Stepping through the infamous gates of Auschwitz, the pall of gloom and oppression falls over you in an almost physical way. The words over the gate, ARBEIT MACHT FREI, meaning “work sets you free,” cast a mocking eye over the rows of austere brick buildings used to house those lucky enough to be sentenced to slave […]
Jordan is a small country with interesting sites scattered across its area. Unfortunately, the tourist infrastructure isn’t quite as developed as similar countries in, for example, Southeast Asia, so actually getting to these sites can be a bit of a challenge. Unless you’re going to or from Amman, Petra, or Aqaba, there are really no […]
Before the British arrived, India was a vast collection of tribes, kingdoms, and empires with histories reaching back thousands of years. The state now known as Rajasthan was once host to an array of conquerors, warlords, sultans, and kings, and the history of the battles and royalty make for a fascinating setting. Many of the […]
We’ve been a lot of places over the past year or so. Beautiful places, ugly places, loud places, peaceful places, places with millions of people, and places where it felt like we were the only people in the world. For a while, it was beginning to seem (naively) that we had run the gamut, and […]
There’s elephants in Thailand everywhere you look. They’re adorning statues outside temples, tattooed on both tourists and locals, and of course decorating the seemingly endless sea of stretchy elephant pants favored by every girl that’s ever been to Thailand. You’ll also, unfortunately, see elephants in poor conditions used to entertain tourists by giving rides, painting […]
After three weeks eating delicious food in Malaysia, we decided to head to Singapore for a little modern city living. Singapore, a city-state on the southern point of the Malaysian peninsula, is one of the smallest countries in the world, but there is a lot to do packed into a small area. Make no mistake, […]
The restaurant’s name is also its entire menu: Hainan Chicken Rice. Three generations of family run the place every single day, as they have for years, serving up the dish they’ve perfected over the decades. The elderly matron bellows orders over the heads of the sea of customers and her family members scurry to carry […]
Thailand is perhaps best known for its islands. Boasting some of the most paradisiacal stretches of beach in the world, the stereotype of crystal clear waters, white sands, and swaying palm trees come to life in Thailand’s seas. Not all of the islands are created equal, however, so here’s a quick overview of the islands […]
Angkor Wat is by far the most recognizable landmark in Cambodia. It’s so integral to the country’s history and tourism that it’s featured on Cambodia’s flag. We heard from one guide that tourism to Angkor alone provided as much as 20% of the entire country’s GDP. Not knowing much about Cambodia going in, Angkor was […]
Over the past few months, we’ve had the opportunity to visit three different countries in which the United States has, one way or another, been involved in a war. Japan, whose horrifying devastation brought a swift end to World War II; Korea, which is divided to this day along geographic, political, and cultural lines; and […]