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simon_monk has [94] favourite stories.


My Video scholarship 2010 entry

WORLDWIDE | Friday, 30 Jul 2010 | By soly | Views [3283] | Comments [2] | Video | Scholarship Entry

It all started when I traveled to Northern Uganda with an organization that helps war effected children through soccer. After hearing the atrocities that happened to those children, I couldn't imagine how they still found a way to keep laughing like ... Read more >

Tags: 2010 travel video scholarship


My Video scholarship 2010 entry

WORLDWIDE | Wednesday, 21 Jul 2010 | By viajera | Views [2589] | Video | Scholarship Entry

I love travel because when looking at the distance I rethink about what’s close, about my culture. So I decided to go to Africa, to a seven months trip. The subject of the documentary was clear in my mind - women in different cultures – however, ... Read more >

Tags: 2010 travel video scholarship


The World's Most Dangerous Road

BOLIVIA | Wednesday, 31 Mar 2010 | By emily_zitcer | Views [808] | Comments [4]

So...as some people may know by now, a couple of days ago we took part in the main activity to do in La Paz...cyclying the entire 67km length of The World's Most Dangerous Road on mountain bikes. This is a well renowned thing to do whilst in La Paz, ... Read more >


'Smoking Manners' ... funny stuff.

JAPAN | Wednesday, 31 Mar 2010 | By amy_palfreyman | Views [2540]

Under a thick cloud of smoke on many a Tokyo street corner you’re likely to find dozens of people huddled around designated smoking areas, frantically puffing away on cigarettes and, sadly, seemingly unaware of the immense humour that lays before them ... Read more >


The Soba Enthusiast

JAPAN | Friday, 19 Mar 2010 | By amy_palfreyman | Views [1732] | Comments [3]

en·thu·si·ast (ĕn-thū'zē-ăst') noun. 1. one who is filled with enthusiasm; one who is ardently ... Read more >

Tags: intrepid travel


The Soba Enthusiast

JAPAN | Friday, 19 Mar 2010 | By amy_palfreyman | Views [1732] | Comments [3]

en·thu·si·ast (ĕn-thū'zē-ăst') noun. 1. one who is filled with enthusiasm; one who is ardently ... Read more >

Tags: intrepid travel


ONE TEASPOON OF ROLLERCOASTER, ONE TABLE SPOON OF SKYDIVING. MIX AND SERVE COOL.

AUSTRALIA | Tuesday, 8 Sep 2009 | By adam_hamish | Views [1884]

A big part of traveling is getting to experience new things. When we found out the guys from TIGER MOTH JOY RIDES were willing to take us up over SURFER'S PARADISE and pull some totally radical aerial maneuvers we flipped our cake tin lids. ... Read more >

Tags: adventures, flying, gold coast, pilots, queensland, road trip, surfers paradise, tiger moth joy rides, van-tastic adventures, vantastic


A Vietnamese Wake-up Call

VIETNAM | Tuesday, 25 Aug 2009 | By maranathahay | Views [931]

August 25th, 2009 My wake up call was early this morning-the original plan was to leave the hotel, (and it’s lovely porcelain toilets) at eight. But my ride thought that it may be more prudent to leave earlier therefore bypassing the Hanoi AM commute.... Read more >

Tags: camera, doctor, hanoi commute, jeeping, leah, medical team, oversized polo shirt, tattoos, toilets, wake-up call


Penises and Polygamy (Bhutan)

BHUTAN | Thursday, 4 Sep 2008 | By susanandlars | Views [19978] | Comments [3]

Day 5 The next morning we came down for breakfast and noticed the fruit was peeled. Actually, I really noticed this when breakfast was brought for another table in the restaurant and their fruit wasn't. I never ... Read more >


BEST WAY TO WAKE YOURSELF UP IN THE MORNING.

AUSTRALIA | Tuesday, 18 Aug 2009 | By adam_hamish | Views [2655] | Comments [1]

Mission Beach is a chilled little backpackers town two hours south of Cairns. It boasts one of the best backpackers we have ever stayed at called SCOTTY'S BEACH HOUSE. The staff are super friendly and all the rooms surround a big tropical pool which ... Read more >

Tags: adam rikys, ambassador van, hamish cross, jump the beach, mission beach, scottys beach house, skydiving, van-tastic adventures, vantastic, world nomads


Amazing Angkor

CAMBODIA | Sunday, 2 Aug 2009 | By ryanandjo | Views [2592] | Comments [2]

After a bout of travellers sickness for me, which added two extra rest days for us in the capital, we took the 4 hour bus ride west to Battambang, the second largest city in Cambodia. Although, from the size of it you would never believe it, it’s ... Read more >

Tags: angkor wat, battambang, phnom penh, siem reap


My favorite city so far....Suzhou...

