8,471 miles and Counting

The more friends and travellers I talked to, the more Nepal came up as the place to go trekking. So why not pay the Himalayas a visit while on that side of the world? Kathmandu is the starting point for nearly all trekkers, and it must have one of the highest concentrations of outdoor stores. Here was my $133 haul, all "authentic" of course: (2) pair wool socks (1) pair sock liners Patagonia fleece Synthetic down jacket UnderArmor long sleeve base layer Mountain Hardwear winter gloves with liners 30L North Face backpack Wool hat I also hired a -10C sleeping bag for $0.50/day, and a pair of trekking poles for $0.20/day. With that, two trekking permits, and the fattest stack of cash I've ever held (no reliable ATMs high up in the Himalayas), I boarded a local bus to Besisahar, the official start of the Annapurna Circuit. I was fortunate to have a seat, but for the first two hours we crawled through dusty Kathmandu traffic, and for the remaining six, made ou...

That's what Singapore is known as, since it doesn't show up as much else on a map. It's a place unlike any other I've seen, and I'm still not sure how to adequately describe Singapore. It is impressive. I don't see cigarette butts on the ground or trash floating down the river, sidewalk cracks or potholes in the roads, dead ends or unfinished city planning. There are crosswalks that pedestrians use and drivers acknowledge. It's not just clean here, it's pristine. Everything works. Grit? You won't find that here. For starters, their "street food" isn't your typical Asian fare from grills on wheels parked at any street corner. Food stalls here are equally as good, but housed in "hawker centers." Queue up at one of dozens of stalls, many of which serve just one dish that they have perfected. They have sinks--with soap--toilets, too. Staff are constantly clearing tables and cleaning floors. No dogs, no cats, no rats. Maybe a ...