The Imperial City of Hue (pronounced “Hu-ay”), Vietnam. For 150 years, the epicenter of the Nguyen Dynasty’s rule. For 3 ½ weeks, ground zero of a deadly battle in the American War of Aggression. Now, Hue is a mid-sized city along with a few historic relics, a serene riverside, and a diverse selection of authentic […]
Read more "Hue Too Much Food"Bia Hoi. A truly unique beer experience. They even named an intersection after it. Bia Hoi corner is the stuff of college fairytales. Holding down an intersection deep in the Old Quarter of Hanoi, Vietnam, tiny plastic stools and tables litter the already chaotic streets. As the sun sinks, the intersection fills up with backpackers, […]
Read more "Booze Review: Bia Hoi"I feel like I’ve rediscovered Asia. I’m eating one of the most complex foods I’ve had since I touched down on this side of the Pacific. It’s called Banh Da Cua Da Lieu (Crab and Brown Noodle Soup), and it’s one of Hanoi’s most iconic dishes. Hanoi just feels so right. I’ve got a lot […]
Read more "Banh Da Cua Da Lieu"Vietnamese coffee is strong, and it’s got a bite, like Mike Tyson’s bite in his bout with Evander Holyfield strong. I order my Ca Phe black with ice (Den Da). When Ca Phe Den Da is served, the glass is only filled about 50% of the way (including the ice); it’s so strong that a caffeine […]
Read more "Ca Phe Den Da"Click to expand…
Read more "Through The Lens: Laos"I’m in Laos now, in Luang Prabang. I officially leaned that you do not pronounce the “s” at the end of Laos. A little hunger is growing. It’s the latter part of the 7th hour and I’ve been up since 4:45. A 9:30pm bedtime proved that I’ve gotten into some unexpected sleep early, rise early routine. We […]
Read more "Early"It’s 12:30am. The room went dark a while ago, I can’t remember when. I’m lying in a 20-bed dormitory in Chiang Mai’s city center and I’m nursing my first anxiety attack ever. It’s only beginning to subside after two and a half hours. Tomorrow is day two of Songkran, the raucous three-day water festival celebrated […]
Read more "Waste"31 days in Thailand. Click to expand…
Read more "Through The Lens: Thailand"Songkran is the raucous 3-day water festival celebrated by Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries, recognizing the Buddhist/Hindu Lunar New Year. It was a damn good time filled with imitation Super-Soakers and plenty of Thai Rum. I channeled my inner 10th grader and played the city-wide water fight in 1st person shooter mode. -S Photo: […]
Read more "Songkran: Call of Duty Style"Bangkok night markets. Not what I was expecting. Night numero uno, we wimped out and went to the “new” train market, Rot Fai, which was only 11 kilometers away instead of 23. This was the result of a scarring cab ride earlier that morning that took one whole hour to drive 5 miles to a […]
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The Neophiles 