The Aloof

Photos of U-Bein Bridge Near Mandalay, Myanmar (Burma)

Mike and I rented bikes and pedaled for 45 minutes in the 100+ degree heat out to U-Bein Bridge, arguably the most photographed thing in Myanmar. The bridge itself is .75-miles (1.2 km) long and is the oldest and longest teak (a type of wood) bridge in the world. The bridge is supported by 1,086 wooden pillars that stick up out of the water.

But mostly the bridge just looks really cool. It’s fun to walk across it and watch the locals enjoying themselves in the water. […]

June 4th, 2014|Comments Off

Photos from an Ascent of Prodigal Sun (V 5.8 C2) on Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park

Angel’s Landing is arguably the best-known landmark in southern Utah’s Zion National Park. It’s a striking mountain with a few dead vertical sides nearly a thousand feet tall. There is a trail that goes up the side, but these pics are from an ascent Lee and I did of the route Prodigal Sun (V 5.8 C2, 900′) back in 2009. I could have sworn that I’d posted these photos here already, but better late than never, right? […]

May 15th, 2014|Comments Off

The Genocide Museum and Killing Fields of Phnom Penh, Cambodia

In the late 1970s in Cambodia, 1.5+ million people (a quarter of the country’s population) were killed. Today, the prison in central Phnom Penh where thousands of people were tortured before being executed is a genocide museum, and the place where those prisoners were taken to be executed—now known as the killing fields—is open to visitors. […]

March 24th, 2014|Comments Off

Two Temples, Two Boat Rides, and a Building That Looks Like a Robot

I’ve spent about four months now in Bangkok, but up until last week, I hadn’t bothered visiting many of the city’s main tourist attractions. It’s felt great to more or less stick to one place for a while, make friends, and be without feeling like I need to go see another church, temple, or ruin. Over the last couple weeks, though, I’ve started to feel the itch to get out and start seeing stuff again. The first manifestation of that itch was a day spent on Bangkok’s waterways and in its temples. Here are some pics from that day. […]

March 22nd, 2014|Comments Off

13 Photos from the Streets of Phnom Penh, Cambodia

My two-month Thai visa was expiring, so I needed to go to another country to get a new one. I chose Cambodia.

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March 8th, 2014|Comments Off

Doi Inthanon National Park: Waterfalls and the Highest Point in Thailand

Cory and I headed out early to find an open car rental agency in Chiang Mai. We had a bit of a problem, though—I had my driver’s license but didn’t want to drive, while Cory didn’t have his driver’s license but did want to drive. I ended up renting a little Toyota in my name (for only 900 baht, or around $28 US), but Cory drove all day. We figured that if Cory got pulled over without a license, we’d be able to bribe our way out of it. We picked up Anna and headed southwest from Chiang Mai toward Doi Inthanon National Park.

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March 5th, 2014|Comments Off

All the Food I Ate in January 2014

One of my goals for 2014 was to keep track of everything I ate throughout the year. Here’s a list of what I ate in January.

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February 2nd, 2014|Comments Off

10 Photos from My Day in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

When flying from Kathmandu to Bangkok, I had a 14-hour layover in the capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, so I made the most of it and got out to see some of the city. I didn’t know what to expect, but I liked it a lot. In terms of actual things to see, Kuala Lumpur really doesn’t have a whole lot to offer, but it’s still a great city. I spent a while wandering around the very modern city center, and it was like being in a tropical New York. Lots of beautiful steel and glass buildings. I imagine that it’s a bit of what Singapore is like.

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November 25th, 2013|Comments Off

Highlights of These Last 5 Months in Eastern Europe

I head to Asia the day after tomorrow for the first time in nine years, ending five months of living in and traveling around nine countries in Eastern Europe. Here are my thoughts on the highlights of what I’ve seen.

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October 18th, 2013|Comments Off

Hiking, Snorkeling, and Exploring Ruins Around Kaş, Turkey

Kaş (rhymes with “osh”) is a beautiful town on Turkey’s southern Mediterranean coastline. […]

September 16th, 2013|Comments Off