Travel Stories Index

SUGGESTED READING:

“A Dream Deferred: The End of Backpackology?”
Two months after the robbery that put an end to my blogging, I return to tell my tale; a tale of crime, drugs, and pigs raised exclusively on human feces.

“Stepping off the Edge”
The genesis of Backpackology; my jihad on complacency.
2 Years, 15 Countries, 15,538 Miles, Zero Plans.

“The Human Zoo”
(BURMA) The story that got my site banned in Burma. My ill-fated hunt for the Padaung Tribe, the Giraffe-necked women of Kalaw.

“The Heart of the Slums”
(INDIA) An ill-conceived adventure into Mumbai’s “Shadow City,” the Dharavi slums—reputedly the largest slums in Asia and the filming location of Slumdog Millionaire.
A troubled love letter to India.

“Detained in Bahawalpur”
(PAKISTAN) After two months of contemplating whether or not to post this, I decided to risk getting shut down to finally share the story of my 16-hour C.I.A. interrogation.
Banned in Burma. Banned in China. Banned in the USA??

Please select a story from the options below:

PART ONE: BURMA

“Stepping off the Edge”
The genesis of Backpackology; my jihad on complacency.
2 Years, 15 Countries, 15,538 Miles, Zero Plans.

“How to Survive a 16-Hour Layover”
Strategies for coping with long layovers, plus a moving testament to one man’s will to survive in the face of a complete and utter mental breakdown.

“The Wrong Pancake”
One of my favorite stories, from a tribal market in northern Burma. There are times in life when blissful ignorance rewards you handsomely. Other times, however, that ignorance only serves to blow up in your face, shouting at you to grab your ankles, as it spits on its unforgiving hand.
I’ll let you decide which category this little ditty falls under.

“The Human Zoo”
The story that got my site banned in Burma. My ill-fated hunt for the Padaung Tribe, the Giraffe-necked women of Kalaw.

“’Have You Eaten?’: An Angry Foodie’s Portrait of Burma (or: 5 Terrifying Dishes of Burma)“
It’s likely that you’ve never tried Burmese food, or even seen a Burmese restaurant.
There’s a reason for this.

PART TWO: INDIA

“Holi Moly: Do or Dye”
Holi is the essence of India—a manic, technicolored festival of Vishnu and the coming of spring, when the subcontinent transforms into a delirious battlefield of projectile colors.

“Steve McDonald: Bollywood Extra(ordinaire)”
Behold my meteoric rise to Bollywood stardom…
I keep my mustache in the trailer.

“The Heart of the Slums”
An ill-conceived adventure into Mumbai’s “Shadow City,” the Dharavi slums—reputedly the largest slums in Asia and the filming location of Slumdog Millionaire.
A troubled love letter to India.

“The Shaman’s Seeds of Wisdom”
Drug-induced epiphanies in a culturally confused twilight zone; like a Hunter S. Thompson fantasy, set in ancient Vijanayagar ruins, all strung out on kumbayah and Prozac.

“Gods Amongst Men”
An epic quest into the tropical heart of Malabar in search of ancient theyyam exorcism rituals.

“A Hyderabad Idea, Part One: A 500 Mile Foodie Pilgrimage By Indian Train”
I thought it would be a good idea to travel 500 miles by Indian train to Hyderabad just to eat an authentic bowl of Hyderabadi Dum Biryani, before paying the bill, immediately walking back to the train station, and riding all 500 miles back. Part One of the two-part saga.

“A Hyderabad Idea, Part Two: Paradise on My Plate”
Part Two, the spectacular finale of the ill-conceived misadventure described above.

“Laughing Yoga in Calcutta”
A popular reader favorite. After several beers and a convincing pep-talk from a fellow backpacker, I decide to give ‘Laughing Yoga’ a try.
Nothing could have prepared me for what happened next.

