In stark contrast to Japan and Korea, Vietnam does not have what you might call a “service-oriented” culture. In fact, in some ways, it swings right past neutral and dips its toes into the “actively hostile” end of the spectrum. There seems to be a collaborative game in the Vietnamese tourism industry to see just […]
What better way to relieve the stresses of traveling than by visiting a Korean bathhouse? Called a jjimjilbang, these traditional spas are frequented by many Koreans starting from a young age. A low entry fee (around $10) gains you access to a multi-level spa with numerous facilities. The bottom floor is host to a number of […]
Japan is a living dichotomy, a country steeped in history and yet one at the forefront of the future. The threads of its past are woven inextricably in the architecture, language, customs, and culture, and its people embrace the past even as they continue to push forward. It’s not uncommon to see a temple or […]
Thanks to taking advantage of various frequent flyer programs, we were left with plenty of airline miles to cash in. We decided to splurge a bit on our flight from Uruguay to Tokyo by booking first-class tickets. Since the trip was so long we figured this would be the best bang for our buck (err… mile), and […]
After zipping around from place to place, it can be nice to slow down in one place to relax and recharge, as well as to get to know one particular place better than our cursory whirlwind travels generally allow. Due to our recent disappointment in realizing that we wouldn’t be able to work in our Antarctic cruise […]
We’ve spent the last month or so relaxing in and exploring Buenos Aires (which I will be sure to expand upon in another post or two), so we haven’t been moving around as much as we’re used to. To cure our encroaching restlessness, we decided to take a weekend trip to nearby Mar del Plata, a […]
One of the best things about the trip is the flexibility. There have been countless times along the way where we’ve worked in a destination we’d never considered, or picked a different route to get from A to B. The constant working and reworking of plans has been a source of excitement, mystery, and even […]
Near Bariloche, Argentina is the scenic Circuito Chico, or Small Circuit, a pleasant, hilly path perfect to navigate on a bike for an afternoon, which is exactly what we did. Here are some of the views and landscapes that this beautiful region of Patagonia offers.
This past Christmas and New Year’s are the first time either of us have spent the holidays away from home. It was somewhat bittersweet — Christmas doesn’t feel quite the same when you’re not surrounded by a horde of family members, but seeing how a totally new part of the world celebrates (not to mention […]
We’ve had the amazing chance to cross a large number of sights and destinations off our travel bucket list over the last four months. Rather than shrinking, however, that bucket list has only grown. For every place you visit while traveling, you’ll hear of three more that you just have to see. Plans have a tendency […]
