open mind, empty stomach

travel, food, and fun

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  • Athens

    I chose my birthday to serve as the transition point between Asia and Europe. Three of my four grandparents were born in Greece and I wanted to enjoy my most special of days in the fatherland. I had been to Greece once before, but it was in December and I only went to Athens for…

  • Mykonos

    Mykonos is the biggest party island in Greece and is rivaled only by Ibiza, Spain as the premier party destination in Europe. Visiting such a place was a radical departure from my travels in southeast Asia. My time spent in Mykonos consisted of partying all night and sleeping on the beach during the daytime. It…

  • Santorini

    Santorini is the most photogenic Greek island, the one famous for its white buildings with blue roofs. The amazingness of the island is not limited to the architecture, Santorini may be the most beautiful place I have ever been. The Aegean is a magnificent blue and the coast is lined with steep cliffs, colorful beaches,…

  • Asia in the rearview

    Starting and ending my Asian adventure in Bangkok was ideal in that it showed me how the last couple months changed my outlook. When I arrived, I thought the city was big, loud, dirty, and full of aggressive locals trying to squeeze every penny they can from foreigners. Twelve weeks later, I still think all…

  • Mae Hong Son Loop Part 2

    Mae Hong Son city is the capital of the province with the same name. It is located in the far northwest of Thailand, not far from the Burmese border. The city is a very nice size, more than just one main strip, but still walkable. There is a small night market each day near the…

  • Chiang Mai

    Thailand’s second city, Chiang Mai, is Bangkok‘s kid brother in the north; just as seedy, but not quite as overbearing. Like Bangkok, I honestly didn’t care much for Chiang Mai. The big cities I’ve visited this trip have taken the worst things from the west and used them to exploit local people. The tourist area…

  • Mae Hong Son Loop Part 3

    I heard mixed reviews about Pai. Many people said I would love it and others said it is similar to Vang Viang or Sihanoukville, my two least favorite places in se Asia. There are certainly Vang Vieng-ish elements to Pai, but I enjoyed my time there. Pai is a city that, in the last decade,…

  • Pai Trek With Mr. Chart

    I wanted to do the final trek for my time in se Asia on the Mae Hong Son Loop and did my usual research online. I found Mr. Chart in Pai and he looked perfect. He offers the most rustic, primitive trekking experience I have come across and is an incredible guy. It’s hard to…

  • Mae Hong Son Loop Part 1

    The plan had been to spend my last 2 weeks in SE Asia traveling around Northern Thailand before heading back to BKK for my flight to ATH. I had no clue what those two weeks would entail, then I heard about the Mae Hong Son Loop. The loop begins (and ends) in Chiang Mai and…

  • The Gibbon Experience

    There is a company in northwestern Laos that has a mission of preserving and expanding the habitat of gibbons as well as creating jobs and positive development in the community. Rather than just ask for donations, The Gibbon Experience provides an amazing opportunity to have some serious fun for a great cause. I don’t mind…