Itinerary

The Route

Where I've Been
(presented in reverse chronological order)

2007

Oct 9 - by air to Melbourne, Australia; to spend some quality time writing my novel.
Sept 28 - by air to Bangkok, Thailand; to pick up my new passport.
Sept 24 - by ferry to Cebu City, Philippines.
Sept 21 - by ferry to Alona Beach, Philippines.
Sept 19 - by air to Cebu City, Philippines.
Sept 12 - by bus to Angeles City, Philippines.
Sept 11 - by air to Manila, Philippines; feels like coming "home". ;-)
Sept 10 - by air to Hong Kong, China; an unscheduled stop on my way to the Philippines. :(
Aug 29 - by train/air to Tainan, Taiwan.
Aug 26 - by train to Guangzhou, China.
Aug 24 - by train to Shenzhen, China.
Aug 22 - by air to Hong Kong, China.
Aug 20 - by bus to Bangkok, Thailand; back to Bangkok to go to the Embassy.
Aug 18 - by bus to Pattaya, Thailand; hotels were booked in Bangkok; decided to spend the weekend in Pattaya. ;-)
Aug 16 - by air to Bangkok, Thailand; I was only here for a short while - long enough to apply for a permanent replcement passport.
Aug 15 - by train to Paris, France; I had to stay overnight on my way out of France in order to go to the US Embassy in the morning before my flight; while staying with my friends, I inadvertently washed my passport (in my pants pocket in the laundry), so I had to get an emergency replacement.
June 24 - by train to Laudinie, France; after a month of searching (unsuccessfully) for a teaching job in Tainan, I decided my heart just wasn't into teaching anymore. I got an email from friends in France who needed help moving out of their 12th century villa - so I went to stay with them for a while.
June 23 - by air to London, England; an unscheduled stop on my way to France.
May 29 - by train to Taipei, Taiwan; a day-trip for a job interview; a wasted trip, I might add. :(
May 26 - by train to Tainan, Taiwan.
May 23-24 - by air to Taipei, Taiwan; to try another stint as an English teacher, this time in Taiwan (first time was in Korea).

2006

Oct 3 - by air to Austin, Texas; back in the US again for the first time in two and a half years.
Sept 30 - by bus to Cairo, Egypt.
Sept 24 - by bus to Dahab, Egypt; at this point, I have over-stayed by visa, but the guidebook (and the locals I asked) said it's ok. I'm just hoping they're right.
Sept 23 - by bus to Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt.
Sept 22 - by overnight bus to Cairo, Egypt; met up with a friend and went back to Sharm and Dahab.
Sept 15 - by bus to Dahab, Egypt; possibly as touristy as Sharm El Sheikh, but with a very laid-back, comfortable atmosphere; so it was much more enjoyable.
Sept 13 - by overnight bus to Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt; very touristy, VERY hot!!!
Sept 7 - by train to Alexandria, Egypt.
Sept 5 - by train to Cairo, Egypt; I didn't see the pyramids when I first arrived in Egypt, so I had to see them this time.
Sept 2 - by felucca (traditional Egyptian sailboat) to... well, I didn't actually make it to my intended destination, but that's a long story; I ended up back in Aswan and took a train to Luxor.
Aug 30 - by overnight train to Aswan, Egypt.
Aug 27 - by bus to Alexandria, Egypt; I had planned to go by train, but when I arrived at the train station that morning, I found out there had been a serious train wreck not far from the station; if I had been up early and on my way as planned I might have been on one of the trains involved; sometimes laziness can be a good thing.
Aug 23/24 - by overnight ferry to Athens, Greece, then by air to Cairo, Egypt; a very long and exhausting trip.
Aug 21 - by ferry to Rhodes, Greece.
Aug 20 - by ferry/bus to Marmaris, Turkey; where I could catch a ferry to Rhodes.
Aug 16 - by train to Istanbul, Turkey; saved Istanbul for last, and I'm glad I did. ;-)
Aug 13 - by bus to Eskisehir, Turkey.
Aug 10/11 - by overnight bus to Göreme, Turkey (Capadocia); amazing scenery!
Aug 8 - by bus to Antalya, Turkey.
Aug 7 - by bus to Pamukkale, Turkey.
Aug 4/5 - by train/bus to Selcuk, Turkey; I met up with my two good friends from Korea and we toured southwest Turkey together.
Aug 2/3 - by air to Istanbul, Turkey, then by train to Eskisehir; This is another place I've always wanted to visit.
July 30 - by overnight train to Beijing, China; this was where I would book passage on the Trans-Siberian railway up thru Mongolia and across Russia to Moscow; but at the travel agency, I found out the Russian embassy in Beijing doesn't issue visas to Americans - ONLY Americans - everyone else can get a visa, no problem; Sigh! So, no trip to Russia this time around. :(
July 29 - day-trip to Hangzhou, China; to see beautiful West Lake - but it was SOOOOO hot!
July 25 - by air to Shanghai, China.
July 24 - by air to Kunming, China; I didn't intend to stay overnight, but a problem with the language barrier caused me to miss my flight to Shanghai. :(
July 15 - by private car to Vientiane, Laos; I felt so comfortable here when I visited the first time earlier this year, this felt like coming home.
July 13/14 - by overnight train to Udon Thani, Thailand.
July 11 - by air to Bangkok, Thailand; to visit another friend. ;-)
July 5/6 - by air and bus to Tainan, Taiwan; to visit my friend once more.
July 2 - by train to Hong Kong, China; back to pick up my laptop and to get yet another visa for mainland-China.
June 29 - by train to Shenzhen, China; while waiting for my new laptop to get setup and ready to go, I decided to spend that time in Shenzhen coz I like it better than Hong Kong.
June 28 - by air to Hong Kong, China; my laptop died three days before I left the Philippines, so I decided to get it serviced in HK; the technician at the Sony Service Center there said it was probably the motherboard, and that it would be VERY expensive to replace it, so I would be better off putting that money toward the purchase of a new one; and that's what I did. :-)
June 27 - by taxi to Malate, Philippines; if you're wondering about my transportation being by taxi, Malate and Quezon are both part of the Manila Metro sprawl.
June 26 - by bus to Quezon City, Philippines.
June 23 - by air and bus to Angeles City, Philippines. ;-)
June 16/17 - by overnight ferry to Cebu City, Philippines.
June 13 - by bus to Cagayan de Oro, Philippines; I arrived during one of the hardest rains I'd seen in many months; I stepped off the bus into nearly knee-deep water!
June 9/10 - by bus and air to Davao, Philippines; this was my tenth visit to the Philippines, but my first time to venture down to the province of Mindanao; my guidebook (and locals I had met before) told me it was dangerous to go there because of the concentration of rebel forces in that part of the country; but I threw caution to the wind and went anyway. ;-)
June 2 - by train to Tainan, Taiwan; to visit a friend who's living and working in Taiwan on a two-year contract.
May 31 - by air to Taipei, Taiwan.
May 28 - by bus to Bangkok, Thailand.
May 27 - by taxi (Expensive!) to Pattaya, Thailand.
May 24 - by boat/bus/night-train/bus/boat to Bangkok, then on to Koh Samet; this is my favorite island destination in Thailand; beautiful beaches, and just a nice place to relax; not as touristy as other places.
May 20 - by boat to Phi Phi, Thailand; this island was also hit hard by the tsunami; the differences were more dramatic than in Phuket.
May 15 - by private car, then night-train and bus to Phuket, Thailand; this is my first post-tsunami visit to Phuket; it was interesting to see the changes.
May 13 - by bus to Pattaya, Thailand; 'nuff said - hehe.
May 8 - by night-train to Bangkok, Thailand; I've been there so many times, it feels like "home".
May 2 - by bus to Udon Thani, Thailand.
Apr 16 - by night-bus to Vientiane, Laos; even though this was an overnight bus, it had seats only, no beds like the one(s) in China; so NO SLEEP!!!
Apr 7 - by bus (one night-bus and three others!!!) to Luang Prabang, Laos; I arrived just before Pi Mai Lao (Lao New Year), so I decided to stay coz the Lonely Planet said it's THE place to be for Lao New Year; and they were right... I can't remember when I've had that much fun; their New Years celebrations include a water festival - which is really just an all-out, four-day water fight.
Apr 3 - by air to Kunming, China.
Mar 30 - by train to Shenzhen, China; (more ping-pong).
Mar 29 - by bus to Dongguan, China.
Mar 26 - by train to Guangzhou, China; (like a ping-pong ball - hehe).
Mar 22 - by train to Shenzhen, China.
Mar 18 - by night-train to Guangzhou, China.
Mar 12 - by night-train to Shanghai, China; 19 hours on the top-most bunk of three; difficult to climb up to; not enough head-room to sit up; I could only lie down and read the entire time.
Mar 10 - by ferry to Qingdao, China; the amazing aspect of this trip was that there were only four passengers (including myself) on a rather large ship.
Mar 2 - by ferry to Fukoka, Japan; to drop some things at Kumiko's place for her to store for me while I travel again.
Feb 13 - by train to Busan, South Korea.
Feb 10 - by train to Seoul, South Korea; another trip to see my German friend, Tom.

