How many countries have you visited? A while ago, I have cautioned my readers not to get too bogged down in the so-called “country count”, in other words, not to travel for quantity but rather for quality. I still stand by that recommendation. However, after a certain point, you do accumulate a good enough number…
The Story of a Photo – Old Rickshaw’s Dream
I must have passed this man by a dozen times. There was a road bridge over Vo Van Kiet street in Saigon a couple of blocks from where I used to live, and I’d walk along the street often to get coffee or a beer or simply to do some shooting in the centre of…
Why you should think twice before using AirBnB
As the world is slowly getting back into the travel groove, so do tens of thousands of people around the world who rent out their properties on platforms such as AirBnB and the millions who use these properties for their travel accommodations. AirBnB has grown from an apartment-based San Francisco startup into a multi-billion dollar…
My Worst Travel Adventures (Part 1)
I recently wrote about a major travel mishap that occurred to me on one of my trips to the Philippines. And yes, it was a pretty bad one in the grand scheme of travel (mis)adventures. But that’s the thing though, most adventures are just that – misadventures! Surely, there are pleasant ones, but those are…
California National Parks Primer
My beloved state of California has a total of 9 national parks – more than any other state, including Utah, which I personally consider the most beautiful state for landscape photography. The sheer size of Golden State – slightly larger than Japan and slightly smaller than Sweden – allows for incredible geographic and geological diversity,…
Where Have I Been Lately?
Every time I take a long break from this blog, I feel like starting over again, with introductions and reasons why I am writing it. It’s all my fault, really – I shouldn’t be slacking like this. But remember, this blog is not a commercial enterprise (yet), and therefore, I can afford to take some…
The Lost Treasures (Top 10 List)
Many of us with a travel bug have a dream destination that for whatever reason we have not yet visited and keep in the bucket list for the future. Sometimes it’s the sheer lack of time, or money, or just complicated logistics of getting there. Well, sometimes if you wait too long, these sights may…
The Story of a Photo – Dozed Off
The route of the day was as such: Tabriz – Julfa – Meghri, the lone point of border crossing between Iran and Armenia. It posed a few challenges, as very, very few people speak English in this little-visited province of Iran called East Azerbaijan. As you can tell from the name, it’s the domain of…
Merry Christmas! (and let’s talk about communication)
2020 is finally nearing its end. In most of the other years, people would reflect on their achievements, trips they have taken, life milestones accomplished. While there were still some of those no doubt completed somewhere this year, I think it’s a safe assumption that most of us would remember this year as an aberration,…
That Time I Booked The Wrong Flight
About 2 and a half years ago, I went to a friend’s wedding in the Philippines. Naturally, my plan was to not just attend the wedding but use a week or so of my short holiday to take a side trip in the country, ideally, some place I hadn’t been to before. The wedding reception…