In Hot Water
Swimming good, but snorkeling better. Of course, where I am you can swim every day, but snorkeling requires paying to be on a boat, so it’s not an every day activity. But there are options…
Don’t Worry, Be Krabi
I’ve decided that Airbnbs are like outcall hookers. You look at the pictures and think, “That looks nice.” Then she shows up at your door and you’re all, “Dude, that was way too much Photoshop.” But what…
Muay Thai
I have never once been tempted to view or attend a boxing match. It is savage and uncivilized, and watching people hurt one another for entertainment seems degrading to all parties, participants and spectators alike.…
Welcome To The Jungle
The last of my tour-based day trips around Bangkok took me to Erawan National Park, home to Erawan Falls, seven delicious tiers of waterfalls and pools. This was truly a day trip: I left home…
All Market, No Flea
My grand tour of the highlights surrounding Bangkok continues. Today’s edition is all about markets, the Maeklong Railway Market and the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. Both of these markets were interesting not because of the…
The Temples of Ayutthaya
With only a month in Bangkok, time’s a-wastin’. Bring on the day trips. For those of you who have been following all along, you know we’re not big fans of tours. For the most part…
Gypsy Feet
I’ve gone and done it. I’m in Bangkok, all by myself, leaning into my distaste for sitting still. Dorothy, always more sensible, sees nothing wrong with home and community, while I must trot the globe…
We Are Art Sluts
I’m not ashamed. Of anything, really, but certainly not of being an art slut. So much of our motivation to travel is to see what clever people in different places can do with their thumbs.…
Like Etsy IRL
Java has been a thicket of arts and crafts. Silver, glass, weaving, painting, basketry, leather, puppets… Java has had the richest mix of crafts of anywhere we’ve been, on a par with Morocco or Oaxaca,…
Batik-apalooza
Bali’s ikat fabrics are gorgeous. Subtle, rich, intricate, implausible in their craft. In counterpoint, Java’s batiks are the bumptious clown car to Bali’s sleek Formula 1 racer. Loud, intense, riotous, overstuffed… As we looked around…