CHINA | Sunday, 2 Aug 2009 | By muoy | Views [2629] | Comments [3]

Tom booked a tour for me to go to a nearby city called Suzhou today.  Suzhou is about 1.5 hours outside of Shanghai and it's absolutely beautiful!!!  I think this is my favorite city so far!!!  Suzhou has two of the most famous gardens in China (there ... Read more >


Vietnam: How many mechanics does it take to tighten a wingnut?

VIETNAM | Monday, 25 May 2009 | By largeone | Views [1024] | Comments [2]

Probably just one.  After speaking to the hostess at the boarding gate who explained to me that the reason our flight was delayed was because the front wheel gear was loose, I didn't know if I should point out to her that 5 mechanics were crawling all ... Read more >


Funny things about Korea- Not for innocent eyes

SOUTH KOREA | Tuesday, 11 Mar 2008 | By jubaloo | Views [20365] | Comments [8]

Theres one thing that makes me laugh all the time in Korea and that is the lack of good english translation on T-shirts, company slogans etc or the pure ignorance of what the words on their clothes actually mean. Here is a selection of t-shirt slogans ... Read more >

Tags: bad t-shirts, bad translations, funny signs, laughter


Vietnam: Then and Now

VIETNAM | Saturday, 22 Nov 2008 | By seesea | Views [1327]

I first 'visited' Vietnam in 1968.  During my time 'in country' Richard Nixon was elected president, Neil Armstrong walked on the moon and the massacre at My Lai became public knowledge.  In the US (back in "The World' as the GIs called it) the ... Read more >


The border crossing debacle

GUATEMALA | Saturday, 15 Nov 2008 | By amil_patel | Views [2392] | Comments [2]

Crossing borders is always a bit and miss in latin america. However, even by previous standards going from Mexico into Guatemala was interesting to say the least. As I don´t have any guidebooks with me for Mexico and Guatemala this crossing had high ... Read more >

Tags: border crossings


re-defining home

INDIA | Saturday, 25 Oct 2008 | By solbeam | Views [1372] | Comments [1]

What does home mean to you after traveling for so long? When I first left the country, I was an angry girl; ashamed of my country, annoyed with American tradition & culture, disregarding of my family history, disappointed with my education, ... Read more >


Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam

TANZANIA | Tuesday, 1 Apr 2008 | By cwklein | Views [1556]

Sorry for the update delay but internet was basically nonexistent in Kendwa, Zanzibar and the internet connection here is causing me to freak out and break things. It takes me about 5 minutes to load web pages here. Anyway, If you have never heard ... Read more >


ROSA PARKS

ITALY | Wednesday, 13 Aug 2008 | By nico | Views [1907]

In Alabama abbiamo scelto Montgomery dove nel 1955 esplose il movimento dei diritti civili poiche' una sarta nera di nome Rosa Parks si rifiuto' di cedere il suo posto a un uomo bianco su un autobus urbano.Il suo fu' un gesto decisivo,che cambio' la storia ... Read more >


Promises Unkept: a failing world hunger pledge

WORLDWIDE | Tuesday, 5 Aug 2008 | By packlightwalkslow | Views [1060]

In 1996, the World Food Summit pledged to cut world hunger by 50% by 2015 . A pledge such as this would require billions of dollars in funding, and at the time, the world was ready to ante up. However, additional aid to agriculture has not only failed ... Read more >

Tags: world issues


My Spanish Nightmare 2 - San Pedro to Barcelona

SPAIN | Saturday, 5 Jul 2008 | By hotnoodle | Views [15476] | Comments [5]

On pirate beaches: There are various stories behind San Pedro. The first I heard was that it was a pirate beach and a pirate village. The pirates would emerge from the bay and attack ships as they sailed past. There was even an old abandoned pirate ... Read more >

Tags: barcelona, beaches, hippies, pirates


The Slow Life in Spain

SPAIN | Sunday, 18 May 2008 | By sstolper | Views [3119] | Comments [5]

I live in a village with an estimated 50-70 residents. It's called Les Piles de Gaia. My host does not seem to know where it comes from. That is neither here nor there. I am living with a family in rural Catalunya, an hour and a half outside of Barcelona, ... Read more >

Tags: family, farming, spain, work


I volunteered for the wolf’s den

INDIA | Thursday, 26 Jun 2008 | By allwelcome | Views [2142]

The two men jumped out of thin air, smiling, gesturing, waving an exotic smell under my nose, and I was hooked. I had a list of ‘musts’ to experience in India. Some call this being a tourist. I’m going to see something I’ve heard about, ... Read more >

