Bizarre
 
 
 
Bizarre
 
SW China-23
SW China-23
SW China-23

Going South on China: A Panda Hunt

Before I try to rationalize for you my ill-conceived quest into the bamboo forests of Sichuan, I’d like to clarify that I harbor no secret vendetta against the Giant Panda. I just simply couldn’t understand why the world fetish...
 
Adventure
 
jjimjilbang2-5
jjimjilbang2-5
jjimjilbang2-5

THE JJIMJILBANG DIARIES (Parts 1 &2): Six Days Naked in a Hot Tub Full of Old, Dirty Korean Men FOR SURVIVAL

Illustrations by, Jacquie Spadano and Ross Doran.  ************************ I had not seen sunlight in over four days, but I knew it was nighttime. I could tell because the Koreans were singing again; their harrowing karaoke tr...
 
Bizarre
 
Kazakh Eagle Festival-2
Kazakh Eagle Festival-2
Kazakh Eagle Festival-2

A Steppe Too Far?: Eagle Hunters, Cultural Darwinism, and Getting Banned in Kazakhstan

At 4:27PM, on the afternoon of October 29th, I received an e-mail from an acquaintance in Almaty, informing me that Backpackology has been banned in Kazakhstan. When my initial laughter subsided, my amusement faded into confusi...

 
Adventures in Backpackistan!
 
Postcard from Seoul-4
Postcard from Seoul-4
Postcard from Seoul-4

Off the Eaten Path: A Culinary Tour of Korea (Part One)

At first, I thought it was dead. At least in most corners of the globe, this is what you assume when something is placed before you on a platter and you are handed metal chopsticks. But this was not ‘most corners of the globe;’...
 
Adventure
 
goatcover
goatcover
goatcover

GoatBall Superstar, Afghan Hero

The afternoon sun slanted across the District Chief of Police’s office as he sat glowering at me in his oversized armchair, gnashing his teeth like some rabid, Pashtun muppet. Sitting in his line of fire, I smiled at nothing in...
 
Adventures in Backpackistan!
 
1000 Egg-1
1000 Egg-1
1000 Egg-1

The 1,000 Year Old Egg (and the Three Penis Wine)

I’ve still got a few more Pakistan misadventures to come, but in the meantime, here’s a quick update from the Silk Road of Xinjiang. ********** Grocery shopping with a Chinese local is a bit like doing mushrooms for the first t...

 
Adventure
 
Kidnapped in Alipur-1
Kidnapped in Alipur-1
Kidnapped in Alipur-1

Kidnapped in Alipur

I find it ironic, and embarrassingly hypocritical, that not even a week after I ranted about how you should never get into cars with strangers, I turned around and did exactly that. It was noon, and the heat of June shimmered a...
 
Bizarre
 
Kuruva Theyyam31-3
Kuruva Theyyam31-3
Kuruva Theyyam31-3

Wednesday Wanderings: The Baali Theyyam

I know it’s Monday and not Wednesday, but today’s story isn’t finished yet, and NO ONE’S PERFECT GET OFF MY LAWN. For this Wednesday Monday Wandering, here’s a video of the Baali Theyyam in Kuruva,...
 
Adventures in Backpackistan!
 
Laughing Yoga-1
Laughing Yoga-1
Laughing Yoga-1

Laughing Yoga in Calcutta

The placid water of Rabindra Sarova Lake shined like gold in the light of dawn, and standing beneath a rustling fig tree on its bank, Mr. P.N. Chettiney screamed at the top of his lungs. “GOOD MORNING, CALCUTTAAAAA!” In a neat ...

 
Adventure
 
Theyyam Yesteryear Colors-1
Theyyam Yesteryear Colors-1
Theyyam Yesteryear Colors-1

Gods Amongst Men

Late one night several years ago, while drunkenly sprawled out on my couch, flicking through a slog of 2AM infomercials and overly-lit diabetes PSAs, I caught a documentary about holy men in southern India, men who would become...