I can sit here and describe to you what I saw and experienced, but I’d rather let the pictures speak for me.

After wandering around for hours on end checking out all the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and experiences, we decided to take a firefly tour. It’s pretty much exactly what it sounds like. About 20 people get into a long-boat at dusk and head quite a ways up-river away from the hustle and bustle of the market.

As the sun set against a backdrop of the surrounding jungle, maze of canals, and bamboo huts, we began to see them. At first they were rather faint. The boat captain cut off the engine, and we coasted along the shoreline and gazed up into the darkness. As our eyes adjusted, we saw a magnificent light show of literally hundreds and sometime thousands of tiny little fireflies dancing among the trees. Several people tried to take photos of this nearly-unexplainable experience to share with others later, but simply couldn’t get the right light settings. After a while, the flashes and clicks of cameras all around settled into the darkness with us until the only remaining sound was the wildlife around us. The air was thick with humidity. The sounds of the jungle were deafening at times. But the light show was unforgettable.

As many of you know by now, I’m at-best an average writer, so I found a wonderful poem by Marilyn Kallet that I’d like to share:

In the dry summer field at nightfall,

fireflies rise like sparks.

Imagine the presence of ghosts

flickering, the ghosts of young friends,

your father nearest in the distance.

This time they carry no sorrow,

no remorse, their presence is so light.

Childhood comes to you,

memories of your street in lamplight,

holding those last moments before bed,

capturing lightning-bugs,

with a blossom of the hand

letting them go. Lightness returns,

an airy motion over the ground

you remember from Ring Around the Rosie.

If you stay, the fireflies become fireflies

again, not part of your stories,

as unaware of you as sleep, being

beautiful and quiet all around you.

                                                  – Marilyn Kallet

The post Floating Market of Amphawa and the Largest Club in Thailand appeared first on Destination Growth.

As for my recent trip which seems to have captivated A LOT of people (tough to not be captivated by backpacking 27 countries in 5 months), I need to get back to sharing photos and stories of my adventures… so without further adieu, back to January 31, Day 47.

The post No I haven’t been kidnapped, accosted, or gone MIA (yet) appeared first on Destination Growth.

Crete (Photo credit: idleformat)

When it comes to holidays to Crete, you would be forgiven for thinking that there is little else apart from beaches and all inclusive resorts to keep you busy. But contrary to what you may think, there is a whole lot of culture packed onto this tiny island, with some important buildings well worth exploring which includes the fabulously constructed Arkadi Monastery.

Located just outside Rethymnon, the monastery has stood the test of time since it was completed back in the early 16^th century and has enjoyed – in the most part – a turbulent history. It sits on top of a fertile plateau and is surrounded by olive trees and vegetation, making it the ideal place to take some stunning photographs of the monastery and the Crete scenery.

The monastery was pillaged by invading Turkish forces in 1648 and for the next few hundreds of year remained under ottoman control, with a number of uprisings organised by the local population against the occupying forces centring on the monastery. Eventually in 1866 the Cretean Revolution drove the invaders out and the monastery began an emblem of Cretan struggle.

These days it is possible to visit the monastery and see some of the scars which this old building still shows. Inside the dining room there are still bullet ad sword marks etched into the wood and in the ossuary there are still the bones of those who died defending the monetary in 1866. Outside in the courtyard there is also a tree with a bullet lodged into it still which is a piece of living history if there ever was one!

If you like a bit of history and enjoy looking at some stunning architecture, then taking a trip to Arkadi monastery is a must when on a Crete luxury holiday. It is regarded as a national shrine on the island so by going to see it will help to better understand what makes Crete what it is today.

The monastery can be easily reached, lying just 23km from the popular town of Rethymnon so there are plenty of transport links to get here. Of course you should sample the local beaches, but don’t forget about the local history too! Be well. And Namaste.

Have you been to Crete? What did you enjoy most about it?

The post Exploring Arkadi Monastery on a Crete Holiday appeared first on Destination Growth.

The Benchamabophit temple that is on the 5 baht coin:

Another temple (I can’t remember the name of this one):

A gem factory (that I wasn’t allowed to take any pictures in or of) and a textile manufacturing facility (neat to watch the processes, but again, not allowed to photo inside).

