As you’ve probably realised by now, I’m trying to take a cooking class in each country I visit. With only an eight-hour window in which to visit Myanmar though, I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to manage it. But then I discovered an organisation in Mae Sot that is run by Burmese people and … Read more
With a Masters in (criminal justice) Psychology, a Graduate Diploma in Criminology, and a CV that includes stints in more than one correctional facility, it’s to be expected that I have an interest in issues of crime and justice. In fact, at one point I considered making it one of my travel “things” to contact … Read more
If you want to ride an elephant or play with a tiger cub in South East Asia, Chiang Mai is the place to do it. Elephant riding tour operators, in particular, abound, and it’s not a difficult task to find someone willing to take you to cuddle baby tigers either. So it’s not the logistics … Read more
In between snacks, Sahar discovered Monk Chat, a gathering organised by one of Chiang Mai’s universities where visitors can meet some of the city’s Buddhist monks. For two hours, the monks are available to answer questions about their lives and religion, or even give advice based on Buddhist philosophy. It seemed like an interesting experience, … Read more
With food featuring so prominently in our short acquaintance, it seemed likely that Sahar and I would become good friends. And what better place to test our culinary compatibility than Chiang Mai? Upon arrival, Sahar and I teamed up with another guy (Jared) who had been on the boat and in our bus from Chiang … Read more
Crossing overland from Aranyaprathet (Thailand) to Poipet (Cambodia) is an arduous task, if you have your wits about you. If you choose to obliviously follow the directions of the various tuk tuk drivers, touts, border officials and con artists, it’s a piece of cake. One very expensive piece of cake. It all begins before you … Read more
Here’s a little earworm for you. Imagine these lyrics… sung to the tune of Oh When the Saints… accompanied by enthusiastic drumming, clapping and cymbal playing… several times a day for three days. Oh, English camp…Oh, English camp…Oh, English camp makes me happy!We all enjoy happy together.Oh English camp makes me happy! In fact, I … Read more
After surviving a week at the school, I must have been found to be innocent, because my host family invited me to go away with them for the weekend. The family’s English was quite limited, so I didn’t really know where we were going, but I figured anything’s a new experience, right? Yes, indeed. That … Read more
The saying ‘trial by fire’ comes from the days when people accused of crimes were subjected to tests (such as holding red hot irons, walking through fire, or being tied to a stone and thrown in the lake – although that would be trial by water) through which their guilt or innocence would be demonstrated. … Read more
OK, so we all know the good side of Amphawa, Thailand. Quiet little village, an hour or so west of Bangkok. The weekend floating market draws out the domestic tourists, and the occasional foreign tourist with a Lonely Planet. (That wasn’t ironic – despite being in Lonely Planet as a genuine floating market, with instructions … Read more