by Calvin Sun | Jul 26, 2011 | India, Mythbusters, Sri Lanka, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea
There’s this unfair stereotype that while India is crazy and frenetic, just emerging on the developed world, Sri Lanka always would remain one step behind. I have friends who enjoy (playfully, nothing too serious) stereotyping Sri Lanka’s...
by Stephanie Quan | Jul 25, 2011 | Malaysia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea
I have a 3 hour layover in Kuala Lumpur today. If all goes well, I’ll be able to 1. get my traveller’s cheques changed into american dollars (which is the only currency Myanmar accepts) 2. get my second flight changed to the next day and get to spend time...
by Calvin Sun | Jul 25, 2011 | Sri Lanka, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea
Simply put, Anuradhapura is slightly more impressive than Polonnaruwa, but that’s not saying much if I’m using the word “slightly.” The dagobas are undeniably awesome and the ruins are less maddening (probably because there’s less of them...
by Calvin Sun | Jul 24, 2011 | Let me tell you a Story..., Sri Lanka, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea
If this is your first time exploring ruins, Polonnaruwa is a great introduction. But if you’ve already have had your fair share of ruin-rompin’, Polonnaruwa is “meh” at best. Unlike the grandeur of Angkor Wat or the immaculately preserved...
by Calvin Sun | Jul 24, 2011 | Blitzkrieg!!!, Colombia, How Did You Do That?, Sri Lanka, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, What Dreams May Come
Not quite what I meant. This is more like it: Sigiriya just got served. Today we attempted to hit 3 out of 4 of the cultural triangle “greats”: Dambulla – for its cave temples Sigiriya – for its foreboding magma rock from an extinct volcano....
by Stephanie Quan | Jul 23, 2011 | Sri Lanka, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea
…is really pretty. That’s all. Please look at Calvin’s photos below for proof. Okay I need to expound a little. The landscape here looks untouched. The greens and yellows are vibrant. The red clay provides a great contrast. The skies are just the...
by Calvin Sun | Jul 22, 2011 | How Did You Do That?, How's the weather?, Let me tell you a Story..., Public Transportation, Sri Lanka, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, Walking Tours
Today we took a lazy early afternoon bus from Colombo to Kandy (121 Sri Lankan rupees), which although advertised to be 2.5 hours, actually took 4 hours. It was pretty uneventful, given that by now we’re very used to cramped seats, smog, traffic, and open...
by Calvin Sun | Jul 21, 2011 | Introspection, Let me tell you a Story..., Sri Lanka, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, Travel Warnings, Way Way Off the Beaten Path
He seemed stern at first. Upright posture, concentrating on the world around him without giving too much away. He is a special forces commando from the Sri Lankan military. “We’re not allowed to talk about what we do, not even to our wives.” I...
by Calvin Sun | Jul 20, 2011 | Epiphanies on the Road, India, Introspection, Lessons Learned, Let me tell you a Story..., Mo' Money Mo' Problems, Serendipitous!, Sri Lanka, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, The Nightlife
My last few hours in one of my favorite countries has been a riot. It seems fitting that India wouldn’t let me down. Stephanie and I booked a flight out from Chennai to Sri Lanka at 10am the next morning, while Karen was flying out of Chennai to Kochin around...
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