September 10, 2013

Video: Crossing the street in Saigon at Rush Hour!

When I decided to hit Vietnam after a few weeks in Thailand, I didn’t think traffic could get any worse than I had experienced in Bangkok, but oh was I wrong. While the traffic in Bangkok is crazy, there is still a sort of order to it. People respect traffic lights (for the most part), and once you get off the main avenues, things relax a bit. Vietnam? Lawless… From the second I pulled out from the airport in Ho Chi Minh City (also formally and still known as Saigon), I knew I was in for one wild ride. The…

September 7, 2013

A Brief History of Holworthy Hall at Harvard University

Holworthy Hall is a freshman residence hall at Harvard University that was built in 1812 and renovated in 1990. The building is located on Plympton Street in Harvard Yard, which is the oldest section of Harvard University’s campus located in Cambridge, MA which essentially is part of Boston. It was originally built for the purpose of housing freshman men, but now also houses women. It was named after its original owner, Thomas Holworthy, who was a professor of rhetoric and oratory at Harvard from 1825 to 1828 as well as an alumnus from 1790. He also left the university a…

September 4, 2013

City of the Week Series – Brussels!

You could be forgiven for neglecting Brussels on your inter-railing or backpacking through Western Europe, but you’d be missing out on one of the most unique cities you may ever visit. Many people forgo Brussels, the quiet capital of Belgium, imagining drab government buildings or grey streets and opt for the photogenic canal-saturated town of Bruges. But Brussels is a European capital worth visiting, even if the EU isn’t your thing. Here are 3 reasons why you should consider Brussels as more than a train stop on your way between Paris and Amsterdam! 1. Amazing architecture If architecture is your…

August 28, 2013

5 Random Reasons Why I Love Thailand!

Thailand is a hedonis….westerner’s dream. Famous just for being a farang (foreigner in Thai)?, check. Delicious food, cold beer, great accommodation for half the cost of any country that you’re probably from? Check. Bustling cities that never sleep, pristine beaches, tropical islands and picturesque mountains? Check. While all of the above reasons why Thailand should be a must-visit on any traveler’s bucket list, there are some other reasons why I love Thailand and have spent a couple months here in the past year (two trips!). 1. Bathroom Massages If you like massages, then Thailand is the country for you. If…

August 24, 2013

10 Reasons to Visit Greece!

The top tourist attractions in Greece are there to remind us of the country’s role in shaping politics, sports, philosophy, architecture, theatre, and art. Worldwide, the influence of ancient Greece is beyond impressive and often unnoticed today as it’s so entwined into modern day society from democracy to architecture. A trip to Greece will surely be a memorable one, and now a days, things are very affordable compared to past years. Here are 10 of the top tourist attractions in Greece. #10: Mount Athos This mountain sits on the easternmost end of the Halkidiki peninsula. It is home to 20…

August 19, 2013

Three Awesome American Road Trips!

America was made for cruising. With thousands of miles of quality roads to explore, the USA is an auto enthusiast’s dream (well maybe no speed limit on the autobahn rivals it). This massive country spans two oceans and has everything in between. Remember, safety comes first, so when putting on your driving shoes, hiring a Tampa motorcycle attorney (or one in your area) makes perfect sense to make sure if the worst should happen, you are covered, and know you are in safe hands. With that in mind, its time to get the engine running, and get ready to check out one…

August 16, 2013

Why I use my iPhone camera more than my real camera!

There are two types of travel bloggers, ones that rely more on their words (I’m more in this camp) and those that rely more on their photography skills (not me). I never took any professional photography courses nor do I know how to use 90% of the functions on my simple, point-and-shoot Canon that I bought for $200 4 years ago. That being said, I think my photo game has been stepped up exponentially in the past few months. My photography “prowess” isn’t bettering because I’m some whiz with a $1000 DSLR, but because I’ve learned how to use something…

August 14, 2013

Post-War Bosnia – A European Gem

I just turned 26 years old, that means I was born in 1987 – quite the year. Gas only cost 89 cents/gallon, Alf was straight killing it and Arnold Schwarzenegger starred in one of his finest movies, Predator. Beyond acid wash jeans and ring pops, there wasn’t much else going on… Fast forward a few years to 1992 and I was happily enjoying eating my boogers in my 3nd grade class when our teacher introduced a new student. “Hello everybody, please welcome Janja, she’s from Yugoslavia”. To be honest, she could have been from anywhere outside of the states and…

August 13, 2013

Alien and UFO Themed Vacations – Screw the Beach!

Wanna rub elbows with extraterrestrials? Then maybe take a “UFO themed vacation” by visiting a few hotspots around the world where mysterious sightings are frequent! E.T., Chewbacca and the artist formally known as Prince, oh my! Puerto Rico Not only does this Caribbean island at the southern apex of the Bermuda Triangle have conventional UFOs buzzing around, they even have USOs, or Unidentified Submersible Objects, that dive into the ocean! Most of the documented sightings are reported in and around the El Yunque Rainforest which also is home to the mysterious chupacabra, an elusive and enigmatic creature first sighted here.…

August 2, 2013

Why Croatia Sucks…

Great, now that I sucked you into clicking on this post through my negativism, I’d like to first state that while I did just spend over a week in Croatia, it didn’t really suck, it just wasn’t what I expected. I think my Croatian road trip was a good travel lesson to not come with expectations to a place. Expectations just set you up for disappointment, and I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed with Croatia. Here’s why: 1. Croatia is ridiculously touristy While I didn’t make it to Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, I did in fact…

