Hace poco visité una fortaleza portuguesa en la isla de Ternate, Indonesia. El fuerte se llama ‘Kastela’, y hay un monumento allá con escenas que muestran cómo los nativos de Ternate echaron a los portugueses en 1575. Al principio los isleños dieron permiso a los portugueses para construir fuertes en la isla. Luego, se pelearon … Ternate, Indonesia 2016
My rating: 4 of 5 stars Not a spoiler because it’s made clear early in the book: Mike Stoner’s protagonist Newbie has come to Indonesia on the run from the grief he’s suffering from the accidental death of his English girlfriend. Jalan Jalan is an accomplished entry into the ‘Clueless Westerner in Asia’ genre. Most … Jalan Jalan
A tightly written, hilarious, and with hindsight tragic memoir of Shawn Matthews’ first three months in Korea teaching at a Hagwon on an island off the coast of Busan. A qualified teacher working as a mental health counsellor for low pay, Matthews is living in Syracuse, New York. He still pines after his ex-girlfriend. He … Island of Fantasy
I arrived at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City two hours before closing, so only had time to see half the items on display. Out of all the amazing pre-Colombian artefacts, my favourite was the 3-metre-tall basalt sculpture of Coatlicue, the Aztec goddess who gave birth to the moon, stars, and Huitzilopochtli, the … Gary Jennings, the Mexican Museum of Anthropology, and my new Mousepad
1 Siem Reap The City Once out of the airport, your first glimpses of a new country are precious. Hopefully, the sense of novelty causes a dopamine release. As you visit more countries more regularly, the buzz lessens. My first new country in years, I could feel the dopamine buzz in Siem Reap, Cambodia. According … Cambodia 2023 Trip Report
I enjoyed the slow train to Hua Hin, the seaside town 200 km south of Bangkok. Scheduled to get there in five hours, the train made it in six. I bought 2nd class sleeper fan tickets and got two wide seats facing each other. Travelling by day, we didn’t fold them out to create a … Hua Hin
The Grand Palace is a tourist attraction living up to the hype – as in yes, it’s worth visiting. Although other temples around Bangkok Old Town have equally impressive golden buddhas and multi-tiered roofs, not to mention fewer Chinese tour groups, their (cheaper) entrance tickets don’t include entry to two museums and a dance show. … More Bangkok Observations
We flew back to Bangkok from Danang in Vietnam. Prices at Danang Airport are in dollars. No surprise then that, apart from a family of Chinese tourists enjoying 18 USD dollar combos, Burger King was empty. I felt guilty buying a small bottle of warm Sprite for $3.80. What a waste of money. An odd … Bangkok Observations
Earlier in 2023, I wrote a review based on what I remembered from having read “Off the Rails in Phnom Penh: Into the Dark Heart of Guns, Girls, and Ganja” in 2003. This book had popped into my mind many times over the years, and with a first-ever trip to Cambodia coming up, I thought … Off the Rails in Phnom Penh: Into the Dark Heart of Guns, Girls, and Ganja Reconsidered
I was interviewed by Wellington’s Spanish language radio program Qué Onda. I talked about China, including my time in Wuhan, Argentina, and my book Buenos Aires Triad.
