Posts Tagged ‘Culture’
Bizarre
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
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
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!
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;’...
China
Silk Road Ramblings: Lost Empires, Gobi Fugitives, and The Secret Meth Habit of Marco Polo
I have conquered the Silk Road. I’ve hid from Chinese guards in the starlit dunes of the Gobi. I’ve visited mud-thatched villages and seen old Uighur men as hairy as camels shriek in wonder and delight as they passed around a p...
Culture
The Karakoram Highway
When I tell people that my favorite country thus far has been Pakistan, I often receive horrified stares, as if I’ve just admitted that I enjoy licking squirrels or pooping in jam jars. But what people don’t realize is that Pa...
China
Wednesday Wanderings: The Former Nation of East Turkestan
It’s hard to stabilize a video camera when you’re being stampeded by a crowd of bedraggled Uighur shepherds, when you’re tripping over barnyard critters and women with gold-plated teeth and painted unibrows are screaming foreig...
Adventure
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!
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...
Culture
The Way of the Pashtunwali
For this week’s special Photo Travelogue, there won’t be any happy postcards. Nor will I be striking wacky, douchebag poses in front of historical buildings. Nor will you see the usual cheery colors and smiling kiddies from the...
Trending
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Going South on China: A Panda Hunt
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Guest Blogger Emily Chappell: Woman On The Road
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THE JJIMJILBANG DIARIES (Parts 1 &2): Six Days Naked in a Hot Tub Full of Old, Dirty Korean Men FOR SURVIVAL
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Weekly Postcard: Sichuan, China
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Club Rat: A Penny-Pincher’s Deplorable Guide to Partying Big While Spending Little
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A Dream Deferred: The End of Backpackology?
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A Steppe Too Far?: Eagle Hunters, Cultural Darwinism, and Getting Banned in Kazakhstan
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Off the Eaten Path: A Culinary Tour of Korea (Part One)
