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• Finished 20 days of walking Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) Nat’l Park. Unbelievable. Time to add back 10 lost pounds and take hot shower. #travel #
• off to Lumbini #travel #

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• Finished 20 days of walking Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) Nat’l Park. Unbelievable. Time to add back 10 lost pounds and take hot shower. #travel #
• off to Lumbini #travel #

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Hello Everyone - Just wanted to drop a quick update since I haven’t written in a while. It’ll be quick cuz internet up here is not cheap and not fast.

After finishing my retreat in Thailand, I boarded a cheap flight to Kathmandu, nepal the very next day. After four days in the vibrant, yet hectic city I boarded a 12 hour bus to Jiri, where I began the traditional trekking route to Sagarmatha (the Nepali name for what the English decided to call Mt. Everest) Base Camp. Now, for a price, people can fly in much closer than where I started, but the first seven days were priceless - very few other tourists and great landscapes - although the trekking has been arduous to say the least. Up and down. Up and down. Luckily, I paired up with two other guys who were going solo and our threesome has made it easier and more fun. Especially since the sun goes down around 4 or 5 and much of the night is spent inside a lodge. We leave around 7 or 8 in the morning. Nights have been cold and will get colder (-18 degrees Celcius), but we’ve been hiking in T-shirts during the day! Currently, I’m in Namche Bazaar, which is a relatively big (1,000 people?) Nepali city at 11,000 or so. Tomorrow, we will take a rest day with a short side hike to acclimatise to the altitude. I can’t tell you how breathtaking the landscape is. Today, we were surrounded by snowcapped mountains as we followed and crossed over rushing turquoise - turquoise!!!! - rivers. Yak caravans were coming down as we were going up.

Well, it’s time to eat some dinner and rest the legs. At least two more weeks of trekking and climbing to go and I can’t wait. I’m already planning my return trips to this beautiful country.

From 11,000 feet with love,

Adrian

• Thanks to @theplanetd for asking me to guest post! Your Own Two Hands http://bit.ly/2QVZFE #
• Made it to Kathmandu…and out of the SE Asian heat!!!! #travel #

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• You can win a postcard from where ever I am…or significantly alter the course of your life - http://bit.ly/Zk6en #
• Stunned…but happy –> China is doing more to tackle #climatechange than it gets credit for http://short.to/vh3l Thanks to @GrantSEngland #
• BRILLIANT! The Currency of Pad Thai http://owrn3.th8.us thanks to @wanderingearl #

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• You can win a postcard from where ever I am…or significantly alter the course of your life - http://bit.ly/Zk6en #
• Stunned…but happy –> China is doing more to tackle #climatechange than it gets credit for http://short.to/vh3l Thanks to @GrantSEngland #
• BRILLIANT! The Currency of Pad Thai http://owrn3.th8.us thanks to @wanderingearl #

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Travel Update – November 1, 2009

Let’s see, where did I leave you last?

Kon Tum, Vietnam

En route to Laos via Vietnam I passed through the city of Kon Tum, an exciting city. My stay didn’t last long, but made my last 24 hours in Vietnam more than memorable. After exiting the bus, I checked prices in two hotels. In the second, I ran into Molly, a Vietnamese lady who spoke some English also questioning about prices. She helped me with the language barrier and when I declined to stay there noting it was above my budget ($5 or so), she said to me in English, “Turn and follow me, don’t say anything.” Already conditioned by the Vietnamese not to trust anyone, I skeptically followed her reminding myself that I’m capable of
getting out of any scam by now. (In my three weeks, I had had 0 experiences with people wanting to help me NOT in return for money or a purchase. Every interaction seemed to have dollar signs underlying it) We crossed the street and turned a corner down a dark street. The nerves kicked in a little here as I tried to figure out what the hell was going on. Then, I noticed a large tour bus parked in front of a large building. Molly is a tour guide so this must be there bus. But what’s the scam? She called a man over and spoke with him in Vietnamese, then turned to me and said, “you can stay here for free.” OK, but where is here? I thought. The tour bus was actually hiding a small Buddhist monastery where Molly’s group was staying and as I strolled in I found a large group of retired Vietnamese men and woman eyeing me curiously. Still unsure of what was going on, they invited me to sit and eat and a few members including an older lady who smacked my arm jokingly as she shouted at me in Vietnamese scurried around to fill my plate with Buddhist fare. Three plates later and stuffed, they continued to stack my plate. Not wanting to be rude (and being a glutton), I ate until I physically could not. Molly had disappeared and some of the older ladies tried their English with me, but it wasn’t much, and I had failed in picking up any Vietnamese during my 3 weeks. Finally, Molly returned and told me they were going to a “village for lepers” the next day and asked if I wanted to join. Always on the lookout for unique experiences, I accepted, still utterly confused. Read the rest of this entry →