When we started, the tout didn’t mention anything about gems or textiles. Nor did he mention that I had to stay – literally – inside each of these facilities for 10 minutes or more so he could get free petrol. After my tour of the surrounding area, I felt a bit uneasy because I was basically scammed into paying the tuk-tuk driver 40 thb so he could get free gas. But then I also took into account that I got to see a couple really cool temples. And seeing how they made the raw uncut stones into polished precious gems was interesting. The textiles didn’t do anything for me though so that was pretty much a waste. He dropped me off back at the palace and I walked the rest of the way around the giant wall to the main entrance.

I walked through the large guarded gate to see the beautiful structure hidden behind and all negativity from my morning scam experience vanished instantly. As I waited in line to buy a ticket, I noticed a sign that it was 500 thb for the tour ($16.66). I decided this was a bit steep and opted out. I saw enough beauty from the outside that I didn’t have to spend another 20 bucks to appreciate it more. I walked back to my water taxi and headed towards AImee’s place (I stayed with her and Wachi when I first arrived in Bangkok a month prior). While walking back, it was hot, humid, and crowded. I started to get a headache. A really bad one. By the time I got to Aimee’s flat, I could feel my heartbeat through my eyes. I decided to grab a hot shower and pop some advil in hopes that a nap would get rid of it. When I woke, Aimee messaged me and told me she wanted to show me a restaurant that was nearby. She had never been to it, but our talks about organic and vegetarian living had spurred her to seek out a place that offered such a meal. Enter Anotai.

The food was delicious. Like OMG delicious. We talked, laughed, ate until we couldn’t eat anymore, and lived in the moment. On the way back to the apartment, I told her I still had energy and wanted to see a movie. She told me Les Miserables was playing at the SFX Fortune Tower nearby and that she had never seen it. I had seen it several times already, but was eager to see it again and be there to witness her response to such a wonderful show. The ROI was priceless. She loved it. I loved it. As I recalled my day, I couldn’t help but reflect back on my morning at the palace and how crappy I felt when I realized I had been lied to (the palace was never closed) and scammed to pay a tuk-tuk driver 40 baht so he could then get free petrol. Twice. Oh well. Yet another lesson learned. Life goes on. Breathe. Be well. And namaste.

Have you ever been scammed on one of your tips or holiday vacations? What happened and how did you deal with it? What lessons did you learn?

The post Scammed in Bangkok appeared first on Destination Growth.

Jan 30. Day 46. I woke up refreshed and eager to collect my Indian Visa (click here for step by step instructions if you want to get a visa for India while in Chiang Mai). After picking up my credentials, I swung by the rail station and the melodic peaceful record that was playing in my head scratched to a grinding halt. All trains were booked – Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The only way to get out in time to begin the next phase of my journey was to leave that day. I bought my ticket, scurried back to the house, packed, simplified, and downsized a few items, cleaned up my room, did the dishes (enter sarcastic remark from Rachelle my roommate here), wrote my goodbyes and best wishes to the wonderful roommate I had for the previous month, and headed out. I needed to return my scooter, collect my 3,000 the deposit, and walk to the train station. On the way, I got some fried sweet potato wedges (did I mention yet how much I loved Chiang Mai street food?). I walked through the Tha Pae gate one last time and thought of a Mishka song that has become synonymous with this trip, “Footsteps.” As I approached the station, I saw a gathering of monks and gave one of them 100 thb. He has me take off my pack, put down all of my things, and kneel down. He took my hand, said a prayer, and blew lightly across my hand and arm. I bowed, thanked him in thai, and gathered my things. Onward.

As I waited to board, I sent my good friend Damian and his wife a few messages. In a sense, my goodbyes. I couldn’t help it; I teared up. It’s amazing how quickly perfect strangers become such close friends. I hopped on the train and grabbed my seat. I immediately met Paul from the UK. He was a seasoned traveler with a remarkable sense of memory. He gave me many tips for my time in the UK. I could barely keep up with jotting down these priceless bits of information as they continued to pour out of him like water from a fire plug.