2005

Nov 19 - by ferry to Busan, South Korea.
Nov 17 - by ferry to Fukuoka, Japan; Korean holiday, went to see ex-GF (Kumiko).
Oct 23 - by train to Busan, South Korea.
Oct 22 - by train to Seoul, South Korea; to visit my friend, Tom, from Germany.
Aug 20/21 - by air to Incheon, then on to Busan, South Korea; because of a mix-up with my flight (which originally was direct to Busan), I spent Saturday night in the Bangkok airport, and finally arrived home at 10:30 Sunday night - after being awake for more than 40 hours; and I had to teach at 9:00am Monday morning.
Aug 17 - by air to Bangkok, Thailand; the plan was to stay in Udon Thani for a week or so, then go to Phuket, and perhaps Phi Phi; but as it was the rainy season, and I was so far from the islands, I decided just to hang out a while longer in Udon Thani.
Aug 2 - by night-train to Udon Thani, Thailand; even though it's my eighth visit to Thailand, this was my first time to go to the northeast.
July 30 - by air to Bangkok, Thailand; my eighth visit.
July 29 - by air to Incheon, South Korea; couldn't get a flight to Thailand from Busan; had to spend one night in Incheon (near Seoul); not very exciting.
Feb 26 - by ferry to Busan, South Korea; to start my second one-year contract (my first lasted only four months - hehe).
Feb 24 - by ferry to Fukuoka, Japan; for my third work visa!
Feb 23 - by air to Busan, South Korea.
Feb 18 - by air to Manila, Philippines; after a longer-than-usual stay in Cebu City. :)
Feb 5 - by air to Cebu City, Philippines.
Feb 3 - by air to Manila, Philippines; another short vacation to a warm place between contracts.

2004

Dec 22 - by ferry to Busan, South Korea; to start my new job at Pukyong National University.
Dec 20 - by ferry to Fukuoka, Japan; to get yet another work visa.
Dec 19 - by air to Busan, South Korea.
Dec 17 - by air to Manila, Philippines; such a short trip this time - Sigh!
Dec 13 - by ferry to Cebu City, Philippines.
Dec 8 - by air to Dumaguete, Philippines.
Dec 2 - by bus to Angeles, Philippines.
Dec 1 - by air to Manila, Philippines; had a little time-off before starting a short-term (4-week) job at a university in Busan; decided to take a quick vacation to someplace warm.
Aug 24 - by ferry to Busan, South Korea; back "home" to continue my teaching job; after 4 months I decided I didn't want to teach kids and got out of my one-year contract.
Aug 22 - by ferry to Fukuoka, Japan; to get my working visa for Korea.
July 8 - by train to Busan, South Korea.
July 7 - by air to Seoul, South Korea.
July 6 - by bus to Manila, Philippines.
June 30 - by air to Angeles City, Philippines.
June 23 - by ferry to Cebu City, Philippines.
June 16 - by ferry to Dumaguete, Philippines.
June 2 - by bus to Cebu City, Philippines.
May 29 - by ferry/bus to Panagsama Beach, Phillippines.
May 12 - by air to Dumaguete, Philippines; back "home" for a while.
May 9 - by air to Manila, Philippines; after an all-too-short visit to the Land of Oz.
Apr 28 - by air to Sydney, Australia - to visit my good friends, Sean and Krissy - and all their lovely family and friends.
Apr 23 - by air to Brisbane, Australia, then by bus to Surfer's Paradise; this was a very looooooooong day of travel.
Apr 22 - by air to Manila, Philippines; trying to minimize my time in Manila - big crouded, poluted city that it is - so I got here only one day before my flight to Australia.
Apr 21 - by ferry to Cebu City, Philippines; running out of time, had to go back to Cebu City for my flight to Manila.
Apr 19 - by ferry to Alona Beach, Philippines; a room became available at my favorite guesthouse, so back to Alona Beach I go...
Apr 17 - by ferry to Cebu City, Philippines; my favorite guesthouse in Alona Beach was booked, so I had to go on to Cebu City.
Apr 8 - by air to Dumaguete, Philippines; now this place REALLY feels like home; it's one of my favorite places to just hang out, relax, and visit friends.
Apr 4 - by air to Manila, Philippines; Ahhh, it's like coming home. ;-)
Apr 3 - by car to Houston, Texas; to say bye to my sister and to catch a flight out of the US once again.
Apr 1 - by car to Lumberton, Texas; to say bye to the folks.
Mar 6 - by car to Austin, Texas.
Mar 5 - by car to Houston, Texas.
Feb 29 - by car to Lumberton, Texas; to visit my dad and step-mom - and to eat way too much great food (and ice cream!)
Feb 28 - by car to Houston, Texas.
Feb 14 - by car to Austin, Texas; back home to see all my friends.
Feb 10/11 - by air first to Manila, then Guam, Hawaii, and finally Houston, Texas, USA (after the plane was diverted to Phoenix, Arizona for a medical emergency); this was my first time back in the States in more than two years!!! I spent three days with my sister and her husband (while getting over some serious jet-lag).
Jan 19 - by bus to Angeles, Philippines; to meet up with old friends and, of course, make new ones; it's a great place to spend the last few days before leaving the Philippines.
Jan 18 - by bus to Subic Bay, Philippines; this place had been talked up in my guidebook and by others who had been there, but it didn't really grab me; only stayed one night.
Jan 12 - by ferry/bus to Manila, Philippines.
Jan 5 - by bus/ferry to Sabang Beach, Philippines; fun in the sun and lazing on the beach while my friend, Tina, got certified in scuba; Also met Robert (another American) on a day-trip and went diving with him the next day.
Jan 1 - by air to Manila, Philippines.