• Business and the heart. Thanks to @TOMSshoes A letter from Blake’s recent trip to Ethiopia! http://tinyurl.com/yzpwu68 #
• Elephant Tale and @savvysushi need your vote here! (http://bit.ly/2jrf8b Please! Please! Please! #
• RIP Kanye West is not dead but @savvysushi could use your vote to revolutionize education! (http://bit.ly/2jrf8b #
• RIP Kanye West is not dead, but @savvysushi could use your vote to revolutionize education! http://bit.ly/4geJpq #
• Elephant Tale and @savvysushi could use your vote to revolutionize education and win $500,000! http://bit.ly/4geJpq (8 days left) #
• when will @GuyKawasaki realize he tweets so much that he dilutes himself? Needs to be more selective;guess I’ll tell him that when im famous #
• In Luang Prabang, Laos after 30 hours of buses and only 3 hours sleep in two days. But city is making up for it!!! #travel #
• RT @NWF Wisconsin schools have a plan for increased environmental education: http://bit.ly/3rIe9S #ecoschools #

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• @savvysushi Aww shucks! I’m not sure which “feet” you’re talking about - I probably just “stumbled” (bad metaphor…) in reply to savvysushi #

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On the Banks of the Mekong

As I wandered towards Pakse Hotel’s rooftop bar tonight, I decided to pass by the mighty Mekong River first, a few blocks farther south before heading for a beer and the sunset via rooftop. As I approached from the north, I noticed chairs and tables lining the sidewalks, with vendors serving BBQ and beer. As the road curved east and began to follow the Mekong, I looked out and noticed that beautiful massive ball of fire in the background – a magical orange color, with a hint of pink. The horizon was about a mile away, the other side of the massive river, and the sun shared its orange with the river in a rippled line coming directly towards me. Screw the fancy hotel rooftop, I thought, as I sat down in a plastic blue chair and a plastic table and ordered, the murky Mekong only 20 feet away. The vendors cooked my food under a blue and green tarpaulin looking ready to fall over at the first sign of wind, draped between a few trees and a light post.

Out comes my food; an ice cold Beer Lao, the national pride of Laos, unknown barbecued meat, a few veggies, and a Read the rest of this entry →

• I can relate to this: VIDEO: “Surfing Without Lessons” | http://ow.ly/r6zV thanks to @wanderingearl #
• @tferriss How Singapore makes health care work at 25% of the US cost: http://su.pr/8Jp7Rc via @gmc in reply to tferriss #
• Made it to Laos via rarely used border at BoY (vietnam). Nobody there, not even a bus to take me to next town… #travel #
• What essential ebooks would you recommend? Two of my picks (http://xn8ft.th8.us) @wanderingearl ’s Rat Race & @coolpeoplecare Energy Guide #
• Nashville Steps It Up - Calls on Citizens for Change http://bit.ly/A7Bit #sustainabilty #government #

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Hello from Laos everyone.

This is semi-long travel update [edited from “quick travel update” after I finished typing] to let you know where I’ve been and what I’m doing. I’m hoping to do this about once per week from here on out.

At the end of August and beginning of September I spent three weeks in Thailand. The first days in Bangkok were spent overcoming a debilitating flu picked up just before flying over from Kunming, China. My last day there was spent mountain biking for 5 hours and Ultimate frisbee for 2 – all in the rain. Combined with little sleep, it was the perfect combo for flu. Voila.

