Miswak: Medicine for the Mouth
From spending over nine months in the Middle East, I’ve become an avid natural toothbrush or Miswak user. As I try to remember where I first came across the herbal stick or twig that is an integral part of daily life in this vast region, my memory recalls the early days here when I’d aimlessly walk for miles looking for new dive restaurants. I once saw a man selling Miswak outside of a traditional eatery. After that evening, I wasn’t able to find this twig again until a coworker told me that the best place to get it is outside of a mosque right when the day’s fifth and final prayer has ended.
Captured For the Camera: 20 Photos From Hindustan
Back in 2011, I was fortunate to spend many months traveling through subcontinental India, known as Hindustan in the Hindi language. Hindustan is the most eastern of the Stan countries.
I’m still in the midst of a photo overhaul from the last two years of travel and am currently on I for India.
I’ve sifted through and come up with 20 desirable shots that have yet to find a home on this blog. They come from eight of the 28 Indian states. That reminds me. I’ve only made a dent in this huge, diverse and magical country.
Captured for the Camera in Beautiful Baños
Last year at this time I was planted in the laid-back little Andean town of Baños, Ecuador. It’s the type of place you can easily get stuck in for a while, especially if you’re feeling weary of traveling.
A Taste of Tamil Nadu
I almost swore that I wouldn’t publish any more posts about Indian food in Saudi Arabia. However, a recent journey to the Eastern Province city of Dammam changed that idea.
After a long and cramped bus ride from Riyadh, I was famished. Immediately after checking into my hotel, I ventured out for a stroll to find a bite of what I hoped would be ethnically exotic.
People: Captured for the Camera in Colombia
In 2012 I was fortunate to travel through the Colombian Andes for the first two months of the year. During this time, I came across many people.
After perusing through thousands of photos that I took during that slow journey, I decided to share the following ones with you:
A Taste of Thailand
If someone had told me that there’s decent Thai food in Riyadh, I probably wouldn’t have believed them. Who would have thought it was possible to get good Southeast Asian food in Southwest Asia?
A while back a Pakistani taxi driver told me:
“Exit 14, Thai restaurant.”
Of course I had to give it a shot.
Pondering Upon Phnom Penh
Just before entering the Southeast Asian nation of Cambodia from Thailand a year and a half ago, I acquired a food-borne stomach ailment. Because this sickness didn’t go away during my time in this fascinating little land, I wasn’t in the mood to share too many experiences.
I’m currently going through a photo overhaul. That means I’m studying the vast amount of pictures I’ve taken over the last two years.
Addas: A Taste of Sudan
After only a few days in Riyadh, I wandered into a little dive restaurant not far from my hotel. Despite the language barrier, I managed to understand that the food is from Sudan.
As food is more important than ambiance to me, the term dive often has a positive connotation.
In a blog entry four months ago, I mentioned and showed a photo of a Sudanese lentil dish. This was after eating it only once and hardly knowing anything about it. Since then, I’ve consumed this gastronomical wonder at least 15 times, maybe 20.
A Taste of Lebanon
I’ve now been in Saudi’s capital for four months. This is the longest I’ve spent anywhere since starting this blog, which has caused me to think: Maybe this is why the posting frequency has begun to suffer a tad. However, I can’t allow myself to create justifications; so, when this happens, I’ve conditioned myself to express the mantra: No Excuses.
Excuses are useless. They don’t help us. They only waste our mental energy. All I can do is realize that I’m human, and that blogging lulls will happen.
Despite infrequent posting as of late, this blog is still alive and well.
Jogging: Surface Wisdom and Health Benefits
Last year I went jogging in Bangkok’s Lumpini Park. The verdant, human, and lake atmosphere was pleasant, but because the running surface is made of asphalt, I had sore thighs for a week. This was after jogging for only 30 minutes.
According to saveyourself.ca :
“The body is an all-terrain vehicle. We cannot run on concrete for long without consequences.”
My name is Mike, aka Earthdrifter. I managed to travel on and off between work, from the mid-90s till the mid-00s. At the start of 2011, after a five year exploration hiatus, I eliminated a home base and started traveling indefinitely. Now I combine my love for travel, writing, and improving my personal culture. As I enhance my existence, I hope to help you do the same. 
