Trek to Annapurna Base Camp

So, we’re back in civilization — north India, to be exact. We just spent a week trekking in Nepal. We took a bus from Kathmandu to Pokhara, the trekking capital of Nepal. It’s set on a lake in beautiful hilly scenery, and as you walk around town you see the peaks of the Himalayas looming [...]

Kathmandu at Sunset

Kathmandu Scene, originally uploaded by Subcontinental Drift.
So we splurged and ate “pizza” and drank beer atop the highest rooftop restaurant in Kathmandu. We were rewarded with this view. I swear, the moment I noticed how the sun was setting over the prayer flags the bird landed and started posing like mad. Sometimes you’re lucky.

Take a Xanax, Martha

Roadblock in Eastern Nepal, originally uploaded by Subcontinental Drift.
You all may have heard about the turmoil in Nepal — Maoists, strikes, and the like. Well, so had we. That’s why we quizzed everyone we could before heading into the mountainous little country. Everyone told us that it would be fine and, ultimately, it was.
One little [...]

Bangkok to Calcutta

Little Buddha II, originally uploaded by Subcontinental Drift.
We leave Bangkok at 9:30 AM tomorrow, bound for Calcutta. That means no more Buddha statues, orange-robed monks, or fishy noodle soups. Thankfully, however, it means cheaper food, better public transportation, and more English-speaking people.
With any luck our luggage won’t be lost by the airline, like it was [...]

Three Mysteries

Plain of Jars, originally uploaded by Subcontinental Drift.
Mystery Number One: Plain of Jars
This picture shows a part of the Plain of Jars, a large area in Northern Laos which is scattered with massive jars of unknown origin. Some think they are the glassware of the Gods. Others claim they are for fermenting fowl (some still [...]

Sapa

Picture 255, originally uploaded by Subcontinental Drift.
This picture is about three weeks old by now, but we didn’t want to skip blogging about the north of Vietnam. This here’s old Nicky boy sitting on a mountain ledge in Sapa. The entire valley was layered with rice paddies that stretched up along the sides of the [...]

Trekking in Northern Laos

Emily and Felix in Village, originally uploaded by Subcontinental Drift.
First, we’d like to wish Mrs. Rose and Mrs. Viglietta a happy Mother’s Day. And, let it be known, our doing so was in no way influenced or prompted by a message from Mr. Rose. No, not in the least.
We’ve been incommunicado for the better part [...]

Hauling Ass Through Vietnam

Nah Trang, Late April, originally uploaded by Subcontinental Drift.
We flirted with the idea of skipping Vietnam altogether, but our better sense prevailed and we got on a bus from Phnom Penh to Saigon. Now we’re on an “open tour” ticket that is taking us the bagillion kilometers from Saigon to Hanoi for fifteen dollars. Read [...]

Going for a Ride on the Day of Hatred

Going for a Ride on the Day of Hatred, originally uploaded by Subcontinental Drift.

This picture was taken yesterday, April 17. Originally known as “Liberation Day,” April 17 marked the fall of Phnom Penh to the forces of the Khmer Rouge in 1975. Clearly, the majority of the population now has no reason to celebrate such [...]

Party in Phnom Penh

Khmer New Year Party, originally uploaded by Subcontinental Drift.

Turns out the Khmers throw down when the new year rolls around. The gentleman on the right is a tuk-tuk driver (three-wheeled contraptions fashioned out of a motorbike, scrap metal, and naugahide). The bottle in front of him was some sort of homemade hooch that he was [...]