After resting up in Bangkok, my friend Matt and I spent two weeks hopping around Krabi province in the south. Sights on tap: monasteries and monkeys, long tail boats, and crystal blue waters (in most places). Often times our bungalow was less than $6 per night and not farther than 50 feet from the water. We did the typical adventure stuff: kayaking (complete with a deserted island and seasickness), rock climbing, smashing coconuts on rocks like neanderthals, snorkeling and riding motorbikes around the countryside. Of course we also had a “busy day at the office” which included Read the rest of this entry →

• Don’t worry everyone-the typhoon was a no show in southern Vietnam. A few rainy days, but didn’t even hear about it til 3 days after #travel #
• First time surfing: After 2 hours of pure frustration, stood up on the long board. Grinning ear to ear even though no one could see. #
• Left Mui Ne on southern Vietnam coast. In Dalat in the southern highlands. Long day on bus tomorrow, then into Laos on Tuesday. #

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• An apt reminder from @WanderingEarl : “Always bear in mind that very little indeed is necessary for living a happy life…” #
• Wondering what will happen to Asian economies if the low-carb diet ever makes it over here…?? #
• Relaxing to one of my favorite songs ever. jack_johnson banana_pancakes http://bit.ly/35AUsS #
• Learning more about TOMS shoes and slowing…falling..in…loooo…(http://kox1l.tk #
• I uploaded a YouTube video — Crunchy in Beijing 2009 - Friendly Planet Blog http://bit.ly/G3JYc #
• RT @matadornetwork 12 Personal Travel Websites That Will Make You Quit Your Day Job http://tinyurl.com/5qqe43 #

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Motos everywhere (Photo by alex-s on flickr)

Where ever I go, I usually test out the public transportation. Why? It’s dirt cheap and reveals a more authentic side of the city I’m in. In most cases, it’s slower than taxis or moto-taxis. And only in the more modern cities do new fleets of air conditioned buses roam the streets. Most of the time I’m the only westerner on the bus. But it’s not comfort I seek.

Here’s a short story inspired by a short ride.

A bus trip through Saigon

This morning, I’m making my way to the central bus station in Saigon, southern Vietnam’s largest city. The city is raucously awake for 8:30am. Motorbikes swarm everywhere like it’s a weekday. People line the sidewalks, walking from shop to shop to socialize or buy their goods for the day. I think back to Nashville’s Saturday mornings where my bike and I are one of the few vehicles on the road. Despite loving the ‘hide-and-go-seek-like’ challenge of finding my destinations, I’d asked the young Vietnamese lady at the desk of my guesthouse which bus to take. She’d written for me on a small piece of paper the address along with Read the rest of this entry →

• Restin up in HoChiMinh (Saigon) after swimming in clear Cambodian streams, getting hustled by child vendors & battling Vietnam moto vultures #
• Much sarong respect to @WanderingEarl ! Jealous of your latest hacienda and wastin too much time on your site. #
• Venturing out into Saigon-moto-hell to find some street vendor with a delicious (and cheap) bowl o’ noodles for me. #
• Just added myself to the http://wefollow.com twitter directory under: #sustainability #responsiblebusiness #travel #traveler #tra #
• RT @Kevin__Chan & @theplanetd Travel the World and Make a Difference with The Global Volunteer Network http://bit.ly/FsqSZ #travel #
• This is me - RT @zappos:”The man is richest whose pleasures are cheapest.” -Henry David Thoreau #
• Just added myself to the http://wefollow.com twitter directory under: #travel #sustainability #traveler #traveling #entre #
• @theplanetd Although I’m a bit new, I’m giving 50% of blog revenues every month to orgs (or people) in the countries I’m traveling… in reply to theplanetd #
• Reading http://1xjtl.tk to try and get some ideas on an unconventional resume #
• This is so NOT cool…http://r2be7.tk - when will companies take more responsibility? #
• I uploaded a YouTube video — Dong Zhi Men Street Market http://bit.ly/townk #
• Gotta love when the Prez can be candid - Obama Calls Kanye a ‘Jackass’ — The Audio http://bit.ly/193UqY #
• RT @theplanetd Giving Back: Travel the World and Make a Difference | The Planet D: Around the World Adventure Couple http://bit.ly/gb60W #
• Yesterday: Crawled into one of the tunnel systems used by VietCong just north of Saigon.Tiny.Only made it 20m before claustrophobia set in. #
• Played some great Ultimate with Vudoo (Vietnam Ultimate) and RMIT University players. Lots of fun but drank 3 liters of water in 2 hours. #

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serendipity (n) -

The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident.