2003

Dec 23 - by ferry to Dumaguete, Philippines; to spend the holidays with friends there; New Year's Day was pretty wild - and quite loud as well.
Dec 19 - by air to Cebu City, Philippines.
Dec 15 - by air to Manila, Philippines; flew with Tina, another fellow-teacher who is Filipina-American; she was returning to the Philippines to spend the holidays with family.
Dec 13 - by air to Bangkok, Thailand; met up with three other fellow-teachers and enjoyed the night-life of Bangkok.
Nov 14/15 - by train and bus to Phuket, Thailand; this is where I spent four weeks in school to get certified to teach English; it was a lot of hard work, but along with the many new friends I made at school, I managed to have a lot of fun as well.
Nov 12 - by ferry and bus to Bangkok, Thailand; more fun-filled nights out with Tom and Nam before heading off to Phuket to start school.
Nov 9 - by bus and ferry to Koh Samet, Thailand; with my newfound friends Tom (from Germany), and his girlfriend Nam (from Bangkok).
Nov 6 - by air to Bangkok, Thailand.
Oct 31 - by bus to Angeles, Philippines; decided I didn't want to stay in Manila for my final week, so I went to nearby Angeles for some rest and relaxation. ;-)
Oct 30 - by air to Manila, Philippines; back to prepare to leave the Philippines.
Oct 24 - by ferry to Dumaguete, Philippines; spent so much time here, I really got to like it; decided to stay a while longer.
Oct 20 - by ferry to Siquijor, Philippines; home of that old black magic - yikes! - but our timing was off, we went during a typhoon, so it rained the entire time we were there.
Oct 11 - by bus and boat to Dumaguete, Philippines; finally connected with my friends; went back to see them.
Oct 6 - by bus to Panagsama Beach, Philippines; another great place to relax.
Oct 2 - by boat/bus/van to Cebu City, Philippines.
Sept 26 - by van/bus/boat to Malapascua, Philippines; one of my favorite islands - no cars, so no noise, no polution; very relaxing.
Sept 20 - by ferry to Cebu City, Philippines; it was raining in Dumaguete and I couldn't connect with my friends, so I left after only one day.
Sept 19 - by ferry to Dumaguete, Philippines; after a couple of days in Tagbilaran, I realized it wasn't where I wanted to live.
Sept 17 - by van to Tagbilaran, Philippines; where the internet cafe was located, so I could spend a few days hanging around the place, checking it out thoroughly.
Sept 16 - by ferry to Alona Beach, Philippines; where I met with the owner of the internet cafe I was thinking of buying.
Sept 15 - by air to Cebu City, Philippines.
Sept 8 - by air to Manila, Philippines; back again for the third time; this time, the main reason is to evaluate an internet cafe on the island of Bohol that I might purchase; in the end though, I declined.
Sept 2 - by bus to Bangkok, Thailand; almost time to leave; things to do before I go.
Aug 31 - By boat/bus to Pattaya, Thailand; it was raining at Koh Samet (the least-rainy of the rainy-season islands); went to Pattaya to visit yet another Hard Rock Cafe - no really, I swear, I wasn't there for the go-go bars. ;-)
Aug 29/30 - By van/night-train/bus/boat to Koh Samet, Thailand; bypassed Bangkok this time and went straight to another of my favorite islands.
Aug 23 - By boat to Phuket Island, Thailand; now not pressed for time (to meet my friend), decided to go back and stay a while longer.
Aug 17 - By boat to Koh Phi Phi, Thailand; on a *very* windy day, providing for a *very* rough crossing. :{
Had to say farewell to Minja as she continued south thru Malaysia to Singapore.
Aug 13/14 - By train/bus/boat to Railay Beach, Thailand; performing dutifully as guide for Minja, visiting the places I've been before and liked.
Aug 6/7 - By night-train to Bangkok, Thailand; sightseeing, for Minja's sake, in Bangkok.
July 31/Aug 1 - By night-train to Chaing Mai, Thailand; met up with Minja, a friend from South Korea whom I met in Australia; during her summer break from teaching, she decided to visit Thailand and wanted me to be her guide.
July 21/22 - By boat/bus/train to Bangkok, Thailand; considered getting certified to teach English at this time, then decided against it.
July 18 - By boat and van to Koh Samui, Thailand; the other popular island.
July 14 - By boat to Phuket Island, Thailand; this is one of the two most visited islands in Thailand, yet it wasn't until my fourth trip to the country that I first visited this island.
July 12 - By boat to Railay Beach, Thailand; arrived just in time for rainy weather. :(
July 10/11 - By night-train to Ao Nang (Nang Beach), Thailand; I was actually trying to get to Railay Beach, but the only access is by boat, even though it is attached to the mainland, and I arrived too late in the evening to make the crossing.
July 8/9 - By night-train to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; it didn't grab me any more this time than it did during my first visit in March of 2001; only stayed one day.
July 2 - By air to Singapore; the last of my free flights; and they almost didn't let me do it; my flight was actually from Manila to Sydney with a change of planes in Singapore; when I said I wanted to get off in Singapore they said they could only check my bag thru to Sidney; but, in the end, they let me go only as far as Singapore.
June 27 - By air to Manila, Philippines; waited until the last minute to go back for my flight out of the country; okay, not quite, I still had a few days to spend.
June 24 - By ferry to Dumaguete, Philippines; didn't get enough of this place the first time either.
June 20 - By ferry to Alona Beach, Philippines; didn't get enough of it the first time.
June 14 - By ferry to Cebu City, Philippines; you can't go anywhere around Cebu Island without going thru Cebu City.
June 11 - By ferry to Alona Beach, Philippines; my second favorite beach destination.
June 10 - Day trip to Siquijor; where that old black magic is still alive and well.
June 7 - By boat/bus/van/ferry to Dumaguete, Philippines; my first venture to the island of Negros.
June 1 - By van/bus/boat to Malapascua, Philippines; maybe my favorite island in the Philippines - no cars, no noise, no polution.
May 21 - By van to Cebu City, Philippines.
May 17 - By van to Panagsama Beach, Philippines; fun in the sun.
May 13 - By air to Cebu City, Philippines.
May 4 - By air to Manila, Philippines; the third free flight of my extended itinerary.
May 3 - By air to Osaka, Japan; to connect with my free flight to the Philippines.
Apr 20/21 - By air to Tokyo, Japan; to meet up with a potential business partner, an American man I met in Beijing; and to see a couple of ex-girlfriends. ;-)
Apr 14 - By bus and ferry to Koh Larn, Thailand; another quick trip to a nearby island; back to Bangkok on the 15th.
Apr 6 - By bus and ferry to Koh Samet, Thailand; a quick trip to relax on the beach; back to Bangkok on the 7th.
Mar 24 - By air to Bangkok, Thailand; in order to put off the inevitable job search for as long as possible, I decided to go back to a country where I could live cheaper and stay longer; though still without my replacement cards (thanks to UPS, they were enjoying their own tour of the world - going everywhere, it seemed, except where I was).
~~Mar 2 - By air to Wellington, New Zealand.~~
[Oops, change of plans - my wallet went missing, so I had to stay in Sydney and wait for replacement ATM and credit cards to come from the States.]
Jan 30 - By air to Sydney, NSW, Australia; where I met up with old friends (from other parts of the world), made new friends, and had lots of fun in the sun (and rain!).
Jan 22 - By local train to Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; finally bid farewell to Robin and Val and moved into the city to be closer to the sights and night-life.
Jan 18/19 - By tour bus along the Great Ocean Road; with stops to see the Twelve Apostles and London Bridge; returning to Moorabbin.
Jan 3-9 - By sailboat (Yoko) to Moorabbin (Melbourne), Victoria, Australia; with stops along the south and west coast of Tasmania; stayed at the home of Robin and Val, the owners of Yoko.