Tags: scams, t a j


Doing a few miles

CHINA | Wednesday, 25 Jun 2008 | By bundynbeaches | Views [1142] | Comments [1]

In the last few weeks work has taken me in to Inner Mongolia Province and out to the Tibetan / Qinghai plateau. The coal mine we work with in Zhunge'er is only a three to thirty three hour drive - depending on snow, ice, trucks, bicycles, potholes and ... Read more >


Sydney in the Masses

AUSTRALIA | Wednesday, 25 Jun 2008 | By cam2yogi | Views [960]

Australia is a bout of freedom—contemplative exploration amidst leisurely activities of reading, writing, studying, more exploring, dreaming, and the likes of a dynamic introspective lifestyle suited for a Seeker. It is holiday. It is an escapade, ... Read more >

Tags: australia, sydney


Kathmandu

NEPAL | Wednesday, 25 Jun 2008 | By remlaph | Views [927]

Well after a very long and uncomfortable flight I arrived in Kathmandu a couple of days ago. There is currently a transport strike going on here, so luckily I had a friend arrange a private car to pick me up from the airport, or it would have been quite ... Read more >

Tags: kathmandu, nepal, pashputinath


An Australian, an Englishman, a Canadian, a Swede and a hot South African walk into a bar...

SPAIN | Sunday, 24 Feb 2008 | By bronhinton | Views [1949] | Comments [3]

I suppose a better title for this story would be 'Tales from Málaga' but it wouldn't be as interesting as the current title (and let's be honest, suck you into clicking on the link) and it also wouldn't describe what I did while in Málaga. Yep, I drank.... Read more >

Tags: Friends


Siem Reap to Bangkok and the Bangkok Ping Pong Show

THAILAND | Wednesday, 13 Feb 2008 | By hotnoodle | Views [15399] | Comments [1]

We walk in there half expecting to be ripped off. It's just a matter of how they are going to rip us off. A drinks menu appears in front of us with all the usual suspects, but with no prices. "How much for a Singha?" "Singha? Ohhh... one ... Read more >

Tags: I should have known better!


Conversations on the road V

AUSTRALIA | Monday, 2 Jun 2008 | By allwelcome | Views [1196]

(I haven’t uploaded conversations on the road for some time because, as we all know, familiarity breeds contempt, and in this case, enclosure in a little van erased what little sense of humour I had left after our India trip. However, with ... Read more >

Tags: allwelcome, ambassador van, humour, t a j


Guilin, Yangshuo and Guangzhou

CHINA | Thursday, 15 Nov 2007 | By george | Views [15702] | Comments [7]

This rabbit above had escaped from a cage outside the restaurant next door, causing much fuss in the mini supermarket! Guilin After arriving and dropping my stuff at the hostel, I went back to the train station to arrange onward tickets, ... Read more >

Tags: Mountains


Sol vs. The Volcano -- A History

GUATEMALA | Tuesday, 19 Feb 2002 | By solbeam | Views [3317] | Comments [1]

In Portland, Oregon, when given a piece of white construction paper and finger paints, children will blob and smudge paintings of snow-capped mountains topped with whipped-cream clouds and sprinkled with pine trees. In San Diego, California, kids ... Read more >

Tags: guatemala, mountains, volcano


The Marble City

TURKMENISTAN | Sunday, 1 Jun 2008 | By pushmorphine | Views [986]

It took us almost two days to get from Turkmenbashi to Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan. The road was the worst we had been on yet, at some points we had to creep along at about 20 kph. We had a welcome break halfway through the second day when ... Read more >

Tags: ashgabat, overland trip, pushmorphine, silk road, sunshine bus, turkmenistan


Electronic dance introduction

WORLDWIDE | Wednesday, 9 Apr 2008 | By allwelcome | Views [1927] | Comments [9] | Video

Check out our introductory video! It's fun to play with this Movie Maker thing...