As I stumbled dazed and confused off the overnight train from Shanghai to Beijing, I immediately set to the daunting task of finding a hostel. Typical me, I failed to book one in advance and had no knowledge or map of the massive Beijing. As fate would have it, I spotted the City Central Youth Hostel and it’s Hosteling International sign just across the street from the train station. With a sprinkle of hop in my step and a sigh of relief, I decided to check it out until I could find a more decent spot.

Inside, I stood in line behind several others waiting to check in. Apparently, this is a popular spot. Not looking good on getting a bed. As the guy who came in after inched forward I noticed his North Face bag, worn shoes, scruffy face and the earring in his upper ear. I assumed he was going to cut in front of me when our turn came so I silently jockeyed for my place. Read the rest of this entry →

In June, I spent 5 days in Shanghai, China. From Shanghai, I went 1 hour south to one of the two “heavens on Earth” in China, Suzhou, to visit a friend studying at Suzhou University. From Suzhou we made a day trip to the other “heaven on earth”, Hangzhou, a few hours to the north.

Shanghai

After spending 5 months in Shenzhen, a 20 year-old industrial mega-city surrounded by the largest manufacturing base in the world, I was ready for some clean air, clean streets, and a place that seemed more livable. Shanghai was my hope. In pictures and stories it holds so much promise. But in reality, it was a big disappointment (Disclaimer – many people love Shanghai, so this is just one man’s opinion).

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I spent the weekend of June 13^th and 14th playing in the Shanghai 2009 Ultimate Frisbee Tournament. As I arrived on the 12^th, I never saw the city before landing – in midday. The haze and smog was so thick that visibility was limited to 100 meters or so. Gross. After breathing in this crap while sprinting up and down fields during the weekend, I wasn’t exactly feeling great. And then…

The Most Bizarre Night of My Life…

Sunday night I found my couchsurfing host’s flat; a marvelous flat with 4 gracious Austrian hosts. After a much needed hot shower, my host, Mark and I headed out to a local “Hard Rock” cafe (some whole in the wall bar knock off of Hard Rock) for a surprisingly amazing chimichanga Read the rest of this entry →

Hey all, I just updated my Whereabouts map. You can see where I’ve been over the past couple of weeks. Click on the dots and lines for a brief description of each adventure.

More posts coming in next few days!

I’m off to dinner with four French roommates. Together, today, we fought off hordes of Chinese people at the bus station ticket desk to get 5 elusive tickets to Shangri-La (I’ve been stuck in DaoCheng for 3 days due to no bus one day and sold-out tickets the next). We literally were being pushed and pulled from behind as others fought to get their fist of money in front of ours (lines don’t exist in China in case you don’t know). We even waited at the desk for over an hour until it opened at 2pm. In return, we left victorious and hop on the 11-hour bus for Shangri-La at 6am tomorrow morning.

From DaoCheng (a quaint, but non-descript town in southern Sichuan) with Love,
Adrian

After hearing of  Katrina (pronounced with a German accent) and Yael’s plan to rent horsed for 15 days in northern Mongolia, I knew the spontaneity of long-term travel would win out. The decision wasn’t easy, but in the end, I knew this is an experience I couldn’t pass up.

Tomorrow, Katrina, Yael, another Danish girl we just met, and I are taking a train 12 hours north of Ulaan Baatar. There we will meet our guide who will drive us several hours in a 4-wheel drive to his home. The next day, we will pick out horses and buy food for the 12-13 day trek to Lake Hosvgol, near the southern tip of the Khovsgol Nuur National Park. On the 11 of July, we will stop on Moron to witness (and potentially take part in) the opening ceremonies of Naadam, the national festival here in Mongolia. Then, we will end our trip at the southern tip of Lake Khovsgol.

Sorry this is short, but it’s far past my bed time and tomorrow is a busy day.

Thanks for listening!

Adrian