2002

Dec 27 - By bus to Hobart, Tasmania; with a stop in Launceston long enough for a stroll through scenic Cataract Gorge.
Dec 26 - By ferry to Devenport, Tasmania; nothing much to see; it's just one of the northern ferry ports for Tasmania.
Dec 25 - By air to Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; yes, I was traveling on Christmas Day, thinking that it would be less crowded and hectic - which it was; but, at the same time, I was surprised to see a full plane when I boarded.
Dec 22 - By tour bus to Perth, Western Australia.
Dec 20 - By tour bus to Albany, Western Australia.
Dec 18 - By tour bus to Margaret River, Western Australia.
Dec 9-13 - By camper van to Perth, Western Australia; with stops along the way in Ceduna (again!?!), Cocklebiddy (what a name), Kalgoorlie, and Merredin.
Dec 5 - By chartered bus to Adelaide, South Australia.
Dec 3 - By chartered bus to Ceduna, South Australia; to see a solar eclipse the following day.
Dec 1/2 - By bus back to Manila, then by air to Melbourne, Australia, and by air to Adelaide.
Nov 29 - By bus to Angeles, Philippines; after everyone told me I just *had* to visit Angeles (at least all the males I met said so), well... I just *had* to see for myself; it turned out to have more "eye-candy" in one place than I had seen anywhere in the world; it's a nice place for bar-hopping.
Nov 26 - By air to Manila, Philippines; this was my birthday and I wanted to spend it with one of my new friends in Manila.
Nov 22 - By air to Cebu City, Philippines; by this time, Cebu started to feel like home.
Nov 21 - By air to Boracay, Philippines; a rather over-developed, touristy place; I couldn't wait to leave.
Nov 18 - By bus and ferry to Cebu City, Philippines.
Nov 14 - By ferry and car to Alona Beach, Panglao Island, Philippines; another beautiful place to visit; marred only slightly by a recent fire that destroyed three resorts and two dive shops right on the beach-front.
Nov 13 - By bus and ferry to Cebu City, Philippines; again, in transit from point A to point B, requiring a stop-over in Cebu.
Nov 11 - By bus and ferry to Bantayan Island, Philippines; in stark contrast to Malapascua, this is the least enjoyable place I visited in the Philippines.
Nov 5 - By bus and ferry to Malapascua Island, Philippines; this turned out to be one my favorite destination during my visit to the Philippines.
Nov 4 - By van to Cebu City, Philippines; anywhere you go on Cebu Island, you have to do so via Cebu City; all bus routes radiate from there likes spokes of a wheel; and it's nearly impossible to get to where you're going in one day.
Oct 28 - By bus to Panagsama Beach, Philippines; during the trip, locals got on and off the bus carrying everything from huge sacks of produce to live chickens.
Oct 24 - By air to Cebu City, Philippines; the plane was a small turbo-prop and flew at "see" level.
Oct 23 - By bus to Legaspi, Philippines; to swim whale-sharks at nearby Donsol but, as it turned out, it was the wrong season.
Oct 21 - By bus to Naga City, Philippines.
Oct 13 - By air to Manila, Philippines - a popular honeymoon destination for young Korean couples; they can be identified easily because they always wear matching shirts; in the queue at passport control in Manila, I counted no less than twenty newlywed couples.
Oct 11 - By car to Seongnam, South Korea.
Oct 6 - By train to Seoul, South Korea; stayed another few days to get together with, and say goodbye to, some of the many Korean friends I made during my visit.
Oct 5 - By bus to Gyeongju, South Korea.
Oct 3-4 - By overnight ferry to Busan, South Korea; then by (early-morning) train to Daegu; day-trip to Haeinsa Temple, where the 81,000+ wooden tablets of the Tripitaka Koreana are stored.
Sept 30 - By ferry to Jeju-do, South Korea; an island off the southern tip of the peninsula.
Sept 29 - By train to Mokpo, South Korea.
Sept 27 - By train to Jeongeup, South Korea; visited Naejangsan National Park.
Sept 16 - Day-trip to Suwon, South Korea; then by train to Andong to visit Hahoe Folk Village; returned to Seoul on the 18th (to be there for the Chusok party).
Sept 12 - By air to Seoul, South Korea; met many locals and got invited to a Chusok (Korean Thanksgiving) party.
Sept 4 - By night-train to Beijing, China; Jackie joined me for some sightseeing over the weekend, and I did more photos with one of my favorite models.
Aug 1 - By air to Shanghai, China; decided to leave Bangkok and start making my way down to Australia;
but I wanted to visit Jackie in Shanghai once more before I got too far away from China; rented an apartment in Shanghai.
July 7 - Back to Bangkok, Thailand; more work on the web site.
July 5 - Huahin, Thailand; a beach on the coast, not far from Bangkok.
June 11 - By ferry and bus back to Bangkok, Thailand; again, I found an Internet cafe where I could connect the laptop; decided to stay and do more updates to the web site; also started looking for a job in Bangkok (to no avail).
June 5 - By bus and ferry to Koh Samet, Thailand; during the rainy season, this island gets the least rainfall of any in Thailand.
May 31 - By air to Bangkok, Thailand; I finally reached escape velocity and left China behind.
May 28 - By train back to Hong Kong, China.
May 23 - By train to Shenzhen, China; met up with Jackie for an extended weekend.
May 11 - By air to Hong Kong, China; forced by an expiring visa to leave mainland China, I made it only as far as Hong Kong (no visa required); I knew of an Internet cafe where I could connect my laptop, so I stayed long enough to update my web site.
May 1 - By air to Shanghai, China; yet again...
Apr 29 - By night-train to Guangzhou, China; then by bus to Zhuhai.
Apr 25 - By bus and night-train to Guilin, China; to visit friends yet again before my final visa expired.
Apr 22 - By bus to Shenzhen, China.
Apr 18 - By bus to Guangzhou, China; to meet up with Jackie (who was there on a business trip); then we went by bus to Wuzhou.
Apr 14 - By (non-)sleeper bus to Guangzhou, China; stayed only long enough to pick up my passport; then by bus to Shenzhen.
Apr 8 - By night-train back to Guilin, China; didn't like Guangzhou much; applied for a visa extension; when they told me it would take eight days, I decided to go back to Guilin instead of staying in Guangzhou; visited more new friends.
Apr 5 - By night-train to Guangzhou, China.
Apr 2 - By bus to Guilin, China; hadn't planned to stop in Guilin, but changed my mind after meeting the university students; they invited me to visit them at their school in Guilin.
Mar 29 - By air to Guilin, China; then by bus to Yangshuo; - nice little town; probably just as touristy as Dali, but I liked it better; had a great boat trip on the Li Jiang River; made many new friends (including a whole class of Chinese university students).
Mar 25 - By bus to Kunming, China; more time in one of my favorite places.
Mar 23 - By air and bus to Dali, China; very touristy; didn't enjoy the boat excursion; Dali had frequent blackouts.
Mar 19 - By air to Kunming, China; one of my favorite cities in China.
Mar 7 - By night-train to Shanghai, China; by now you know the reason.
Mar 3 - By train to Xi'an, China; finally got a train booking; went to see the Terracotta Warriors.
Feb 28 - By train to Shanghai, China; more time with Jackie.
Feb 26 - By train to Nanjing, China; still couldn't get a train to Xi'an; backtracked back toward Shanghai; stopped in Nanjing.
Feb 24 - By night-train to He Fei, China; was trying to get to Xi'an, but all flights and trains were booked because of people returning home from Spring Festival.
Feb 21 - By night-train back to Shanghai, China; to spend more time with my new girlfriend, Jackie.
Feb 14 - By night-train to Beijing, China; to see the Great Wall and Forbidden City, and to fall in love.
Feb 5-7 - By ship to Shanghai, China; the proverbial "slow-boat to China"; timed our visit to coincide with Spring Festival (the Chinese New Year); I saw (and heard) more fireworks in one night than I've ever experienced in my life.
Feb 4 - By train to Kobe, Japan; stopping at five Hard Rock Cafes along the way.
Jan 29 - By air back to Kawaguchi, Japan.
Jan 27 - By air to Fukuoka, Japan; to visit Kumiko's family and friends.
Jan 18 - By air back to Kawaguchi, Japan.
Jan 15 - By air to Furano, Japan; ski-trip to the mountains of Hokkaido.
Jan 9 - Day-trip to Nikko, Japan; long, difficult trip to see a so-so waterfall.