Tags: ambassador van, t a j, video


Conversations on the road

WORLDWIDE | Friday, 4 Apr 2008 | By allwelcome | Views [1839]

March 08 (On the way to Noosa) or otherwise entitles 'How to generate hate mail/male' Tiffany - All cars should have a little digital sign on them, saying what they are doing. Albert - Most of them would say 'I'm going to the shops, my husband earns ... Read more >

Tags: humour, on the road, planes, relationships


In the midst of an unhappy love affair

AUSTRALIA | Saturday, 26 Apr 2008 | By allwelcome | Views [1819] | Comments [2]

I left Australia when I was 25. Happy to be rid of the problems I had no experience to try to face. I was too sensitive. I was passionate and angry and had no patience for the real work, for the real caring that a place like this needs. I came back ... Read more >

Tags: allwelcome, ambassador van, t a j


walking down the up escalator

INDIA | Tuesday, 25 Mar 2008 | By solbeam | Views [2348] | Comments [1]

"Well. You know what Buddhists would say? You must have some karmic connection that keeps bringing you back..." � the woman checking me into the Roots Institute of Wisdom Buddhist Retreat Center , Bodhgaya (Bihar), India And even I have ... Read more >


Getting lucky in the Longsheng Rice Terraces

CHINA | Monday, 17 Mar 2008 | By nomadnorrie | Views [6007] | Comments [6]

Longsheng The late afternoon in Longsheng was wasted really but Josianne and I found good, cheap food (stir fried rice noodles with oodles of vegetables) in the evening. Longsheng is not a pretty town so enough said really. We only came here for ... Read more >


Busking on Ben Yehuda

ISRAEL | Thursday, 20 Mar 2008 | By sstolper | Views [3040] | Comments [2]

So you're playing music in public. There's a tendency to let the money issue get to you when you put your music case out in front of you. Sure you want the validation of monetary payment. But it doesn't matter that you are playing in public for the ... Read more >

Tags: music


Saraswati's Day & Hotel Anniversary Celebration

INDONESIA | Thursday, 15 Nov 2007 | By justine | Views [11557] | Comments [2]

In Bali yesterday, November 10 th , [the posting was a little delayed] was the day to honor Saraswati, the Goddess of Knowledge, Learning, and Creativity. She’s this lovely slim woman, floating above a lotus flower (symbolizing the openness required ... Read more >

Tags: bali, ceremony, rituals, saraswati, ubud


Alexandria the Great

EGYPT | Sunday, 23 Mar 2008 | By jreuter | Views [4867] | Comments [2]

Arriving in Alexandria was an initially morose and depressing experience for me.  After all, this was the intellectual center of the Hellenistic world, home to the legendary Cleopatra.  Founded by Alexander the Great in 332 BC, Alexandria boasted of monuments ... Read more >


How Long to Travel an Inch?

NEPAL | Friday, 26 Oct 2007 | By whereintheworld | Views [1776]

An early morning rise and a local bus to Begnas Tal...now what?! We weren't sure either. After a minor "detour", the first of many I'm sure, we began to follow a gravel road which we hoped would take us to our first stop...Sheklung. What ... Read more >

Tags: people


Dante's Tenth Circle

EGYPT | Saturday, 15 Mar 2008 | By jreuter | Views [1957] | Comments [5]

I'm not sure why, but for some reason, a dinner cruise along the Nile sounded like fun last night.  So I threw down my 120 pounds, put on a nice shirt, and almost immediately regretted my decision.  It seems I was the only one at my hotel who signed ... Read more >


Predeparture

THAILAND | Wednesday, 12 Mar 2008 | By baznjannie | Views [786] | Comments [3]

We are preparing for our departure from Thailand, our home for the past 2 years. It is a very sad time saying goodbye to our students, Thai teachers and friends but our gypsie blood is on the boil so it is time for another adventure. At times we thought ... Read more >


Salado

URUGUAY | Saturday, 8 Mar 2008 | By vietnamviking | Views [1237]

We're liking it better and better here, Moni and I. And, though travelling to a new place every few days has been extremely fun, it's also nice to have more time available to explore a place. Salado! Some updates, then: Monica stopped her internship ... Read more >

Tags: People


What Goes Down, Must Come Up

VIETNAM | Tuesday, 5 Jun 2007 | By travelheart24 | Views [1372] | Comments [2]

Kudos to Isaac Newton for discovering the Law of Gravity based on the simple premis, "What goes up, must come down." I find however that the opposite is true when it comes to hiking: "What goes down, must come up." At least this ... Read more >

Tags: The Great Outdoors


The Sun'll Come Out Tomorrow!

