June 4, 2023
The long goodbye to New York City starts now at my favorite Manhattan neighborhood: Chinatown. Why? Well, food and colors. I picked up some sweet treats here at Bangkok Center Grocery. More on that later… Street eats from 46 Mott Street Deli, a small counter spot near Vegetarian Dim Sum Read more…
February 19, 2023
Though I needed the Kelso Dunes in the Mojave Desert for a backdrop of a special photoshoot, I only stayed briefly. But these hours were my initiation into the road, an offering to wild time… time that exists outside the constructs of tedium–impractical, untainted, and because of these, unsustainable. Its Read more…
June 16, 2010
Oneness-Fountain-Heart is a vegetarian restaurant in Flushing, Queens run by devotees of the late spiritual leader Sri Chinmoy. Sri Chinmoy advocated for international harmony and… vegetarianism, hence the vegetarian cafes in his dedication in NYC (Annan Brahma and Cafe Panorama in Jamaica Hills, Queens) and across the country in Seattle, San Read more…
September 13, 2009
Happiness is a day on da bike. After a hearty breakfast of my bona fide best vegan pancakes in the world, my bike bud and I hopped from Kings to Queens, a grossly under-represented borough in my New York City repertoire. Bike bud, having acquired expansive knowledge of bike hot-spots, Read more…
April 11, 2008
I’m Back in Bangkok… but this time for an unprecedented 5-night stay. My flight leaves early morning Wednesday and here, in this bustling maze of tuk-tuk exhaust and street vendors, I will stay til then. I have some goals for this last hurrah, mainly to combat my fear of straying Read more…
April 5, 2008
Last night I awoke to the pounding of the tin roofs around my guesthouse. Startled and helpless,I thought the worst. Transient looters? Back-alley bandits preying on the seclusion of my rented room? Drunken tourists? Emerging in the morning, the noisy culprit was clear. Mangoes. They were all over the place Read more…
March 30, 2008
After a good deal of time in Phuket Town, it was time to change home base. Being as far South as I’d get in Thailand, I headed North to Phang Nga Town. Phang Nga hosts a nice variety of attractions, the most famous being Khao Ping Kan, often referred to Read more…
March 20, 2008
I spent the day in Old Sukhothai. Wandering around the lush grounds of Sukhothai Historical Park by rented bicycle, I left with my clothing a shade darker and soaked in sweat. It is very, very hot here in Sukhothai. Actually, the country’s highest temperatures are here: currently 36.2 C at Read more…
March 18, 2008
Getting way too comfortable in Chiang Mai, it was time to move on. I headed further North to Chiang Rai via 3rd class bus along with the locals. After a few hours uphill, I was at Chiang Rai. Along the way I had devoured the my 5 large greasy spring Read more…
March 11, 2008
After a layover in Bangkok, I headed up to Chiang Mai, the tourist epicenter of the North and gateway to hill tribe villages and treks, the Golden Triangle (more on this next week) and a variety of National Parks, including one boasting the highest peak in Thailand. Although the variety Read more…
March 9, 2008
Quick note: I am very happy that I altered my plans to include runs to Ubon, Udon and Nong Khai. These cities have fully immersed me in daily Thai life and some very worthwhile attractions. On my bicycle tour of Nong Khai, I visited the well-known sculpture garden of Sala Read more…
March 6, 2008
Heading to Kaeng Tana National Park from Ubon Rathathani proved to be yet another adventure exploring Thailand’s circuit of buses. One with new lessons to be learned, like finding out how far the bus stop is from the park entrance, how frequently said bus makes return trips and how late Read more…
March 5, 2008
I would be fibbing if I told that my visit to Ubon Rathcthani was not somewhat influenced by Uthayam Booniyom, a vegetarian restaurant run by some pretty amazing women affiliated with the nearby Buddhist temple. The huge open-air space is part fruit/vegetable market and part delectable, totally vegan buffet. The Read more…
March 2, 2008
Warning: The images contained in this post are not suitable for children. That means you Ashley & Kayla! As I planned this trip, there was one attraction I knew I couldn’t leave without seeing. Out of all the scenic wonderment of this foreign land, it was the Wat Saen Suk, Read more…
February 23, 2008
After a long first day at Bangsai, I wake up to the sound of raucous birds conversing, crowing roosters in the distance and an army of crickets. The village of Bangsai is alive in a way that compliments these noises, even amplifies them. The sun has not yet risen but Read more…
February 21, 2008
Bangsai is a village located 20 kilometers from my Wangnoi homestay. This, my new home for the next 3 days, is situated on the Noi river and is constructed about 8 feet from ground level, as are all the dwellings here, in case of flooding from the Noi. Urai, my Read more…
February 20, 2008
My language and cultural lessons continued this morning with Sukanya. Feeling a bit quesy in the stomach this morning, I found it hard to focus. I had to make a conscious effort to slow my breathing and calm myself down. Fittingly, we spoke of the holistic perspective of Eastern medicine Read more…
February 19, 2008
Considering the dinner of white rice the previous evening, I woke up with a hungry vengeance, thinking satiety or bust. I fed myself an enormous breakfast that included 3 slices of toasted white bread with the reduced sugar raspberry jam that’s been all the rage here at the homestay (Note: Read more…
February 18, 2008
Fighting the rush hour traffic into Bangkok reminded me of home. My tour guide, Kai, and who I will refer to as the quiet one and I arrived at the Grand Place about 9 a.m. The compound of 20+ temples and worshipping sights for both Buddha and the King was Read more…