2001

Dec 28-29 - By air to Kawaguchi, Japan; to visit Kumiko and see if there was anything left of our relationship to salvage.
Dec 23 - By air to Houston, Texas; then by car to Beaumont, Texas; to visit my parents.
Dec 12 - By air to Austin, Texas; my former hometown to visit many old friends.
Dec 5 - By air to Fort Worth, Texas (where my sister is now living); home for the holidays, to see family and friends, take care of personal business, and to prepare for the second year of my journey.
Dec 4 - By train to Zurich, Switzerland.
Nov 24 - By train to Gryon, Switzerland (again); for more relaxing and socializing; another eleven days this time.
Nov 23 - By train to Milan, Italy; did a walking tour with Monica (from Colombia).
Nov 21 - Day-trip to Pompeii; went with a young Australian named Tom; it was quite amazing.
Nov 19 - By train to Naples, Italy; toured the city; had an interesting trip on the Train to Nowhere.
Nov 14 - By train to Rome, Italy; met up with my Romanian friend Lia (from my trip in Jan 2000);
Nov 13 - By train to Florence, Italy; tried to meet up with one of my new friends from Chalet Martin, but couldn't connect.
Nov 5 - By train to Gryon, Switzerland; decided to visit Chalet Martin in Gryon on a recommendation from a fellow-traveler in Interlaken; glad I did; planned to stay two days; ended up staying eight.
Nov 1 - By train to Interlaken, Switzerland; did a hike with Neal (from Canada); went out on the town with three ladies who worked at the hostel; did a driving tour (with one of the ladies) around the lakes and ate at an outdoor restaurant up in the mountains (not frequented by tourists).
Oct 23 - Solothurn, Switzerland; returned the camper; had a great photo session with Isabel; spent Halloween night at the house of another new friend, Martin (no connection with Chalet Martin).
Oct 21 - Aix les Bains, France; the drive north from Nice, through the French/Italian Alps, was absolutely gorgeous; along the way, I helped a horse in distress.
Oct 20 - Drove to Nice to meet Hilary; left the van there and went by train to Monaco for the day; slept in the van in front of a hostel (as I had done in Aix).
Oct 19 - Antibes, France; in the morning, I drove to St. Tropez, where I stopped for a walking tour and lunch; very touristy; continued along the coast enjoying stunning views; in the evening, met up with Pierre and Samantha, a couple I had met in Copenhagen; had dinner at their house with them and their two boys.
Oct 18 - Roumatuelle, France; drove south from Aix; stopped in Cassis for a quick walking tour of the city; then headed southwest along the French Riviera; found a great campsite set in some beautiful wooded hills overlooking the Mediterranean.
Oct 17 - Day-trip to Marseilles, France; with Hilary, one of my new-found friends (from Canada).
Oct 15 - Aix en Provence, France; had planned to try to zip across France on my way back to Switzerland without getting any more local money; all campsites were closed for the season; had to stay in a hostel; met such nice people there, I decided to stay and do some sightseeing.
Oct 9 - Barcelona, Spain; toured the city, taking in most of Gaudi's works (La Familia and Gruel Park); on Oct 12, Kumiko flew back to Japan.
Oct 8 - Kumiko and I decided to separate; backtracked toward Switzerland (to return the camper); decided to detour through Barcelona on our way back; camped in Logrono, Spain.
Oct 7 - Cadavedo, Spain; went into the mountains but it was very windy (like 35-40 knot gusts), so we decided not to do any hiking.
Oct 6 - Santillana, Spain; beautiful drive along the northern coast of Spain.
Oct 5 - St. Jean de Lux, France; beautiful campsite with a great view of the ocean.
Oct 3 - Got an early start to go see Chateau Chambord (which was stunning); then drove on to Laudinie, France; stayed at the home of my expat friends from England, Andy and Sue, in their beautiful 11th century villa.
Oct 2 - Veneuil, France; just a stop-over on our way to Laudinie; couldn't find a caravan park that was still open; camped in the parking lot of a shopping center; washed up and brushed our teeth at McDonald's the next morning.
Oct 1 - Drove first to Versaille; but being Monday, it was closed; drove on to Blois, France; camped at a rest-stop on the highway; great sunset.
Sept 29 - Paris, France; main point of interest for Kumiko was the Eiffel Tower (I had seen everything I wanted to see during my trip in January, 2000).
Sept 28 - By ferry to Caen, France (Normandy); then toured various battle sites of the D-Day invasion of WWII, including Omaha Beach and Point Du Lac; camped in Rouen, France.
Sept 27 - Portsmouth, England; visited Stonehenge on our way to the southern coast of England.
Sept 26 - Avebury, England; visited the stone circles of Avebury (similar to Stonehenge).
Sept 25 - Northampton, England; had tried to visit Princess Diana's grave, but it was only open to the public during July and August.
Sept 23 - London, England; drove from Belgium, through France; then took the Channel Tunnel from France to England; quite an experience - but very expensive.
Sept 22 - Brugge, Belgium; the weather was rather nasty, so we just passed on through the rest of Belgium on our way to England.
Sept 20 - Antwerp, Belgium.
Sept 19 - Lexmond, Netherlands; late start from Amsterdam (after filing a police report for our bicycles), got stuck in afternoon rush-hour traffic (in the rain); decided to exit and look for a campsite; found one run by the friendliest folks we had encountered at any campsite; even though they were officially closed for the season, they let us stay - for free!
Sept 17 - Amsterdam, Netherlands; hated it (mainly because this is where our bicycles were stolen).
Sept 16 - Bremen, Germany; toured Beck's Brewery (met Jackie, a Chinese girl who lives in Shanghai).
Sept 15 - Stopped off to see Egeskov Castle (a half-hour from Odense) which turned out to be our favorite castle of the trip, complete with mote and drawbridge, set in a most beautiful collection of gardens, hedge-mazes, and wooded hills; then drove on to Hamburg, Germany.
Sept 14 - By ferry (and van) to Odense, Denmark; tried to connect with a friend of mine but was never able to.
Sept 9 - Ljungby, Sweden; back at the home of Curt and Helen; they diagnosed my malady as borrelia (got some penicillin from a local doctor); this is where we were when the terrorists attacked the World Trade Center Towers; stayed a few days to watch the news coverage.
Sept 8 - Göteborg, Sweden; just a stop-over on our way back to Ljungby.
Sept 5 - Oslo, Norway; met up with Heidi (whom we had met in Malta) and had dinner one evening at her house; also, this is where I contracted borrelia.
Sept 4 - Geilo, Norway.
