,…
This article is the third in a 3-part series. Also read about Day 1 and Day 2. This is it! The third and final day of our 3-day motorbike trip, and the one that ultimately convinced us to book this tour. Day 3 was billed as “DMZ day” where we’d travel near the demilitarized zone…
This article is the second in a 3-part series. Read about Day 1 here. Starting at the end: I finished day two of our three-day motorbike tour with knees aching, face coated with gritty grime, and butt sore, chafed, and bruised in twin lines tracing the outline of my underwear (!). It took almost 10 hours…
This article is the first in a 3-part series. Read about Day 2 here. What a day! After day one of our much anticipated 3-day motorbike tour from Donh Hoi to Hue, Chris was hinting at buying a bike once we get home. I’m pretty sure he’s kidding. He’d better be - one of us has to be…
No gain in keeping, no loss in weeding out. So said Pol Pot, speaking of his own people. Pol Pot, leader of the Khmer Rouge and the man responsible for one of the worst genocides of the 20th century. Pol Pot, a name I’d heard, yes, but knew embarrassingly little about. A precious gift of…
Overview In October 2016, I was lucky enough to spend almost three weeks camping and hiking with my best friend Karen. We met in Reno (having flown from Alaska and Oregon, respectively) and then worked our way from Yosemite down to Mt. Whitney before cutting east to finish up in Death Valley. We packed so…
After two full weeks of hiking the rugged Eastern Sierras, four days in Death Valley felt like a vacation from our vacation. Death Valley is humongous (3.4 million acres!) and we lazily explored the park, driving through its vast stretches accompanied by the Eagles and Jackson Browne. Though nature’s palette is muted here, it’s not limited…
In a span of three days I hiked amongst ancient Bristlecone Pines, toured Manzanar (a former Japanese internment camp), and explored the Alabama Hills. Visiting one right after the other naturally led to comparisons, and I was struck by their common thread: Beauty - and even triumph - in the face of extreme adversity. Great…
Yosemite is one of those bucket-list destinations, and I’m eternally grateful that my fist visit occurred late-season - the place was mobbed, even in October! I realize Karen and I did our part to add to the crowds, but sheesh, shouldn’t people be at work or in school or something?? Don’t misunderstand: I fell in…