Trip: Justine Goes East
There are [40] stories from my trip: Justine Goes East
CAMBODIA | Sunday, 7 Dec 2008 | Photo Gallery
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USA | Tuesday, 6 May 2008 | Photo Gallery
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INDONESIA | Saturday, 22 Mar 2008 | Photo Gallery
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USA | Saturday, 22 Mar 2008 | Views [1499] | Comments [3]
As TS Eliot put it, “And the end of all our exploring/Will be to arrive where we started/And know the place for the first time.” Now that I'm back, I find myself in that place of culture shock where the world feels like it's upside down and I'm on ... Read more >
Tags: coming home, culture shock, observations, usa
INDONESIA | Monday, 10 Mar 2008 | Views [3569]
First it was mere weeks, then suddenly mere days, and now just mere hours until my Southeast Asian sojourn comes to an end. It is unreal that this life of traveling will end, unreal that in 26 hours I’ll enter the space and time shifting machine ... Read more >
Tags: bali, end of the journey, fears, observations, poetry, writing, yoga
INDONESIA | Tuesday, 26 Feb 2008 | Views [8839] | Comments [3]
It felt so good to arrive in Bali. The warm, humid air enveloped me, and familiar smells greeted me – the unique smell of Balinese cooking, the smell of a particular laundry detergent, and other unidentifiable sweet fragrances that are uniquely ... Read more >
Tags: bali
MALAYSIA | Monday, 25 Feb 2008 | Views [2393]
Last Sunday I had breakfast in Cambodia, lunch in Malaysia and dinner in Bali. I left Siem Reap early in the morning, and arrived in Kuala Lumpur by mid-day. I had a 5 hour layover, and a friend from Vietnam was also in town, so I thought I’d ... Read more >
Tags: air asia, airports, kuala lumpur
VIETNAM | Sunday, 24 Feb 2008 | Views [4636]
My next stop on the journey south was Hoi An, a small town along a river that is a UNESCO World Heritage site for its architecture, and one of the few towns that was spared bombing. It was a major port in the 16 th and 17 th centuries, and the ... Read more >
Tags: hoi an, shopping, tailors
VIETNAM | Sunday, 24 Feb 2008 | Views [4549]
From Hanoi, I boarded the Reunification Express, the train that runs between Hanoi in the North and Saigon in the South. I was only going as far as Hue – a 13 hour overnight journey. Over these months I have discovered that no matter how comfortable ... Read more >
Tags: dmz, history, hue, khe sanh, vietnam war, vinh moc
VIETNAM | Saturday, 23 Feb 2008 | Views [2888] | Comments [2]
Ever since I saw the movie " Indochine ," I've wanted to visit Ha Long Bay. I loved the haunting scenes where Camille and Jean Baptiste, her beloved French soldier (originally her adoptive mother's lover - it's a French film after all) ... Read more >
Tags: adventures, ha long bay, romance, soap operas
VIETNAM | Saturday, 23 Feb 2008 | Views [2673]
Part I I spent my first day in Hanoi wandering around the Old Quarter in a state of astonishment, gripping my Lonely Planet and trying not to get run over or fall into a gutter or trip over someone or be knocked over by a motorbike. It was total ... Read more >
Tags: bedbugs, cities, food, hanoi, motorbikes
VIETNAM | Thursday, 14 Feb 2008 | Views [1667]
Hello!! Yes, I'm still alive and kicking, despite the utter lack of posts. It's been a whirlwind trip through Vietnam. Three weeks, 1800+ kilometers, overnight "sleeping" buses, overnight trains, boats, cyclos, motos, bicycles, from Hanoi ... Read more >
Tags: planes trains & automobiles
VIETNAM | Monday, 11 Feb 2008 | Photo Gallery
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LAOS | Friday, 18 Jan 2008 | Views [3252]
I arrived in Vientiane, the capital of Laos on Monday afternoon and saw my first traffic light since arriving in Laos. It’s a shock to see so many cars after being in motorbike territory for so long. Vientiane is pretty sleepy as far as national ... Read more >
Tags: cities, travel plans, vientiane
LAOS | Friday, 18 Jan 2008 | Views [6681] | Comments [1]
I came across this book in Luang Prabang, and enjoyed it so much that I want to recommend it to everyone. It’s an extremely well-written, meticulously researched, and scrupulously even-handed account of an immigrant Hmong family and their encounter ... Read more >
Tags: books
LAOS | Friday, 18 Jan 2008 | Views [2117]
I want to write about a wonderful initiative here in Laos called “ Stay Another Day .” It’s directed at tourists, and intended to encourage sustainable tourism. They publish a booklet that describes organizations and initiatives doing good things ... Read more >
Tags: philosophy of travel
LAOS | Friday, 18 Jan 2008 | Views [2979]
On New Year's Day, I went out to hunt for the bungalow with the perfect view. Most of the places to stay in Muang Ngoi are simple bungalows made from woven bamboo, with tiny porches complete with the all-important hammock, set along the river.... Read more >
Tags: adventures, hmong, muang ngoi, nam ou river, rivers, trekking
LAOS | Thursday, 17 Jan 2008 | Views [2408]
On New Year’s Eve, I took the bus from Luang Prabang to Nong Khiaw. From there, I stuffed myself onto a boat that would take me up the Nam Ou River to Muang Ngoi. The boat is quite narrow, and the seats are two benches that run along the sides, ... Read more >
Tags: celebrations, muang ngoi, new years eve, unexpected joy
LAOS | Monday, 31 Dec 2007 | Views [1471] | Comments [2]
Luang Prabang is filling up with visitors as New Year’s Eve approaches. Today there was a traffic jam on the main street, which is quite unusual if you know this sleepy town. In the late afternoon, the streets are filled with backpackers searching ... Read more >
Tags: luang prabang, new years eve, on the road
LAOS | Sunday, 30 Dec 2007 | Views [1366] | Comments [3]
Cicero, our family’s dearly beloved Siamese cat, died on Thursday, December 27 at the age of 19. He was loud, noisy, highly affectionate, very sweet-tempered yet sometimes quite demanding, highly independent, and dearly loved. We chose him ... Read more >
Tags: cats, cicero, family
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