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I walked along the sidewalk of Jamshedji Tata Road in Mumbai, sweating profusely in the 115 degree heat and under the increasing weight of my backpack. Both of my hands struggled to hang on to a 50 lb (22 kg) duffel bag that I carried for a fellow traveler I had just met on a bus and as a result, I was unable to wipe my face dry. My eyes stung and there was nothing I could do [...]
The unmistakable sound of a gong suddenly rang out over the compound and the chattering among the fifty of us who had gathered for a ten-day meditation retreat immediately turned to silence. And just like that, there would be no more speaking, no more body language, no more reading, writing, music, television, computers or cell phones. There would be no communication or entertainment allowed at all. It was time to focus strictly on self-reflection and meditation. I’m sure many of you have probably heard [...]
My friend picked me up in front of my apartment building and we immediately drove off, away from the hustle and chaos of the big city. Avoiding the highway, we took quiet country roads instead, moving at a slow speed through a hilly landscape followed by what appeared to be a large forest of sequoia trees. After a long time had passed, we eventually found ourselves at a junction, where we had to choose which way to turn. I soon noticed a semi-hidden sign [...]
My two friends and I were debating whether or not to have one last beer before hopping in a taxi for the ride back to my apartment. We were sitting on cushy sofas in the corner of one of the most laid-back and hidden bars in Playa del Carmen. As the debate continued for an unnecessarily long period of time, a large, jolly-looking man with a fluffy white beard and puffy red cheeks, suddenly turned around from his bar stool and glanced over at [...]
A white, rusty, beat-up, early 1980s pickup truck came to a screeching halt only seconds after driving right by me. And as I stood on the side of the road, my heart began to beat a little faster as the truck shifted into reverse and backed up at a frighteningly fast speed. Again, the tires screeched, this time as the truck stopped right in front of me. The driver, a large man with a torn and dirtied t-shirt, and a serious, angry-looking face, remained [...]
I was all set to finish up a post I had written about orange warning cones and holes in the sidewalk. I had worked on it all afternoon and only had a couple of paragraphs left to comb over when I decided to turn off my computer and head into town for a quick bite to eat. So off I went. After the meal, as I was driving home (about an hour ago), belly full and eager to publish my post, I hit a [...]
Almost two weeks ago, as I grabbed a slice of pizza from a small cafe on my way home from a long walk, I met another American fellow. He had arrived into Playa del Carmen (the town where I am living) the day before for a 12-day vacation with his wife. At first glance, with his Nike t-shirt, New Balance sneakers and knee-high beige socks, Alfred looked like just another tourist in this well-touristy region of Mexico. We spent about ten minutes chatting when [...]
The time has come for Part 2 of my “One Decade of Wandering Ends, Another One Begins” post. I wish to start off by thanking everyone who has already commented, spread the word and helped make Part 1 my most rewarding post to date in terms of the interactions it has led to with all of you out there. So, here’s Part 2. Again, this post is part of my list of the first fifty things – places, adventures, thoughts, lessons learned – that [...]
On December 25th, 1999 I left the USA for Southeast Asia to embark on my first independent backpacking adventure. When I arrived in Bangkok, I found myself, as so many others do, wandering aimlessly around Khao San Road at 2:00am, exhausted, overwhelmed, confused, shooing away lady-boys and searching for a place to stay. I’ll never forget the fear of that first night as I sat awake until sunrise, staring out a dirty window from an over-priced room, just observing the street below. At the [...]
Taking a quick break from my afternoon work session yesterday, I went into the kitchen for a glass of juice. Apple juice to be exact. A few minutes later I returned to my desk and immediately noticed something unfortunate. Right there before me, splattered all over my computer screen and keyboard, were dozens of droplets of saliva. I reacted quickly, yelling out, “Who spit on my computer screen? Come on, who spit on the screen?” A sudden burst of frustration spread within and I [...] |
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