asia
All Asia-bound travelers need some guidance before tackling the largest and most populous continent on Earth.
Angkor Wat: The City of Temples
Instilled with the architecture of days lost in the barrows of time, Angkor Wat is as entrancing as it is a mystery for anyone not accustomed to temple-scapes (the image of what feels like a mirage). If this is you, don’t fret! There are firsts for everything and trust me in saying that everyone remembers the first time they lay eyes on Angkor Wat. In Khmer (Cambodia’s main form of dialect), the name Angkor Wat stands for "The City of Temples" which, as you'll come to realise, is very apropos, in what can only be described as a must see experience for anyone visiting the city of Siem Reap in hope of something new.
Uly SpittsPublished 7 years ago in WanderHungry for Okinawa
Hungry for Okinawa Okinawa, Japan, a Sub-Tropical island in the East China Sea. It is 17 miles wide at its widest point and 2 miles at its narrowest, 68 miles from tip to tip. This beautiful island boasts amazing beaches, staggering cliffs, a diverse history. Not to mention it has some of the kindest people I have ever met and known. In 1998, after Boot camp, Infantry School and MOS school, I opted to be stationed overseas and although I thought it would be a challenge, it turns out a lot of servicemen and women don't like to go overseas so I was quickly approved to go to Japan. For me, it was a requirement of my enlistment. Why would I want to stay in the US when I could travel for free? During my first year at Camp Hansen on Okinawa I was offered an incentive to stay for another year, which I accepted because I was going to extend anyway!
- Top Story - August 2017
Have You Ever Had Your Fortune Told on Your Travels?
The queue was long and disorderly which made me more anxious. The monk on the other side of the counter, dressed in his traditional orange robe, was solemnly taking the thin, pink pieces of paper given to him by the over-excited audience, carefully opening them, ratcheting up the suspense, then whisper something to his assistant who would translate it into English to the bearer of the message who would either beam with delight, look confused, or just staggered…
best_of _TaraPublished 7 years ago in Wander A Rose in Nara
I was breathless. Sitting next to Seini in the back seat of the Nakagawa family car, I saw Japan in a way my friends back home would never experience. We passed homes and businesses, bicyclists and walkers, business men and students. We were leaving Sakurai High School where our host sister Chinami attended. We were on our own, the rest of the group was on their way to their own host family.
Jocelyn WhitePublished 7 years ago in WanderIn Cahoots with Mahouts
It’s so hot, I can feel my face is reddening in the worst way. I was way too ambitious in taking on this path. Riding my bike everyday was no preparation for this. Removing the roots of a tree from the ground with a machete was no preparation for this, nothing really could have prepared me for such a hike.
A Brief Look Into Holi: India's Festival of Colour
Holi is one of those events that doesn't require an explanation, all that's needed is a brief image of thousands of people coated in colour to see that this is something unique and very much out of the ordinary. But then again, what is ordinary?
Uly SpittsPublished 7 years ago in WanderChina's Fourth of July
It is the Fourth of July in Chongqing, China, and I am in a bar with four other Americans and a crowd of Chongqing locals. We are all staring at a beer drinking competition being held for those celebrating Independence Day for a country approximately 7,000 miles away. Many locals participate as well, chugging Tsingtao beer as fast as they can while friends cheer them on — this is not just an “American” pastime in China.
Japanese Wonders
Japan is either hot or cold with one comfortable day in between. That is what I've found in my experience of living in Japan so far. About a three-hour bullet train ride north of Tokyo sits the lovely mountain town of Yamagata City situated perfectly within Yamagata Prefecture. When July comes into season in Yamagata it is a time of vibrant activity within the town. July marks the season of the Sakuronbo Cherry and the Hanagasa Festival, which celebrates the harvest and the cherries. The cherries are ripe for the picking at this time and it's quite difficult to not eat them as they are exceedingly delicious. The region is famous for its rich abundance of fruits. The quaint town of Obanazawa lies just to the north and yields watermelons, which cannot be stored in any size refrigerator. Every town celebrates their signature fruits and this naturally creates weekly farmer's markets that celebrate cultural events rather than our American practice of simply providing a space for local vendors to sell their goods.
Sound And The MessengerPublished 7 years ago in WanderThe Opening
I couldn't believe that I was in India. Looking over to my left was an alarm clock blinking 10:30 am. At this time the TV was still on, its introductory screen slowly coming in and out of actual sound in the room and my consciousness as well. I had flown into the dark, bustling city at 3 am just hours previously. It seemed that Chennai didn't need sleep, but I definitely did. Hundreds had lined up outside the airport to take guests to places around the city. I had found my connection somehow and then there was a taxi ride on a dirt road surrounded by rush hour traffic. It was dark all the while, although something in the air sensed the early day was beckoning itself in. The flight previously had been equivalent to about two days of flying. The experience was possibly close to being flushed down a toilet and arriving in another world. "Was it possible to be water logged by time?" I felt that right then. Outside people were now working in the blazing daylight. I was in the cool interior of a room. India was packed tightly around me, but there was no judgement. Everybody lived together, weaved in together, made sense together. This was apparent and it was new and unique. I was there to attend "The Oneness Partners Course" with Oneness University. It was a process that I had started four years prior. A deep Chennai sun blossomed slowly over the sky lighting up the world for millions of people as they began another day in their life. I just happened to be present as well in that part of the world. My life was weaving in with India I realized right then.
Sound And The MessengerPublished 7 years ago in WanderVisit the Dead Sea While You Still Can
The Dead Sea is one of the world’s most famous bodies of water. Its lunar landscape, curative mud and saline water — on the surface of which is possible to lie and take a nap without worrying about drowning — attract over 1.7 million tourists a year. The Dead Sea is roughly 8.6 times saltier than the ocean. Unfortunately, this may not be the case for much longer.
Uly SpittsPublished 7 years ago in WanderHeiwajima
It's 10 PM on a Wednesday night and I'm again walking the streets of Tokyo. A steady rain pours down on the road and the drops are light and more like a spray than a rain. As usual, I have my guitar in one hand and a pack on my back. It seems too much, but I feel like I'm missing something when I leave the house without the guitar and so it's there like an extension of myself. The train that was supposed to come never came and so I struck off on the road and now my feet feel the pavement and slowly I'm starting to regret the decision. Overhead a train passes over me, its pale yellow lights putting yellow sparkles onto a road, the pavement drenched in the spray that has been slowly accumulating. Even the streets somehow seem soaked to the bone. Then as if the passing train signals a transition in time, almost as though there was a check point to be passed, I see the sign for Heiwajima Train Station glow overhead. I had been looking for a hot spring in Tokyo City for some time and a place to stay that was cheap. There are the international hostels of Tokyo, which house the foreign night owl, but I wanted to find something more local and preferably something with hot water. When I had conducted the search online Heiwajima Onsen had popped up and so here I was answering the call at 10 PM at night. The station "Heiwajima" translates to "Peace Island" in English. I had walked across the sea of buildings and had arrived!
Sound And The MessengerPublished 7 years ago in Wander- Top Story - July 2017
The Perfect Bali Travel Read
The Tale of Bali, or Love and Death in Bali as it is also titled, came to me wonderfully and randomly. I was staying in Ubud for the second time on my trip, having returned early from the beautiful black-sanded beaches of the north to witness the cremation ceremony of a member of Ubud's royalty.
Kaitlin McKenziePublished 7 years ago in Wander