by Stephanie Quan | Jun 28, 2011 | Let me tell you a Story..., Nepal, Public Transportation, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea
The bus ride that no one but Calvin and I found hilarious, then not so hilarious In Nepal, the transportation is..well…not like Turkey’s. So to travel approximately 200 km, we alloted a day each way. The ride to Pokhara, was a little...
by Calvin Sun | Jun 27, 2011 | Fail, Introspection, Mythbusters, Nepal, Public Transportation, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, The Nightlife
Went paragliding this morning…and didn’t die. Our place where we were staying, Karma Guesthouse (highly recommended! 250 rupees per person, which is around $3-4 USD), arranged it for us: It’s about $78 USD to get on a 9:30am pickup van that took me...
by Calvin Sun | Jun 25, 2011 | Epiphanies on the Road, Introspection, Let me tell you a Story..., Nepal, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, What Dreams May Come
Doubt is useful for awhile. . . . But we must move on. To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation. – Life of Pi, Chapter 7 In the course of 6 hours on the bus from Kathmandu to Pokahara I have finished...
by Calvin Sun | Jun 25, 2011 | How Did You Do That?, Let me tell you a Story..., Nepal, Public Transportation, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea
Other than metaphysical discoveries during the trip, our ride to Pokhara from Kathmandu was everything you’d expect from a local bus in the subcontinent: Departs 15 minutes earlier than scheduled As a result, had to be flagged down by 2 American travelers...
by Calvin Sun | Jun 24, 2011 | How's the weather?, Nepal, Serendipitous!, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea
Last February I talked to a girl named Sadikchya Malla for 5 minutes at a conference. Now she’s my personal tour guide in her native Kathmandu. I sought her out after remembering how she was born and raised in Kathmandu before coming to study at Syracuse...
by Calvin Sun | Jun 23, 2011 | Nepal, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, United Arab Emirates, Way Way Off the Beaten Path, What Dreams May Come
At the top of the Nuos Bar in Downtown Burj Our 16 hours in Dubai was no less than magical. It completely reaffirmed my belief in humanity; that there are people in the world who trust in the goodness of others and will help each other in realizing their personal...
by Calvin Sun | Jun 22, 2011 | Jordan, Lessons Learned, Let me tell you a Story..., Mo' Money Mo' Problems, Mythbusters, Serendipitous!, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, Syria, Travel Warnings, United Arab Emirates
Syria: Not gonna happen. They’re not gonna let visa-less Americans through the border, and they won’t be issuing any new visas at the embassy for a few weeks. I tried. I failed. Wop Wop. Maybe next time. I ended up stopping by a protest, however, while on...
by Stephanie Quan | Jun 22, 2011 | Jordan, Let me tell you a Story..., Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea
While taking pictures of the Monestary, I heard clop clop behind me. I turned around to find Abobad, a Bedouin selling donkey rides. Even though he was wearing a cowboy hat with a fringed leather jacket, he was somehow not the most eccentric Bedouin I had...
by Calvin Sun | Jun 21, 2011 | Crisis, How's the weather?, Jordan, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, Walking Tours, What Dreams May Come
Can’t help but contextualize this entry with this classic scene from a classic movie: Ever since this ending scene of Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, I’ve wondered if they were at a real place. I think this entry answers that question. As if...
by Calvin Sun | Jun 18, 2011 | Lebanon, Let me tell you a Story..., Mythbusters, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, What Dreams May Come
Beirut: A cosmopolitan, urban city policed by carbine-armed soldiers, where ferraris and BMWs park next to armored tanks, where glass-paned high-end boutique shops neighbor derelict husks of concrete bombed out by a 10 year old war. There are military checkpoints, and...
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