An hour later, 2 monks sat across from me. It looked as though my journey would be protected in more ways than one. I offered them each a jolly rancher and they seemed to LOVE them. They lit up in smiles and excitement. In return, one of them reached into his rucksack and produced a small plastic ziplock bag. Inside was a tuft of tiger fur. It was in a glass vial and attached to a necklace. I had heard about these but had never seen one. He held it in his hands, closed his eyes, and spoke something in Thai I couldn’t understand. I assumed it was a protection prayer. Then he handed it to me and said, “for you.” I was so overwhelmed with gratitude that I lit up like a light. I spoke very limited and broken Thai. They spoke even more limited and broken English. Luckily for all of us, smiles were universal. My time in Chiang Mai has been amazing. Just then, they asked me for more Jolly Ranchers. Be well. And namaste.

What profound experiences have you had along your journeys?

The post Buddhist Monks Love Jolly Ranchers appeared first on Destination Growth.

Before I get berated with comments about your opinions about Tiger Kingdom, let me begin with the question – have you been there? Talked to the vets? Keepers? Spent 7-8 hours with the tigers and the staff that take care of them? Because I have. And everything (negative) I’ve heard about this place is COMPLETELY FALSE. They don’t drug, beat, mistreat, neglect, nor abuse the tigers in ANY way. With that said, on to the good stuff.

Our tuk-tuk ride was lightning-fast as usual (when they weren’t braking, they were accelerating – hard) and we arrived in just 20 minutes coming from the Niemann / Suthep intersection. The costs for seeing the tigers was cheap so we decided to pay the baht to get close-up with both the biggest and smallest cats. They gave us a ticket with a number on it and told us it would be about 15 minutes before we could go see the cats. We wandered around a bit and got our first glimpse of these amazing creatures.

Before we knew it, our time came to go see the youngest cats they had. These little things were absolutely adorable and VERY playful. They constantly wanted to be held, touched, and loved on. As you can imagine, it was very easy to comply with all three.

20 minutes flew by and it was time to go see the BIG kitties. We took our time going from one enclosure and area to the next and guesstimated that they had about 75+ tigers. Everywhere we looked, there were tigers – most of the them sleeping since they’re nocturnal creatures. The babies were rather lively, but all the older cats were sleeping or constantly being woken up by people eager to take more pictures and love on them (like Constanza and I).

Our names were called and we tip-toed into the enclosure where there were 6 full-grown bengal tigers. They kept saying there was nothing to be scared of, but then gave us very stern instructions to not get in front of them from the shoulders-forward because that was the “business end.” We took turns laying on, petting, taking pictures of, and being amazed by such amazing animals. To my dismay, I learned they prefer firm – and almost aggressive – touches compared to light and gentle touches. The easy touches seemed to tickle them whereas the harder ones were welcomed. They literally rolled over like dogs and wanted to have their bellies scratched every time we started to pet them. I had to hold one of them up from rolling down the steps he wanted his belly scratched so much (but was apparently too lazy to move so he had room to roll over).

They were amazingly tolerant of pretty much everything anyone would do to them while they slept. Pull, pull, jab, roll, mess with, etc. I became very comfortable very quickly with the big cats and started to push my luck a little too much perhaps and one woke and turned towards me rather quickly; I couldn’t believe how fast he moved. This picture caught the moment perfectly:

Moral of the story? Don’t mess TOO MUCH with a sleeping tiger. They might just turn on you. Be well. And namaste.

What animals have you encountered while traveling? (whether accidental or intentional)

The post Dont mess with sleeping tigers appeared first on Destination Growth.

I hung my helmet on the handlebars, got my juice, paid, and went back out to finish my trek to the cafe for my feast. Then I noticed that someone stole my helmet?! I looked all around, but didn’t see anything so decided I now needed to make a quick stop at the rental shop where I got the scooter (since it’s illegal to ride a moto without a helmet). I turned onto the loop from Suthep Rd. and proceeded around the outer edge of the city and noticed traffic was a lot heavier than normal. As I make the turn to head east across the northern edge of the wall, I see the reason for all the traffic – cops.

