A drifting mantra of mine is Wellness. In southeast Asia I get to take advantage of affordable saunas (herbal steam). I’ll happily take whichever I can get. It’s called a sauna when in essence it’s an herbal steam, just semantics. While steam facilities
On foot in Panama City, I ordered a fruit shake from a drive through window. I was charged for, and got four huge shakes in styrofoam cups. I thought my Spanish was functional. I was on a tight budget, yet had no choice
Buying and haggling in most Asian and other developing countries can be a different experience compared to in Europe and North America. Away from shopping malls, stores, and street food stalls, getting used to haggling in the developing world is something we have
When drifting in a land not one’s own, it behooves a visitor to take time to think about why learning numbers abroad is a great idea, along with the phrase: How much? Some vagabonds will disagree, as I’ve observed the majority assume that
Visiting the Khon Kaen National Museum in central Isaan, Thailand, implements an interesting look into yesteryear. Archaeology museums give a glimpse into the past by way of time travel. Why not engage the mind in a museum? That was my impromptu mantra when
The ruins and grounds of Vat Phu, in Champasak, Laos, are a uniquely aesthetic and ancient Khmer Hindu site. Like many vintage earth spaces, strolling around and absorbing the open-air energy and its ancestral remnants, provides for great pondering. How different was life
I’ve been in peaceful Pakse on the calm Mekong for three weeks, with nine days before the 30-day Lao visa expires. The original, but loose plan was to stay in Pakse for the full, in-country time allotment. However, during the first few days,
I found to my pleasant surprise that Khon Kaen, Thailand is a city of unknown world wonders. The above Thung Sethi has been compared to the Taj Majal. It’s certainly not that, as this architectural astonishment isn’t recognized on a world scale. Only
It was day 30. Time was up on my Lao stamp validity. The wonderful woman at the In Touch Guesthouse in Vientiane said she could get me a door-to-door drop off from the guesthouse, all the way to the customs office in Nong
Temple gazing has never been high on my travel to-do list. Like so many people drifting in SE Asia, I’ve taken the following stance: Another temple. How many temples can I see? However, as humans, we have the open-minded ability to change views