open mind, empty stomach

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  • Mondulkiri

    The thing I wanted to to more than anything else in se Asia was to ride an elephant through the jungle. I’m not sure why, but I REALLY wanted this to happen. I did my homework and discovered that Mondulkiri, a remote province in eastern Cambodia near the Vietnam border, is among the best places…

  • Siem Reap

    Siem Reap was a breath of fresh air after Bangkok. The journey there, the border crossing in particular, is supposed to be a little challenging; it was. My research indicated that getting to the Cambodian side of the border was the difficult part, then you’re home free. For me, it was the opposite. Once I…

  • Bangkok

    This trip officially kicked off in BKK. Bangkok would be the starting point and ending point for the se Asia leg of my vacation. The hostel I stayed at, NapPark, was very close to the tourist hub of the city, Khao San Road. It was the highest rated hostel on the hostel booking websites, but…

  • A Night in Taipei

    Rather than arrive in Bangkok at 1:30 am local time, I opted for a 14 hour layover in Taipei.  My flight from Narita landed at 5pm and I decided to take the bus from the airport to Taipei city to take advantage of the layover.  The first thing I noticed was scooters; lots and lots…

  • Slow Food KCC Maui Trip

    I had been a very inactive member of my university system’s Slow Food Chapter, Slow Food KCC (Kapiolani Community College), but things changed when I received an email about a Maui trip. Maui is my favorite island in the Hawaiian archipelago and there was no way I could pass on a club subsidized ag-tour. Our…

  • San Francisco

    Rather than Panama City Beach, Cancun, South Padre Island, Vegas or any of the popular destinations, I chose the city by the bay as the venue for the last spring break of my 11 year pursuit of a bachelor’s degree. Despite the weather (the heavens opened up for the better part of my week in…

  • Commonwealth

    Some people don’t like to travel or go out to eat alone. I don’t mind doing either. You can end up having the meal of your life sitting alone at a restaurant bar far from home. I did at Commonwealth. Located in the Mission district of San Francisco, Commonwealth is one of the hottest new…

  • Sons and Daughters

    The first dinner of my spring break trip to San Francisco was at Sons and Daughters. Through the magic of Facebook, I was joined by a special guest. Anyone who has succumbed to the pressure and joined the social networking site knows that you end up being friends with people that you went to school…