I get flagged over and he asks me for my license. I turn the bike off, open my wallet, and give him my Ohio ID and then he just starts to walk away. I dismounted my scooter in a very disgruntled mood and ask where he’s going with my ID and he says in broken english, “I write you ticket.” I asked why and he said, “you no wear helmet.” I tried to explain to him that my helmet was literally stolen less than 15 minutes prior and that I was on my way to get another helmet from the bike shop and he wasn’t buying it. So now I have a ticket. And no helmet. And then he puts my ID in his pocket and walks away. I immediately think to myself, “OH NO HE DIDN’T?!” I approach him and tell him he can’t take my ID. He says, “I police. Do what I want.” I asked him what I had to do to get it back (assuming a few hundred baht would resolve this matter instantly) and to my dismay, he told me I had to go to the court to pay the ticket, and then I would get my ID back.

He tried to explain to me where I needed to go, but his english was horrible and my Thai was even worse so suffice it to say, I didn’t have a clue of where I needed to go. I started with a trip to the bike store to get a new helmet. 3,000 baht later ($100 USD?!), I had a new helmet and was on my way again towards my now-extremely-expensive dish of pad thai. I spent the next 4 hours driving ALL over Chiang Mai asking people where I needed to go to pay this thing. No one seemed to know. I was furious and criss-crossing all over town completely aimless as to my destination. Desperately trying to keep my center, I focused on a very simple and important technique taught in every yoga and meditation studio that I’ve been to – breathe. This helped quite a bit and was yet another testament to the power within such practices. I finally found the court, waited in line for an hour, paid the fine, and was back on track to the cafe – n0w completely famished and starving.

My lunch (now dinner) was delicious and I was now headed home. As I thought about my day, I was annoyed, but then realized I had travel insurance from WorldNomads and was curious if my policy would reimburse me for my losses since it all started with the stolen helmet. Only one way to find out… I contacted WorldNomads and explained to them the situation. They said it shouldn’t be a problem to file a claim and have it approved within a couple weeks. I had to jump through a few hoops to get copies of the supporting documentation, but once all was said and done, I had a refund in my account and all was well again. Be well. And namaste.

What “mishaps” have you encountered while on your trips? Have you had any run-ins with law enforcement?

The post My run in with the Thai Police appeared first on Destination Growth.

As a first time cruiser, it can be easy to make a mistake with your chosen itinerary and end up having a not-so-memorable experience that could put you off cruising forever. If you’re dreaming of a tropical cruise in the Caribbean, the Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas or any of her sister ships would be a perfect option – not a budget cruise across the English Channel. If you’re wishing for a little luxury during the trip and are clad with the finest of formal evening-wear, the glitz and glam of a luxury ship would be much more suitable than a mainstream cruise where formal clothing isn’t expected. Take heed of these cruise holiday tips to ensure your cruise is as perfect as possible.

• Pick the Right Ship! If you are planning on a family adventure across the seas, choose a ship that is child-friendly with plenty onboard to keep the kids happy. If you’re wanting a little quiet time with your loved one, whilst sampling the finer things in life, opt for a luxury cruise that doesn’t survive on gimmicks. The cruise line you choose, as well as the time of year you decide to travel and the destinations you opt for, can have a massive impact on what your onboard experience will be like.
• Don’t get ripped off! Make sure you choose the best deal that suits you rather than booking the first one that you see. If you’re flexible and able to shop around, do so!
• Take the Suncream! Ok, so you’re going to be sampling the delights ondeck for the majority of the time, rather than lazing on sandy beaches, but that doesn’t mean the sun can’t catch you. Cream on or cover up, and stay safe.
• Don’t Overpack! Do you really need all those suitcases? Remember, unless you’ve paid for a luxury room, you won’t have that much room to stow your stuff, so be sensible!

Simple cruise holiday tips can go a long way to ensuring your first cruise will be as worthwhile as possible, increasing the chance of you making a return visit. Book your 2013 cruise, today.

When was the last cruise you went on? What lessons did you learn or what would you do differently on your next cruise to make it a better experience?

The post First Time Cruises: Ensuring your Cruise is the Perfect One appeared first on Destination Growth.

Couchsurfing is a database of people from all over the world. Most are avid travelers that offer up a spare bedroom, couch, futon, or air mattress in their home when they aren’t traveling themselves. This works out GREAT in many aspects for you the traveler. 1) You get to talk to someone where you’re going to visit before you get there so you can build trust and establish a friendship before you get there. 2) You’ll be staying with someone that speaks the local language. 3) They know the area and the what’s, how’s, what-to-do’s, and what-not-to-do’s of being in that area.

