For those concerned readers of ours who may have come under the impression that our little traveling band’s definition of a pastime these days solely consists of the following activities in any particular order; A) scaling treacherous mountain ranges in their tourist off-season, B) traversing the uncharted forests surrounding contested international borders, or C) circumambulating… Continue reading Under Pressure
Author: emily
Unleashed On Laos
Luang Namtha Province, Northern Laos Jan 27th – 31st Half a dozen kilometers outside of the town of Luang Nam Tha in northern Laos, Oliver stood in the patchy light that pricked through the rattan thatch roof of a Lenten communal hut and was surrounded by more than twenty of the village children. Some of… Continue reading Unleashed On Laos
Devil in the Details
Rajasthan and Northern India December 7-21 So many things have been said about India. Prior to our departure, a cacophony of voices expounded the horrors we would surely encounter in the Subcontinent. Per Dr. Brennock, retired infectious disease pathologist-extraordinaire and Mission Viejo’s talking head on travel medicine, India was reason alone for Ollie’s costly rabies… Continue reading Devil in the Details
The Obstacle Is The Path
Annapurna, Nepal November 24 – December 1 With our suntans only just beginning to peel from our week in Thailand’s south, we arrived in Nepal, the highest country in the world, if you don’t include Tibet. Katmandu’s (or “Captain Do” as Ollie would say) dusty warrens spiraled outward from Durbar Square, and amid teak pagodas… Continue reading The Obstacle Is The Path
Learning to Swim
Southern Thailand and Islands (Ko Lanta, Ko Kradan, Ko Muk, Ko Ngai, Ko Rok) November 6 – 18 Oliver is a good kid. When he laughs, his eyes are like Ryan’s, twisting up into happy crescents. His nose crinkles in his sunburned face as did my sister’s during the long, humid New England summers of… Continue reading Learning to Swim
Nam Việt
Vietnam October, 2009 Throughout October, Ryan, Ollie and I traveled Vietnam from nose to tail. In the North, we saw clouds reflected in the rice terrace pools outside Sa Pa and watched the moon rise over the spines of “dragons” sleeping in Ha Long Bay. Hanoi’s old merchants’ quarters burst at the seams in early… Continue reading Nam Việt
Hill Tribes
SaPa – Lao Chai – Ta Van – Giang Ta Chai – SaPa , North Vietnam October 7 – 9 “Lovely jubley!” The cockney slang for “awesome” came from neither of the two good- looking Brits sitting across from me. Like mine, their surprised faces broke into enormous grins as they watched 23 year-old Thom,… Continue reading Hill Tribes
Beasts of the Bay
Ha Long Bay, Vietnam October 5 – 7 In North Vietnam, legend tells of a family of dragons that, many years ago, descended upon the country to protect her people from the legions of invading Chinese and Mongolians. The dragons spit enormous pearls upon the earth, demolishing the enemy and sparing the peace-loving Vietnamese people.… Continue reading Beasts of the Bay