Sept 2 - Flåm, Norway; after driving through more stunningly spectacular scenery, we did a boat tour of two fingers of the Sognefjord (Aurlandsfjord and Naerøyfjord), which was magnificent; the rain stopped just long enough for our boat tour and started again just as we got back to the van; then drove on another 300km - through 51 tunnels! - to Bergen, Norway.
Sept 1 - Ål, Norway; after a beautiful drive through the Norwegian countryside, we camped by an equally beautiful river.
Aug 31 - Hamar, Norway; the nights were getting much colder and we were encountering a lot more rain; so we decided to change our plans, which had us going farther north in Sweden; we headed northwest into Norway instead.
Aug 30 - Visited the silver mine in Sala; then drove on to Särna, Sweden (camped by a nice lake).
Aug 29 - Sala, Sweden; camped at a rest-stop (free); had a great dinner (the menu was explained in English by a guy that was half-Japanese, half-Swedish).
Aug 23 - Stockholm, Sweden; with so many beautiful, tall, blonde, blue-eyed ladies.
Aug 22 - Did a bike tour of the island; drove to Vadstena to see a beautiful abbey; then on to Trosa, Sweden.
Aug 21 - By ferry (and van) to Lake Visingso, Sweden; camped on a small island in the middle of a huge lake.
Aug 17 - Ljungby, Sweden; to visit our friends Curt and Helen (and family) whom we had met on Koh Tao, Tailand.
Aug 13 - Copenhagen, Denmark.
Aug 11 - By ferry (and van) to Møns Klint, Denmark; beautiful cliffs overlooking the sea.
Aug 10 - Rostock, Germany; cheapest campsite thus far (coin operated gate).
Aug 8 - Change of plans for Ayako; her trip to Italy with a friend from school had been canceled (which is why she had decided to travel with us again); but after a call to her friend, she found out the trip was back on; so she had to leave us and go back home.
Aug 6 - Berlin, Germany; drove through Potsdam on the way and tried to see two sites (which were closed), including the site of the conference of the allied nations at the end of WWII; in Berlin, we stayed with new friend, Helmut, and went wild-boar hunting.
Aug 5 - Quedlinburg, Germany; did a walking tour of the city (during a short break in the rainy weather); then on to Magdeburg; drove past many trees broken and felled by high winds.
Aug 4 - Munich, Germany; so Kumiko could get more food and supplies from her favorite Japanese store; then on to Joditz.
Aug 3 - Met Ayako at the train station; did a walking tour of Bamberg; then decided to go back to Ayako's place in Friedburg, Germany to get her passport and more clothes.
Aug 2 - Wurzburg, Germany; where we visited the Residenz, which was magnificent, the most beautiful place we had seen thus far on our trip; then on to Bamberg; where we were to meet up with Ayako again.
July 31 - Nordlingen, Germany; found it to be less interesting than the guidebook made it sound; had lunch, and went on to Rothenburg via the Romantic Road.
July 29 - Nuremberg, Germany; best preserved (meaning completely rebuilt after WWII) town of our trip.
July 23 - Prague, Czech Republic; on the way, thought I was going to get stopped for speeding by the Czech police (and I didn't have any local currency yet), but it was a false alarm; they waved me on and stopped the car behind me.
July 21 - Krems, Austria; just in time for the Apricot Festival - yum!
July 17 - Melk, Austria; nice campsite; great place to ride our bikes.
July 13 - Vienna, Austria; Ayako had departed by train from Salzburg that morning.
July 11 - Day-trip to Werfen to see the Eisriesenwelt Hohle (ice caves).
July 8 - Salzburg, Austria.
July 6 - Innsbruck, Austria.
July 4 - Friedburg, Germany; finally connected with Ayako.
July 3 - Emmendingen, Germany; we were going to see Ayako, a Japanese girl we had met in Taipei and whom was living in Freidburg, Germany (where we thought we were heading, but upon closer inspection of the map, we were actually nearing Freiburg); Friedburg was another half-day's journey, so we just found a place to camp for the night.
June 30 - By VW camper (which we named Casper and which we would travel in until mid-October) to Bern, Switzerland.
June 26 - By train to Solothurn, Switzerland.
June 25 - By train (several wrong trains) to Olten, Switzerland (to meet the man who would rent us a VW camper); called him in the evening and found out he was actually in Solothurn.
June 23 - By bus to La Palud, Italy; by spectacular cable car over Mont Blanc to Chamonix, France.
June 22 - By train/bus to Aosta; by train to Pre St. Didier; by bus to Courmayeur, Italy (near the French border); too late to catch the cable car over Mont Blanc, had to stop for the night.
June 21 - By train to Milan, Italy; did a walking tour of the city; then by train to Chivasso, Italy (forced to stop for the night).
June 18 - By train to Pisa, Italy; stopped long enough to see the leaning tower; then by train to Cinque Terre (five lands), Italy.
June 16 - By train to Florence, Italy.
June 13/14 - By ferry to Civitavecchio, Italy; then by bus to Rome, Italy.
June 13 - By bus to Arbatax, Sardenia.
June 7 - By narrow-guage train to Arbatax; then by bus to Cala Gonone, Sardenia.
June 5/6 - By ferry to Cagliari, Sardenia (Italy).
June 4 - By bus to Trapani, Sicily.
June 2 - By ferry to Catania, Sicily; then by bus to Polermo, Sicily.
June 1 - By ferry to Valletta, Malta.
May 25 - Day-trip (by bus) to the Blue Grotto; then by helicopter to the island of Gozo (Malta); by taxi to Marsalforn.
May 24 - By train to Pozzallo, Italy; then by high-speed ferry to Valletta, Malta.
May 23 - By train to Syracusa, Sicily.
May 21/22 - By ferry to Brindisi, Italy; then by train & ferry to Taormina, Sicily (Italy).
May 20 - By bus to Olympia; toured the site; then by bus to Patras, Greece.
May 19 - Day-trip to Mycenae and Epidauros Theatre.
May 18 - By bus to Nafplio, Greece.
May 16/17 - By ferry to Pireaus, Greece.
May 16 - Long day... By bus to Omalos; Trekked through Samaria Gorge (six hours) to Agia Roumeli; by ferry to Hora-Sfakion; then by bus back to Hania, Crete to catch a ferry.
May 14 - By bus to Rethymno, Crete; stopped for lunch and a walking tour of the town; then by bus to Hania, Crete.
May 13 - By bus to Iraklio, Crete. (We were too early in the season for the west-bound bus service; had to backtrack.)
May 12 - Full day of travel... By bus to Mires (to find an ATM); by bus to Agia Galini; long wait (bad bus info); by bus to Bale (or so we were told - actual city name was Koxare - missed our stop, ended up in Rethymno); finally by bus to Plakias, Crete - just in time for the worst weather of the trip.
May 10 - By bus to Phaestos; toured the site; then by bus to Matala, Crete - nude beach!
May 9 - Day-trip (by bus) to Knossos, Crete.
May 6 - By ferry to Iraklio, Crete (Greece).
May 3 - By ferry to the Island of Santorini, Greece.