CHINA | Sunday, 18 Nov 2007 | By travelheart24 | Views [1611] | Comments [7]

A Kiwi, two Irish, a Canadian and an American get on a train.... and no one in their carriage sleeps for the next 14 hours! hehehe, okay maybe we weren't that bad... but nearly! Most passengers enjoy the train or are indifferent about it, but these ... Read more >

Tags: Laughter


interview with a village family

INDIA | Tuesday, 11 Mar 2008 | By solbeam | Views [6905]

India is the home of almost 1/6th of the world population; 1.13 billion people and around 80% of this population lives in rural areas. Last weekend I spent a long weekend in a small, rural village on the outskirts of Varanasi of which I've visited ... Read more >

Tags: Family


End of Southeast Asian Days

INDONESIA | Monday, 10 Mar 2008 | By justine | Views [3572]

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


My year abroad - Statistically speaking

UNITED KINGDOM | Wednesday, 21 Nov 2007 | By jonnygo | Views [1279]

Below are the stats on my travels over the last 9 months Favourite country - Vietnam (phenominally rich in culture, colours and people) Hippest city - Rio (a natural wonder) Hottest girls - Brasil and Vietnam (quite different but both stunningly ... Read more >

Tags: Travel Tips


Northern Yunan

CHINA | Sunday, 17 Feb 2008 | By nomadnorrie | Views [7695] | Comments [4]

Lijiang I arrived at Chengdu airport to find that there was a problem with my e-ticket; somehow it went missing. Somebody came along to help me, took my passport and disappeared, 15 minutes later they came back with a boarding pass, then I was on my ... Read more >

Tags: Adventures


How not to get to Pushkar

INDIA | Thursday, 22 Nov 2007 | By sarahandphil | Views [4251] | Comments [4]

Somehow we've made it to Pushkar for the camel festival....after another "interesting" journey on this trip to add to our Russian experience (why can't everywhere be like Japan?)! It took us 26 hours from Mumbai to Pushkar using a combination ... Read more >

Tags: On the Road


Bangkok and Ko Phi Phi

THAILAND | Sunday, 20 Jan 2008 | By sarahandphil | Views [1993] | Comments [7]

Hi again everyone,   Well we’re finally back on the road and glad to be reunited with long, hot evenings in Internet cafes – our little cockroach buddies have really been missing us!   We decided to opt for a slightly more relaxed start to ... Read more >

Tags: On the Road


Climbing the mountain

TANZANIA | Saturday, 26 Jan 2008 | By ellij | Views [1331]

Well finally I'm getting to entering some details about African adventure so far. Almost four weeks after first setting out for Uhuru Peak I will now attempt to give a retrospective account of all it's glory. Wiebke and I reunited in Dar Es Salaam about ... Read more >

Tags: Adventures


Zanzibar still with Wiebke

TANZANIA | Thursday, 14 Feb 2008 | By ellij | Views [1008] | Comments [1]

My indulgence in Wiebke's cashews at the beginning of the ferry trip over to Zanzibar resulted in feelings of nausea and heading out the back for air. It was here I realised the cool fresh ocean breeze I'm used to from back home was, well, back home.... Read more >

Tags: Adventures


I have a plan

UNITED KINGDOM | Thursday, 14 Feb 2008 | By rory2034 | Views [1008] | Comments [5]

I have a plan! 10 days until I set off and I have a travelling plan. Fly to Auckland in New Zealand and spend 5 weeks in the North island and 7 weeks in the South, then fly to Australia. Starting at Sydney, travel clockwise to Canberra, Melbourne, ... Read more >

Tags: The Planning Phase


Living as a Refugee

UGANDA | Tuesday, 12 Feb 2008 | By chicachan | Views [905]

The joke at the office is that the ones who are now in Kigali that was supposed to be in Nairobi are ‘refugees’. Haha. I’ve been in Kigali for almost 2 weeks and it’s been a whirlwind! The first day at the office and within literally, FIFTEEN minutes, ... Read more >

Tags: The Great Outdoors


Seven Days In Tibet

CHINA | Tuesday, 12 Feb 2008 | By tim_and_sam | Views [7434] | Comments [2]

As the title suggests, we've now been in Tibet for a week and thought it was time to update this with our latest news. We took the train from Chengdu to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet on the 3rd Feb. Of the 22 trains we are taking on this trip, this ... Read more >

Tags: mountains, tibet


I planted rice!

CAMBODIA | Monday, 2 Jul 2007 | By celinexiaolin | Views [1266] | Comments [1]

I planted rice! It is the highlight of my journey and I wish I could do more. It was at Don and Kreagh’s place. There was nothing much to do and I dared ask if it was possible. Sure enough the next day we trudged across the fields and got to a plot where ... Read more >

Tags: Culture


Kon-nichi-ha ~ こんにちは。

JAPAN | Friday, 7 Dec 2007 | By felix_and_stephanie | Views [2269] | Comments [3]

Japan – to describe it in the form of a haiku… Full of quirks and irks, White faces, blood red rose bud lips, Roots in Tradition All in One Toilet Efficiency in all things Takoyaki balls Meticulousness Leading ... Read more >

Tags: Adventures


Did I tell you about the clear blue waters and pure white sands of Zanzibar?

