Varanasi remains to this day one of the most surreal experiences of my life. Grief and poverty, hope of reincarnation and casual indifference to burning human corpses, all blended within a rigid structure of strict funeral customs makes for a stunning picture to an unindoctrinated Westerner. It is a city unlike any I have ever been to – a place where both live and dead are looking for their next reincarnation.
It is not a place I am likely to forget.
• Asia
India – Lost Passport and Opium on Christmas Eve
Heading to India both Victor and I were completely paranoid about getting food poisoning which could ruin our entire vacation. We inspected every plate, fork, and spoon and cleaned it with napkins. We ate only cooked vegetables, didn’t order any drinks with ice, drank only bottled water, and were very careful not to ingest anything that wasn’t fresh or freshly cooked. We carried on like this for four full days. And it was this unparalleled state of paranoia and obsession with cleanliness that made the events of the fifth day so damn funny.
Read MoreIndia – Taking It Easy During a Hard Trip
For every one of 16 days, India tested our resolve to travel and rewarded us for not giving up. We went from tasting the most delicious food to food poisoning. We saw the most extreme poverty and the most stunning architecture in one day.
Read MoreThe Happiest Pizza on Earth
We were in Kampot, walking around the main touristy street, when I noticed a strange abundance of Italian restaurants, to be more precise – pizza restaurants. All the menus displayed pizza and pasta and a few other Italian/Western dishes, alongside traditional Khmer cuisine. Every restaurant had the word “Pizza” in […]
Read MoreSoutheast Asia – No Happy Endings
The only thing I love more than massages is cheap massages. Sure, a luxurious spa with relaxing music, aromatherapy, essential oils, and a highly trained therapist who will definitely not grope you in weird places is nice. I splurge on one every birthday. But it just cannot beat an hour-long […]
Read More