Apr 29 - By bus to Athens; then by ferry to the Island of Naxos, Greece.
Apr 28 - By bus to Delphi, Greece.
Apr 25 - By air to Athens, Greece - sans luggage - we got it two days later!
Apr 6-24 - Auto tour of Rajasthan, India, including:
- Apr 6 - Jhunjhunu - Khetri Mahal; Bihariji Temple.
- Apr 7 - Bikaner - Junagarh Fort; Lalgarh Palace; and Karni Mata Temple (euphemistically called "Mouse Temple"; where thousands of holy rats are worshipped).
- Apr 9 - Jaisalmer - The Golden City - Jaisalmer Fort; Jain temples; many beautiful havelis; Doug wasn't feeling well; skipped the camel safari (two days on a camel in the hot desert sun; sleeping in the open dunes).
- Apr 11 - Manvar Desert Camp (our favorite hotel, with a pool, far from anything remotely resembling a city) - Jeep safari (to see the "real" Indian village life and visit the sand dunes - sunset was hazed out); camel safari (much shorter and cooler (at 6:00a) than the one planned in Jaisalmer).
- Apr 12 - Jodhpur - The Blue City - Meherangarh (the
- Majestic Fort); Umaid Bhawan Palace.
- Apr 13 - Good Friday (the 13th) - Ranakpur - Chaumukha Temple, with its 29 halls supported by 1444 columns (no two alike); black faced monkeys all around; in the evening, visited a village house nearby to watch a wedding dance - the bride was age 13.
- Apr 14 - Udaipur - The Venice of the East - Lake Pichola (all but dried up); City Palace; Fateh Sagar; Moti Magri.
- Apr 16 - Pushkar - not much to see (the lake was also almost dried up); stayed in our second favorite hotel of the trip - owned by the maharaja (who was lounging in the lobby when we checked in), it had a pool, as well.
- Apr 17 - Jaipur - The Pink City - Hawa Mahal; City Palace Complex; Amber Fort/Palace (rode elephant); Royal Gaitor (cenotaphs of the royal family).
- Apr 19 - Agra - The Taj Mahal (magnificent); Agra Fort; Akbar's Mausoleum.
- Apr 21 - back to Delhi - we decided to cut our stay in India short by a few days and skip Nepal altogether (after two false starts). Our goal from the beginning was to tour Europe in Spring/Summer and we realized we were cutting into that time by staying longer in Asia. After reading the Nepal guidebook, we realized we needed to be there much longer than we had planned in order to do it justice.
~~Apr 6 - By train/bus to Kathmandu, Nepal.~~
[Oops, another change of plans - the guy at the tourist bureau recommended that we see India first because "it's hot and getting hotter; Nepal is much cooler."]
Apr 4 - By air to Delhi, India.
~~Apr 3 - By air to Kathmandu, Nepal.~~
[Oops, change of plans - needed to stay an extra day in Bangkok; by then the only flight we could get was to Delhi.]
Apr 2 - By air to Bangkok, Thailand (again).
Mar 27 - By air to Chaing Mai, Thailand; rode an elephant and a bamboo raft (though not at the same time).
Mar 24 - By high-speed ferry to Koh Samui, Thailand. More lazy days in the sun - actually, after a week in the intense tropical sun, we stayed in the shade. Again, bungalow #1 - right on the beach.
Mar 16-17 - By night-train and ferry to Koh Tao, Thailand. Spent a week diving, snorkeling (with sharks!), and relaxing in the sun. We were in bungalow #1 - about ten meters from the beach.
Mar 12 - By air to Siem Reap, Cambodia; visited Angkor Wat - then back to Bangkok on the 15th; Angkor Wat is amazing.
Mar 8-9 - By Oriental Express to Bangkok, Thailand; this was absolutely wonderful; I highly recommend it.
Mar 6 - By train to Butterworth, Malaysia.
Mar 5 - By train to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Mar 1 - By air to Singapore; the cleanest city.
Mar 1 - By air to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; stayed at the airport most of the day to catch an afternoon flight.
Feb 24-25 - By night-train to Hue, Vietnam.
Feb 20-21 - By night-train (make that sleepless night-train) to Hanoi, Vietnam.
Feb 19 - By air to Guilin, China.
Feb 17 - By bus to Guangzhou, China.
Feb 13 - By air to Hong Kong, China; just another big city, but a good place to get visas for mainland China.
Feb 6 - By ship to Taipei, Taiwan.
Feb 1 - By air to Ishigaki Island - south of Okinawa and still part of Japan - to get Kumiko certified in scuba.
Jan 31 - By bus from Kurume City to Orgori City (to say goodbye to Kumiko's parents); then by train to Fukuoka.
Jan 28 - Day-trip (supposedly) to Oita, Japan to eat Fugu; got snowed in and had to stay overnight in Beppu; returned on the 29th.
Jan 16 - By air to Tokyo, Japan; shopping spree at REI to get Kumiko outfitted for our travels; returned on the 18th.
Dec 31 - Day-trip (or rather night-trip) to Fukuoka, Japan to see New Year's fireworks show.
Dec 29 - Day-trip (by car) to Nagasaki, Japan.
Dec 16 - By air to Okinawa, Japan; back to Kurume City on the 18th.
Dec 11/12 - By air from Indianapolis, Indiana to Kurume City, Japan.
Dec 7 - By rental car from Beaumont, Texas to Kokomo, Indiana (to say goodbye to my sister).
Dec 5 - By rental car from Austin, Texas to Beaumont, Texas (to say goodbye to my parents).

Where I've Been (presented in reverse chronological order)

2007

Oct 9 - by air to Melbourne, Australia; to spend some quality time writing my novel.

Sept 28 - by air to Bangkok, Thailand; to pick up my new passport.