TANZANIA | Saturday, 24 Nov 2007 | By miss_tanzania | Views [1247]

I did say I would write later about Zanzibar...I didn't think it would be when I was back in rainy London. But here I am, sat on my sofa at home with rain lashing down outside (well its not ACTUALLY raining right now but it makes for a better story) ... Read more >

Tags: relaxation


i choose

INDIA | Tuesday, 13 Nov 2007 | By solbeam | Views [1305] | Comments [2]

(Buddhism was the first Eastern religion I encountered on my travels and when reincarnation was explained to me, it changed my world in the way it did mapmakers when they were told the earth was round. But it did not so much, “explain” as it, “told me ... Read more >

Tags: Family


Zapatistas at WSU

USA | Saturday, 10 Nov 2007 | By smukkeak | Views [697] | Video

This past Friday, a man from the Zapatistas group in Mexico came to speak at my university. It was amazing to meet such a passionate individual, and he made me put the entire way I think about Mexico into question. Watch the video below for more ... Read more >

Tags: People


A big kids party

USA | Wednesday, 17 Oct 2007 | By jonnygo | Views [2532] | Comments [1]

American food never fails to make me smile.....laugh actually.  It's just like a kids party without the balloons.  We're struggling in New England.........Nachos on EVERY menu, fizzy re-fills, (in restaurants touted as "fine dining") cheese, ... Read more >

Tags: Food & eating


Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes!

INDIA | Tuesday, 4 Sep 2007 | By alexbg | Views [2118]

So I officially have 43 new friends! This afternoon I went for my first day of evening play time at a local HIV Orphanage run by some local nuns; it's walking distance from my school campus! I walked over and let myself in the outside gate and entered ... Read more >

Tags: Laughter


Lima to Huacachina oasis

PERU | Sunday, 4 Jun 2006 | By mcgurk77 | Views [3062]

Wow what a flight, Iberia sucks as an airline. Didn´t think we where going to get fed for 12 hours. After our dodgy meal, it was a free for all and self service. British Airways have spoilt us, with indiviual TV´s and seat service, but iberia could ... Read more >

Tags: Sightseeing


Thousands of Zombies in Chilean Society.

CHILE | Thursday, 28 Jun 2007 | By homersmuse | Views [4868] | Comments [5]

I recently had the opportunity to tour Villa Grimaldi, which was once a torture camp during the early years of Pinochet's dictatorship. Our guide, Pedro Matta, was imprisoned and tortured there as a 23 year-old politically active college student. ... Read more >

Tags: chile, politics


Afghanistan to Iran

IRAN | Thursday, 28 Jun 2007 | By mutt | Views [1465] | Comments [2]

Arrived in Charcharan, the capital of Gor province. On arrival, I met Hassam, an US interpreter. He was working for the US army based at the Lithuania Army base. There were 4 countries sharing that base: Lithuania, USA, Croatia and another one that I ... Read more >

Tags: On the Road


new york 1 (continued)

USA | Thursday, 14 Jun 2007 | By incessantly_insatiable | Views [1286] | Comments [3]

  it felt like what i had imagined new york to be like--only a little less--like when a movie gets hyped up for a month or two before opening and then when you see it, you feel like the trailer was better. i´m not saying i didnt like it--im just saying ... Read more >

Tags: Adventures


TUGGIN' AND RUBBIN'

COLOMBIA | Sunday, 15 Jan 2006 | By bigfish | Views [1438]

No they are NOT two superheroes and YOU know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. I saw this cautionary banner as I was passing the fruit and veg market in El Centro today and I thought I would share it with you. For those of you whose eyes are not as good ... Read more >

Tags: Doctors, hospitals & health


Buses and the Art of Travel

COSTA RICA | Tuesday, 24 Apr 2007 | By katebravado | Views [796] | Comments [1]

Howdy folks - well Gabriel and I have finally left San Jose. The really sad part about being there, other than having to deal with the lost baggage department, is that the streets of San Jose are largely considered unsafe for foreigners after dark ... Read more >

Tags: Laughter


AARRGGGHHH

COSTA RICA | Monday, 28 May 2007 | By katebravado | Views [1103] | Comments [1]

Cabin Fever. Listless limbs, walking in ever decreasing circles, Not sure which is thicker outside, the rain or the mosquitoes. Eyes flash at each other, What did you say. The phone rings - its' the outside world greeted with desperate smiles, kids ... Read more >

Tags: beaches & sunshine, costa rica


Dancing in the Rain

THAILAND | Tuesday, 15 May 2007 | By stephen_haynes | Views [2275] | Comments [4]

