LIVING A LIFE EXTRAORDINARY
Pardon the weeklong postponement of Traveling Bliss, but a stomach bug left me entirely down for the count and decidedly not so … blissful. Earlier today I stumbled upon a Bali expat magazine and while admittedly I only glanced at it, something about seeing glimpses of one of the most striking places I’ve ever traveled coupled with…
What’s that? You say you’d like to visit Paradise on your next vacay? Excellent. I can help. Get thee to Komandoo Resort in The Maldives, stat. This tiny, private island resort will soothe your soul, wipe your cares away and bring you all that other blissed-out jazz — I promise. It’s a world of faux perfection,…
It startles me that one of my favorite photos from the journey, taken during a sunrise boat trip along the Ganges River, so magically depicts what became my least favorite place, Varanasi. Arriving in Varanasi, we were welcomed by some trickery from a tuk-tuk driver, dumped unceremoniously down a side street far from our hotel,…
Once upon a magical time, I spent weeks carousing around the islands and beaches of Thailand in all my ’round the world trip glory. Ok ok, so carousing might be a strong word; the reality looked a lot more like me basking on beach mats, reading oodles of books while lying beachfront, gorging on fresh fish and spicy…
Things have gotten rather busy the past few days as I prepare to say a sorrowful farewell to Southeast Asia and a hearty “g’day mate” to Australia. And I don’t mean busy in an “I have errands to run, temples to see, legong dances to do” way, but in more of a “I have treacherous…
After more than a week in Ubud, Bali, it’s become one of my favorite destinations on the trip so far. Part of it’s exquisite beauty lies in the delicate details which permeate daily life on the island. From doorways, to offerings to the gods, here’s my take on its charms (see more photos on Flickr):
In Passenger Conners news, I helped trick some demons into thinking Bali was deserted the other day. It was pretty easy, actually, and part of the Balinese New Years celebration (it’s technically 1933 in these parts). Still, the highlight of the experience was totally the giant demon parade the night before. Stick with me a…
My early planning for my round the world trip commenced just as the furor surrounding the release of Eat Pray Love, the movie, was reaching a fevered pitch. I had not been a fan of the book, and would soon learn I was far from alone in my distaste. Across newspaper articles and blogs, scores…
Kuala Lumpur’s iconic Petronas Towers (after the Freedom Tower is built, they’ll be the world’s 5th largest buildings) are every bit as awesome as they seem. By day, night, or from inside the Traders Hotel SkyBar, they’re incredible. For more Kuala Lumpur photos, check out my Flickr photostream.
I know I raved about Penang’s street food, but it’s well worth noting that Kuala Lumpur did itself proud, as well. The highlight was the Imbi Market, a morning wet market with oodles of yummy food stalls. For more tasty pics of KL street food, and the city itself, check out my Flickr photostream.
The world can thank America for introducing it to the gluttony of commerce that is the modern-day mall. However, I’d argue we have Asia to thank for taking that commercialism, blowing it up by about 10,000, and mastering the enormous art of the behemoth mega-mall. It’s a land where anything is possible, dreams I didn’t know…
I dove into the deliciousness that is Penang, Malaysia’s street food among the hawker stalls of one of the city’s ubiquitous night markets. It was there I met pure, mouthwatering bliss in the form of $2 giant stuffed crabs, fish ball soup and more. Malaysia’s cuisine, much like it’s culture, is under the delectable influence…