Sept 24 - by ferry to Cebu City, Philippines.

Sept 21 - by ferry to Alona Beach, Philippines.

Sept 19 - by air to Cebu City, Philippines.

Sept 12 - by bus to Angeles City, Philippines.

Sept 11 - by air to Manila, Philippines; feels like coming "home". ;-)

Sept 10 - by air to Hong Kong, China; an unscheduled stop on my way to the Philippines. :(

Aug 29 - by train/air to Tainan, Taiwan.

Aug 26 - by train to Guangzhou, China.

Aug 24 - by train to Shenzhen, China.

Aug 22 - by air to Hong Kong, China.

Aug 20 - by bus to Bangkok, Thailand; back to Bangkok to go to the Embassy.

Aug 18 - by bus to Pattaya, Thailand; hotels were booked in Bangkok; decided to spend the weekend in Pattaya. ;-)

Aug 16 - by air to Bangkok, Thailand; I was only here for a short while - long enough to apply for a permanent replcement passport.

Aug 15 - by train to Paris, France; I had to stay overnight on my way out of France in order to go to the US Embassy in the morning before my flight; while staying with my friends, I inadvertently washed my passport (in my pants pocket in the laundry), so I had to get an emergency replacement.

June 23 - by air to London, England; an unscheduled stop on my way to France.

May 29 - by train to Taipei, Taiwan; a day-trip for a job interview; a wasted trip, I might add. :(

May 26 - by train to Tainan, Taiwan.

May 23-24 - by air to Taipei, Taiwan; to try another stint as an English teacher, this time in Taiwan (first time was in Korea).

2006

Oct 3 - by air to Austin, Texas; back in the US again for the first time in two and a half years.

Sept 30 - by bus to Cairo, Egypt.

Sept 24 - by bus to Dahab, Egypt; at this point, I have over-stayed by visa, but the guidebook (and the locals I asked) said it's ok. I'm just hoping they're right.

Sept 23 - by bus to Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt.

Sept 22 - by overnight bus to Cairo, Egypt; met up with a friend and went back to Sharm and Dahab.

Sept 15 - by bus to Dahab, Egypt; possibly as touristy as Sharm El Sheikh, but with a very laid-back, comfortable atmosphere; so it was much more enjoyable.

Sept 13 - by overnight bus to Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt; very touristy, VERY hot!!!

Sept 7 - by train to Alexandria, Egypt.

Sept 5 - by train to Cairo, Egypt; I didn't see the pyramids when I first arrived in Egypt, so I had to see them this time.

Sept 2 - by felucca (traditional Egyptian sailboat) to... well, I didn't actually make it to my intended destination, but that's a long story; I ended up back in Aswan and took a train to Luxor.

Aug 30 - by overnight train to Aswan, Egypt.

Aug 23/24 - by overnight ferry to Athens, Greece, then by air to Cairo, Egypt; a very long and exhausting trip.

Aug 21 - by ferry to Rhodes, Greece.

Aug 20 - by ferry/bus to Marmaris, Turkey; where I could catch a ferry to Rhodes.

Aug 16 - by train to Istanbul, Turkey; saved Istanbul for last, and I'm glad I did. ;-)

Aug 13 - by bus to Eskisehir, Turkey.

Aug 10/11 - by overnight bus to Göreme, Turkey (Capadocia); amazing scenery!

Aug 8 - by bus to Antalya, Turkey.

Aug 7 - by bus to Pamukkale, Turkey.

Aug 4/5 - by train/bus to Selcuk, Turkey; I met up with my two good friends from Korea and we toured southwest Turkey together.

Aug 2/3 - by air to Istanbul, Turkey, then by train to Eskisehir; This is another place I've always wanted to visit.

July 29 - day-trip to Hangzhou, China; to see beautiful West Lake - but it was SOOOOO hot!

July 25 - by air to Shanghai, China.

July 24 - by air to Kunming, China; I didn't intend to stay overnight, but a problem with the language barrier caused me to miss my flight to Shanghai. :(

July 15 - by private car to Vientiane, Laos; I felt so comfortable here when I visited the first time earlier this year, this felt like coming home.

July 13/14 - by overnight train to Udon Thani, Thailand.

July 11 - by air to Bangkok, Thailand; to visit another friend. ;-)

July 5/6 - by air and bus to Tainan, Taiwan; to visit my friend once more.

July 2 - by train to Hong Kong, China; back to pick up my laptop and to get yet another visa for mainland-China.

June 29 - by train to Shenzhen, China; while waiting for my new laptop to get setup and ready to go, I decided to spend that time in Shenzhen coz I like it better than Hong Kong.

June 27 - by taxi to Malate, Philippines; if you're wondering about my transportation being by taxi, Malate and Quezon are both part of the Manila Metro sprawl.

June 26 - by bus to Quezon City, Philippines.

June 23 - by air and bus to Angeles City, Philippines. ;-)

June 16/17 - by overnight ferry to Cebu City, Philippines.

June 13 - by bus to Cagayan de Oro, Philippines; I arrived during one of the hardest rains I'd seen in many months; I stepped off the bus into nearly knee-deep water!

June 2 - by train to Tainan, Taiwan; to visit a friend who's living and working in Taiwan on a two-year contract.

May 31 - by air to Taipei, Taiwan.

May 28 - by bus to Bangkok, Thailand.

May 27 - by taxi (Expensive!) to Pattaya, Thailand.

May 24 - by boat/bus/night-train/bus/boat to Bangkok, then on to Koh Samet; this is my favorite island destination in Thailand; beautiful beaches, and just a nice place to relax; not as touristy as other places.

May 20 - by boat to Phi Phi, Thailand; this island was also hit hard by the tsunami; the differences were more dramatic than in Phuket.

May 15 - by private car, then night-train and bus to Phuket, Thailand; this is my first post-tsunami visit to Phuket; it was interesting to see the changes.

May 13 - by bus to Pattaya, Thailand; 'nuff said - hehe.

May 8 - by night-train to Bangkok, Thailand; I've been there so many times, it feels like "home".

May 2 - by bus to Udon Thani, Thailand.

Apr 16 - by night-bus to Vientiane, Laos; even though this was an overnight bus, it had seats only, no beds like the one(s) in China; so NO SLEEP!!!

Apr 3 - by air to Kunming, China.

Mar 30 - by train to Shenzhen, China; (more ping-pong).

Mar 29 - by bus to Dongguan, China.

Mar 26 - by train to Guangzhou, China; (like a ping-pong ball - hehe).

Mar 22 - by train to Shenzhen, China.

Mar 18 - by night-train to Guangzhou, China.

Mar 12 - by night-train to Shanghai, China; 19 hours on the top-most bunk of three; difficult to climb up to; not enough head-room to sit up; I could only lie down and read the entire time.

Mar 10 - by ferry to Qingdao, China; the amazing aspect of this trip was that there were only four passengers (including myself) on a rather large ship.

Mar 2 - by ferry to Fukoka, Japan; to drop some things at Kumiko's place for her to store for me while I travel again.

Feb 13 - by train to Busan, South Korea.

Feb 10 - by train to Seoul, South Korea; another trip to see my German friend, Tom.

Where I've Been
(presented in reverse chronological order)