Walking back from my last update, I find Sez back at the guest house with Fred and Elaine, two of the girls I was in Kampot with. So together we all pile into a tuk tuk and head out to Angkor Wat to view the sunset in the ancient ruins. This was ultimately ... Read more >

Tags: Misadventures


Triple J interview with Dr.Simon Davis - Silk Route project & Footprints Funding Recipient

AUSTRALIA | Wednesday, 9 May 2007 | By nomads_podcasts | Views [2366] | Comments [2] | PODCAST

Dr. Simon Davis was recently interviewed on the Australian radio station Triple J - Hack Program , about his experience working to provide medical treatment & supplies to less fortunate communities whilst travelling the silk route, with funding ... Read more >

Tags: audio files, footprints, podcast


From Lost Girls to Ambassadors!

AUSTRALIA | Saturday, 21 Apr 2007 | By hollycassandra | Views [3854]

We—Holly, Jen and Amanda—have officially taken over as The World Nomads Ambassadors , a fabulous title that comes with more than a few precious perks. Not only have we snagged an unbelievable set of wheels (a totally pimped-out camper van emblazoned ... Read more >

Tags: ambassador van, on the road


The worlds most dangerous road

BOLIVIA | Saturday, 2 Sep 2006 | By mcgurk77 | Views [32393] | Comments [5]

I think the photos speak volumes about this ride. In Bolivia a hour drive out of La Paz, it started up at 4700m, freezing cold with a 65k decent to 1400m in the jungle to Yalumba. Starting the ride rugged up, fleeced up on tarmac. Smooth road that you ... Read more >

Tags: Adrenaline


Flies and pedestrian Emus

AUSTRALIA | Sunday, 25 Mar 2007 | By wanderyears | Views [1884] | Video

Tenacious D was my road-trip music of choice today. It is a good listen, but some of the language can be enough to make a miner blush. It certainly turned a few heads while taking on fuel in nowhereville, location unknown. ... Read more >

Tags: ambassador van, on the road


One Small Mistake - An Adventure in Local Transport

THAILAND | Thursday, 29 Mar 2007 | By BigTripBlog | Views [1342]

A while back I ditched my crappy travel tripod and have been carrying around my much sturdier (and larger) Slik tripod instead. Besides the obvious problem with its size and weight, it doesn’t fit in my pack the way my smaller one did. I had ... Read more >

Tags: Misadventures


Folly

AUSTRALIA | Thursday, 12 Apr 2007 | By wanderyears | Views [3047] | Comments [5] | Video

If ever there was a time when I was in way over my depth, then this was it. Among the two thousand plus entrants, there was several million dollars worth of the latest equipment. I, on the other hand, had a borrowed shirt and jeans, a pair ... Read more >

Tags: ambassador van, misadventures


We got ourselves a Convoy...

EGYPT | Monday, 19 Nov 2001 | By stowaway | Views [3965] | Comments [4]

Then it was off to Wadi Rum , a desert region of sand dunes and impressive vertical rock mountains made famous by the exploits of Lawrence of Arabia, who used it as a base during WW1, and also lived there for some time after the end of the war. It wasn’... Read more >

Tags: abu simbel, bedouin, bedouin, cairo, egypt, lawrence of arabia, on the road, pyramids, ramses, wadi rum


Volcanoes & Earthquakes: Tanna Island, Vanuatu

VANUATU | Thursday, 14 Dec 2006 | By stowaway | Views [9013] | Comments [4]

So there we were, quietly sitting in the airport terminal munching on a sandwich waiting for our flight to Tanna when suddenly the ground shakes & ceiling fans start wobbling wildly. Earthquake!!! We looked at each other, then at the floor - which ... Read more >

Tags: adventures, ash plain, earthquake, lake siwi, lava, tanna, tanna, vanuatu, volcano


stories that silence

GUATEMALA | Wednesday, 19 Oct 2005 | By solbeam | Views [1197] | Comments [1]

Like a child who has witnessed a tragedy beyond their vocabulary of comprehension, my mouth has been closed in silent surrender of the search for fitting words that don’t exist. For who am I to speak? In every country I travel to, and with every firsthand ... Read more >

Tags: Mountains


a sacred ego stomping

CHINA | Friday, 3 Mar 2006 | By solbeam | Views [2301]

I’m in the mood for a story. And this one is particularly good, because it *literally* stomps on any pride I’ve ever held in assuming myself a culturally sensitive individual. But having recognized that my heaviest burden is ego itself, I’ve come to ... Read more >

Tags: laughter, tibet


love, picasso, parades & pilgrimage

FRANCE | Monday, 18 Sep 2006 | By solbeam | Views [1500]