July 24, 2013

Ljublubublijana and the lakes of Slovenia – Weirdly Nice

After spending almost a month in Romania (I wasn’t even planning on going there in the first place), I decided to take a little Adriatic adventure with one of my friends, Stefan (the Danish metrosexual viking) who lives in Bucharest. The original plan was to rent a car in Bucharest and drive across Serbia, into Croatia and then down to Montenegro…that didn’t happen. Apparently, people don’t like you to take their rental cars through non-EU countries (i.e. Serbia), so we had to get creative. We searched for the cheapest flight from Bucharest to the Adriatic region and luckily found a…

July 8, 2013

The Gayest, Non-Gay Experience of My Life: Round 2 – Budapest Bath House

If you haven’t read The Gayest, Non-Gay Experience of My Life: Part 1 – The Turkish Bath House, I suggest you do so before reading this post. After almost two years of intense psycho and physical therapy, finally letting people touch me again, and having as much sex (with women) as humanly possible, I have finally shed the terrible memories of the homo-erotic Turkish Hammam in Istanbul. It was not easy moving on after such an experience, but it had to be done. Fast forward two years, and I’m still traveling, and more than ever in fact. I’m currently in…

July 4, 2013

Riding Motorcycles in Romania: My 12 Hour Adventure!

When I travel, there are a few things I really enjoy doing because I’m halfway decent at them (who likes doing stuff they suck at?). Mountain biking, riding motorcycles and surfing (ok i’m not that good at surfing yet, but I’m working on it). After being in Romania now for almost a month, I haven’t ridden a hog for a long time, and every time I hear one screaming down the streets of Bucharest, I get nostalgic (and think what a douche bag). I decided to stay in Bucharest for a few weeks because my friend from Denmark headed home for a…

July 2, 2013

Crazy Shit While Traveling: Dead Guy on Bucharest Metro

It wasn’t even one day after posting about how crazy stuff seems to always happen while traveling that I had another weird experience, this one fits more into the “WTF” category rather than, “Fuck Yea”. I had boarded the metro at the Universitate stop in Bucharest and was just heading south one station to Piati Unirii (ya I know, just one stop, but it’s further than you think). The ride took about 3 minutes, but as we pulled into Piati Unirii, I noticed some red tape on the platform. When the train slowly came to a stop, there were three…

July 1, 2013

Only While Traveling: Starring in a Romanian Music Video!

Anyone who has traveled can attest to weird/cool/crazy shit happening while on the road. Be it the fact that being somewhere new nurtures an adventurous spirit, or that you just wouldn’t dare go to a Ping Pong show in your native country, traveling opens the doors for new experiences that just aren’t really “possible” back at home. Long term traveling especially will definitely pit you in some situations that will make you go WTF? or hopefully, fuck yea! I had one of those moments last week when I got asked to be in a Romanian music video, yesss. I was…

June 27, 2013

Route 66 – Towns You Can’t Miss!

Route 66 is one of the world’s most famous road trips, but that doesn’t mean driving is the only important part of the adventure. I think the places you choose to stop at are every bit as crucial as the ground you cover in the car, as these will give you the chance to really get under the skin of Route 66, so to speak. It’s easy just to make a beeline for the big cities like Chicago (where the road starts), but I think there’s a lot to be said for visiting some small towns too. By doing so,…

June 19, 2013

Video: Star Wars Set or Salt Mine?

Yesterday, I took a nice little day trip from Cluj-Napoca, Romania to the Turda Salt Mine (Salinas Turda in Romania). Who gives a shit about salt and old tunnels? That’s what I thought too, but I was urged by many locals to check it out. Watch the video to see why it was so cool!

June 14, 2013

Where Babies Come From – Faro, Portugal!

Last month, I started my European trip in Portugal. After enjoying the northern city of Porto for a few days, I needed to get my ass sun kissed a bit. I spent a few days in Lagos (post to come), but I also spent a few days in Faro, the biggest city in the Algarve region, but one that is more full of locals than tourists. While the city has a quaint city center and some good restaurants and bars, I thought the coolest thing were the stork nests precipitously crafted atop churches, buildings and light poles. I guess the locals don’t…

June 11, 2013

Top Tips for Traveling to Canada!

Canada is a top destination for vacationers, business people, students and immigrants from every region of the globe. In addition to the 35 million visitors who travel to this amazing country each year, around 90,000 international students arrive annually to attend Canadian educational programs, plus another 250,000 foreign nationals are granted a Permanent Resident Visa to Canada yearly. Why are so many people traveling to Canada? The short answer is that Canada is a beautiful, immigrant-friendly country that offers foreign nationals many wonderful activities to enjoy, whether they are vacationing, on a business trip, studying abroad or have been approved…

June 10, 2013

Beyond the Outback: Brisbane!

If you’re like most people, when you think of Australia you think of shimmery, orange desert sands that look tailor made for a wild dune buggy ride, you think of care-free kangaroos hopping about like they don’t even mind you’re there, and you think of shrimp – on the Barbie, naturally. What you may not realize is that among these unique landscapes and unusual marsupials, this exotic country offers some exciting metropolitan cities. One of this modern, urban centers is none other than, Brisbane. What began as just another city in a penal colony is now a notable Australian tourist…