Finding my happy place in Tokyo
This is just a quick post to touch base, since I’ve been in Tokyo for two full days and haven’t written anything yet. But I want to share some general impressions. I’ll write more detail later.
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My last day in Korea: North and South
No, I didn’t make it to North Korea, but yesterday we went to the DMZ and looked across the Jo River to get a glimpse while enjoying some Starbucks. We also had a chance to meet with a defector from North Korea and hear her story. It was a fascinating way to spend my last…
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Oeam Village and Modern Art
Yesterday we visited Oeam Village, about 90 km south of Seoul. This was like taking a voyage back to a time of quiet, simple, traditional life. And when we got back, I still had time to visit another museum. So it was a good day for me.
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Seoul So Far
We have five nights in Seoul on this tour. It seems like a lot, but five nights is just four days. it’s amazing how quickly the time is going and how little I feel I’ve seen and experienced halfway through my time here. Since I’m trying to cram as much as I can into the available…
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My last three days in Ulaanbaatar
After our three days in the Gobi Desert, we came back to Ulaanbaatar for four nights (three full days). Here’s a rundown of the things I did and saw and experienced.
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Three days in the Gobi Desert
My visit to Mongolia (pre-trip extension for OAT’s South Korea and Japan tour) includes five nights in Ulaanbaatar and three nights in the Gobi Desert. Here’s a rundown of our Gobi adventures.
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Mongolian wrestling and a bit more
Yesterday we checked out of our hotel in Ulaanbaatar, and in the afternoon we flew to the Gobi Desert. We had plenty of time earlier in the day, and the highlight of our experience, for me, was watching some young men engage in Mongolian wrestling, one of the three “manly games.” (You’ll recall that the…
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Ulaanbaatar Day Two: Archery, Food, and Shamanism
When Eric, our trip leader, told us we would start the day yesterday with an archery experience, what I imagined turned out to be completely different from Mongolian archery. And come to think of it, little of what I’ve seen and done in Ulaanbaatar so far has failed to surprise me. I guess that is…
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Intro to Ulaanbaatar
I had a free day yesterday, so I used to to give myself an intro to Ulaanbaatar. And now I can give you an intro too! This morning I will meet the other four people who are on the Mongolia pre-trip, and we’ll begin our tour. But yesterday I was on my own. I did meet…
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GDL to MEX to NRT to UBN: I made it to Ulaanbaatar
There were times I wasn’t sure I’d get here, but I made it to Ulaanbaatar after three long travel days. Here’s a rundown of the journey.
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Next: The Far East
My next big adventure is to an area that has been beckoning for a while: The Far East. Although I visited Southeast Asia in 2024 and 2025, there is a big swath of eastern Asia I have passed over. Until now. In just one week, I leave for a two-and-a-half-month adventure to five east Asian…
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Madagascar Part Eight: Baobabs and Beach
My last few days in Madagascar involved heading back down the “road” from Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park to Morondava. The long, bumpy drive included some nice encounter with baobabs, including the renownded sunset at the Avenue of the Baobabs. I already had several nice sunset experiences on this trip, including one with baobabs in…