“Inhaling India (A Diarrhea Adventure): A Foodie’s Guide to India on a Budget”
You might think you know Indian food. But until you’ve stepped out of Indira Gandhi International Airport, and pulled up a chair in a dingy, Delhi dhabba—until you’ve seen the smoking woks, smelled the pungent curry pots, and felt the heat of the tandoor while ogling a menu as long and indecipherable as the Rosetta Stone—you cannot imagine how robust, perplexing, and wonderful the cuisine of India truly is. This is a road map to help demystify the great banquet table of the subcontinent.

PART FIVE: MONGOLIA

“The Long Road to Nowhere: A Hitchhiker’s Tale from Outer Mongolia“
When the Trans-Mongolian Railway sells out of tickets, I attempt to hitchhike across the Gobi desert–and end up trapped in the cabin of a truck with two mangled sheep carcasses and a fat, Mongolian trucker named Bold, eating nothing but old, boiled, unrefrigerated sheep parts out of a metal bucket for three days.

PART SIX: KOREA

“A Dream Deferred: The End of Backpackology?”
Two months after the robbery that put an end to my blogging, I return to tell my tale; a tale of crime, drugs, and pigs raised exclusively on human feces.

“THE JJIMJILBANG DIARIES (Part One): Six Days Naked in a Hot Tub Full of Old, Dirty Korean Men FOR SURVIVAL”
After being kicked out of my friend’s apartment and without only $85 to last me through the week, I start squatting in an upscale Korean bathhouse located in the basement of a department store. 

THEMES: PHILOSOPHY

“Life on the Lonely Road”
A meditation on solo travel, self dependence, and Mongolian fermented mare’s milk.

“To Go the Other Way”
In case I ever have to give a commencement speech, this would probably be it.

“Guilty as Charged”
A detour home for my fun-filled court case, plus ruminations on life, nostalgia, and tequila squirt guns.

“The Backpacker’s Manifesto”
An expose on package tourism, the spirit of independent travel, and fat ladies on Mt. Everest.

THEMES: FOODIE ADVENTURES

“The Wrong Pancake”
One of my favorite stories, from a tribal market in northern Burma. There are times in life when blissful ignorance rewards you handsomely. Other times, however, that ignorance only serves to blow up in your face, shouting at you to grab your ankles, as it spits on its unforgiving hand.
I’ll let you decide which category this little ditty falls under.

“’Have You Eaten?’: An Angry Foodie’s Portrait of Burma (or: 5 Terrifying Dishes of Burma)“
It’s likely that you’ve never tried Burmese food, or even seen a Burmese restaurant…
There’s a reason for this.

“Inhaling India (A Diarrhea Adventure): A Foodie’s Guide to India on a Budget”
You might think you know Indian food. But until you’ve stepped out of Indira Gandhi International Airport, and pulled up a chair in a dingy, Delhi dhabba—until you’ve seen the smoking woks, smelled the pungent curry pots, and felt the heat of the tandoor while ogling a menu as long and indecipherable as the Rosetta Stone—you cannot imagine how robust, perplexing, and wonderful the cuisine of India truly is. This is a road map to help demystify the great banquet table of the subcontinent.

“A Hyderabad Idea, Part One: A 500 Mile Foodie Pilgrimage By Indian Train”
(India) I thought it would be a good idea to travel 500 miles by Indian train to Hyderabad just to eat an authentic bowl of Hyderabadi Dum Biryani, before paying the bill, immediately walking back to the train station, and riding all 500 miles back. Part One of the two-part saga.

“A Hyderabad Idea, Part Two: Paradise on My Plate”
(India)Part Two, the spectacular finale of the ill-conceived misadventure described above.

“The One-Thousand Year Old Egg (& the Three Penis Wine)”
(China) A soul-crushing video taste test.

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For photos and videos, check out the “Photo Travelogues” tab at the top of the page.

For tips and tricks to the art of vagabonding, check out the “Backpackology 101” tab at the top of the page.