While the beauty of majestic Myanmar is fresh in my mind after the last post, let’s talk about the art of the longyi. The longyi, or longi, or longee, (pronounced simply lon-gee), is basically a long wrap skirt made out of one big piece of cloth. It comes in every color and pattern imaginable, and…
Tag: Southeast Asia
The Faces of Myanmar — A Photo Essay of a Remarkable Place
Dear Myanmar, You stole my heart from day one. From your majestic, dream-like landscapes to your colorful markets and big smiles. I will never forget you. Sincerely, Michelle Note: I will refer to this country as Myanmar because all of the local people I interacted with called it Myanmar. For example, they cheerfully told us we…
The Best Street Food in Southeast Asia
OK, OK. I know what everyone really wants to know about… The food! Glorious food. Street food. One of the greatest joys of travel, and my favorite motivator to explore an unknown neighborhood, the quest for local cuisine can lead you to not only some delectable new flavors, but also to a unique cultural exchange…
Bukit Lawang: Must Love Orang-Utans. And Rustic Jungle Jams.
Sumatra. I just like saying the word. I like the way it rolls off the tongue; at once sounding mysterious, dark and exotic, igniting the imagination and stirring up all of the things that have driven me to travel to distant edges of the earth, that have inspired me to lift up the corners of…
Backpacking in the 21st Century: Gadgets for Staying Charged While on the Road
Ladies and Gentlemen, today I present to you the first, and what probably will be the only episode of “Backpacking in the 21st Century.” Here Jamie and I reveal our secrets to keeping our devices powered up while traveling and staying in budget accommodations, which often have only one power outlet in the room. Here…
In One Photo: Penang
It’s not easy to sum up the entire experience of a place in just one photo. It’s also hard to keep up with documenting everything you see when you change cities every few nights. Backpacker problems. So for now, when I don’t have time (or enough to say) about a certain place I’ll pick my…
Seeking Authenticity in Singapore
Singapore is a very clean, organized, futuristic city. I think it may be one of the most organized places in the world. It is a successful scale model, a preview of what the future will be like. Everything is clearly labeled and efficiency is king. In one of the malls, there were signs by the…
Nine days and counting
My departure date is now in the Ten-Day Forecast. May 25. A one-way ticket to the other side of the planet. Jamie has returned to civilization after 40 days trekking in the Himalayas. We have heard from her and she is doing well. She is currently preparing to be in an Indian wedding in Mumbai….
THE WORLD AND BACK: Adventures in Southeast Asia and Beyond 