So for the record, I am now officially giving exact change, correctly ordering vegetarian food, and making it three or (sometimes!) even four sentences deep into conversations. It’s probably not particularly exciting for anyone else, but these are ... Read more >

Tags: on the road


pinched but not popped

FRANCE | Friday, 3 Nov 2006 | By solbeam | Views [1494]

pinched but not popped Journal Entry Condom, France (How unfortunate to have a contraceptive device named after your city!) Mid-October Four days ago, my brother (by blood) and my sister (by marriage) jumped off a two-car train and ... Read more >

Tags: condom, family, france


a spoon full of graciousness

CHINA | Wednesday, 27 Apr 2005 | By solbeam | Views [3247] | Comments [1]

I take a deep breath, hold it, and step into the dank room. (When the students ran into our shared room an hour earlier and exclaimed, “It’s the most foul thing we’ve ever seen in our lives!” I laughed. I’d heard the rumors of hell realms to be ... Read more >

Tags: food & eating, tibet


Pushkar: A Visit from the god Saraswati

INDIA | Tuesday, 29 Aug 2006 | By smelt_and_gizzard | Views [2785] | Comments [4]

We are still alive but have been completely consumed with music the past week--nothing new for Brandon, but for me it's like a strange new drug and the Indian scale (sa re ga ma pa dha ni sa...) is the only language my brain understands these days. We ... Read more >

Tags: Culture


All I Want for Christmas...Is My Ass Groped (And Other Such Fun Things...)

INDIA | Tuesday, 26 Dec 2006 | By clarinette | Views [7028]

Gwen and I prepared heartily and enthusiastically for spending our Christmas stuck in the overnight train from Varanasi to Darjeeling. We bought yummy food, decorations, and headed down to the train station humming Christmas carrols to each other... ... Read more >

Tags: planes trains & automobiles


A buyers guide to the Thai islands

THAILAND | Saturday, 7 Apr 2007 | By jonnygo | Views [1507]

The best thing about travelling with an ex-Sainsburys buyer is that they are expert negotiators.  JJ, a fellow colleague from my frozen past did great deals from scooter hire to 2-girl massages (although h e didn't manage to get me a Harley and ... Read more >

Tags: Beaches & sunshine


Stone breakers of Siliguri

INDIA | Thursday, 6 Jul 2006 | By craigandsimon | Views [4367] | Comments [5]

This week we had the opportunity to represent Footprints (World Nomad’s charity) in Siliguri, where we visited 2 communities of Stone breakers: Chenga: pop-2500, no electricity, water, or sewage, the nearest hospital was a 12km WALK (that’s ... Read more >

Tags: doctors, footprints, hospitals & health


Looking at Poverty in the Face

INDIA | Saturday, 3 Feb 2007 | By gwen1 | Views [3222] | Comments [5]

Most people are too scared to look at poverty in the face. Most people do not even admit this, let alone think about what it is inside them, that makes them look away. We are too uncomfortable with the thought of confrontation, even if it is only within ... Read more >

Tags: Philosophy of travel


Ashram Bollocks!!

INDIA | Thursday, 15 Feb 2007 | By sophsossig | Views [2096] | Comments [2]

So left Varkala eventually after one more night at Zions - being at a beach is fab but i feel that i should be out there - travelling, exploring, there is just so much to see and so little time to see it. Get a train to Kollum early morning just in time ... Read more >

Tags: Laughter


And the Meek shall inherit Room 101

INDIA | Saturday, 20 Jan 2007 | By taroso | Views [1796]

It was the nearest hotel to Pokhara's Camping Chowk and the price was too low, but I took the room anyway. If I was to return to Kathmandu the next day, having just returned from trekking, it seemed silly to lug luggage all the way to Lakeside North, ... Read more >

Tags: General


The longer I sit (Bude, Cornwall)

UNITED KINGDOM | Tuesday, 11 Jul 2006 | By crustyadventures | Views [2427] | Comments [1]

There's not a lot of bugs in England, but I just managed to sit down on a small ant hill, alive with small black creatures, scurrying & carrying their loads across the cliff top. I was trying to plant my bum firmly behind a tussocky mound so I ... Read more >

Tags: climbing, jc, the great outdoors


Paging Mr Timur you have your country back

UZBEKISTAN | Thursday, 5 Oct 2006 | By craigandsimon | Views [1977]

Well we have just spent 2 weeks soaking up the culture of Uzbekistan, this is where its at for Central Asia which is obvious by the amount of tour buses pushing the poor Ladas off the road. We started of in Tashkent which is your basic C.A. captial city ... Read more >

Tags: Sightseeing