by Calvin Sun | Nov 8, 2011 | November 2011: Guatemala & Belize, Our Next Adventure, Pre-travel Preparations, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea
The original plan was to do Spain, Morocco, and Portugal this winter as my next trip. But not so; the travel bug bites again. And we have new travel partners joining us this time! What I’m doing in 5 days: Miami Guatemala City Lake Atitlán Antigua Tikal Belize...
by Calvin Sun | Aug 23, 2011 | Let me tell you a Story..., North Korea, Rules Are Meant To Be Broken, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, Way Way Off the Beaten Path, What Dreams May Come
It’s been a few days since I’ve been in North Korea. There are some things on a trip that are just asking to be done. When we noticed that elevator buttons skipped the 5th floor of our North Korean hotel in Pyongyang, or that if you google...
by Stephanie Quan | Aug 23, 2011 | China, Fit for Foodies, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea
Leaving in two days for the states. gulp. In beijing now, rediscovering a city I had only briefly seen before. I love these back alleys and tea shops. Two things I should start this entry with: 1. I was raised Chinese (well, as well as my parents could manage in...
by Stephanie Quan | Aug 23, 2011 | China, Introspection, Post-travel Reflections, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea
Traveling, as cautioned about in many a health class, is addicting. Sometimes dealers will give you the first few hits free. You’ll see a city or two on your own, find some interesting parts in your exploration and claim an unique experience/high. Then you get...
by Calvin Sun | Aug 20, 2011 | Let me tell you a Story..., North Korea, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea
They must really have something against us foreigners. Possible evidence of phone tapping in our hotel room: Do you really need these many wires to work 1 analog phone? But really, the level of self-love North Korea displays is greater than the more subtle aspects of...
by Stephanie Quan | Aug 20, 2011 | Introspection, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, Thailand
I’m living in a postcard. sleeping in a bungalow next to the beach, hanging out with some friends I made in Myanmar, watching fish swim by me in the crystal clear water, scrambling around rocks on a nearby island, reading all day in a hammock. this is paradise....
by Calvin Sun | Aug 19, 2011 | Introspection, North Korea, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea
Live in a gray city for long enough, and it shows on your face. They are unaccustomed to your presence. Their heads hang low, and smiles are rare. They walk around you without making eye contact, but every now and then you may catch someone sneaking a look. You can...
by Calvin Sun | Aug 18, 2011 | Crisis, Mythbusters, North Korea, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, Travel Warnings
The DMZ. Former president Bill Clinton had named it the “scariest place on Earth.” It is the most heavily militarized border in the world, with over a million soldiers ready to go to war at a moment’s notice if either side dared to cross the 38th...
by Stephanie Quan | Aug 18, 2011 | Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, Thailand
is only accessible by boat. everything (toilet paper, water, people) is brought in by longtail boats. has no roads. the peninsula town is about a 15 minute walk across and a 30 minute walk from end to end is surrounded by gigantic limestone cliffs which fall into the...
by Calvin Sun | Aug 16, 2011 | North Korea, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, What Dreams May Come
As I said in the last entry, this is the greatest show on earth. Not only does it hold the Guinness Book of World Records title for world’s largest show, but it is also performed in the world’s largest stadium and features 100,000 performers who have all...
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