Now that you have a a basic understanding of what it is, go take a look for yourself and start a profile. It’s kind of like setting up a Facebook profile. They will ask you some basic questions about your situation, who you are, and what you want to do with couchsurfing. Once your profile is all set up, you can then start to actually use it. There are two types of uses on couchsurfing.org: travelers and hosts. If you have a spare room, couch, etc that you aren’t using, offer it up to some travelers. You’ll be amazed at the friendships you start. Hearing stories about far off places is a wonderful way to spend your spare time. Not to mention, you build friendships with people from all over the world.

Here’s how I do it:

1. Figure out where I’m gonna go and when.
2. Create an itinerary public posting so that people can respond freely to where I will be going. (not very effective, but works some of the time)
3. Search for people in the city you’re going, read their profiles, and send couch requests to those who you want to stay with. (VERY effective and works most all of the time)
4. Sit back and wait for the responses.

It really is as simple as that. Within a day or two of sending some requests, you’ll start to get responses and be able to see what and how they responded. Sometimes it takes sending several requests before you get an “OK” to stay with somebody. I usually filter my searches by “last login” so I can actually see who is active on the site and checks in frequently. After all, it’s pointless to send a request to someone who hasn’t used the site in 6 months.

In the past 2 months, I’ve met and stayed with ~20 people; ALL of which I am still in contact with even though I left their home, city, and country. Ideally, you’ll stay with them for 3-5 days. Some longer, some shorter. But in the end, you gain a new friend in a potentially far-off exotic place (or even within a couple hours drive of where you live now). It’s extremely popular in Europe and is gaining popularity throughout the world.

Give it a test and see what kind of friends you make. In the USA, if you want to go for a weekend roadtrip, pick a random city within an 8 hour drive of where you live. Then search for hosts in that area and send some requests. You can stay with them for free, make new friends, and learn more of the in’s and out’s of a particular area in a much quicker way than you can figure them out on your own.

Just in case you have more questions, or want to add me to your couchsurfing list, here’s a link to my profile on couchsurfing.org: AJ Aerni.

The post Couchsurfing 101 appeared first on Destination Growth.

I slept solid for 12 hours and when I woke, I noticed I had an email from a friend back in Cincinnati telling me that her friend was working and living in Chiang Mai and was looking for a flatmate. I contacted her and sure enough, the place was beautiful, and she was super cool so I took it. I rented a scooter for a month, now had a house to live in for a month, and the only expenses left were petrol, food, and entertainment. The REAL bonus? The room only cost me 3,000 baht ($100 USD).

Rachelle and I started our month with a trip to the grocery store to stock up on a few things. We took turns cooking meals in the evenings, but most of the time, she cooked because she was a much better cook than me. Before I knew it, my new nickname became “dishes” because it took me a while to actually get to washing the dishes. I guess that’s an old habit that I have yet to overcome. Rachelle spoke 3 languages fluently so it was neat to hear her bounce between the three languages effortlessly mid-sentence.

Most of my days were spent wandering around Chiang Mai while Rachelle was at work. In the evenings, we would cook dinner, hang out, or go see what was going on around town. A recent friend of mine – Damian – was a DJ and played at a place called Sunrise Sunset often so we went to go hang out with him, his wife Cris, and Bradley a few times. My time in Chiang Mai was great. Before I knew it, I had many new friends, a new set of wheels, a place to live, and a general understanding of how things worked.

Another nice thing about Chiang Mai were the food options. Just about anywhere in Thailand, it was actually cheaper to go out to eat for each meal as opposed to going to the grocery store and cooking everything yourself. So with that in mind, I usually had juice several times throughout the day (fresh fruit juice was dirty cheap in Thialand – 1 L of pineapple juice for 52 baht which is about $1.75) and found a new street vendor or place to eat for lunch and sometimes even dinner. Traditional Thai food is spicy. They also give you a lime with just about everything to enhance the flavor. I also learned that adding a squeeze of lime or lemon takes the edge off of fresh peeled raw onions so you don’t have to cook or sauté them in butter.

Street Food – Chiang Mai, Thailand (Photo credit: whl.travel)

From my new home-base in Chiang Mai near the university, I spent lots of time planning my upcoming months. Within 4 short weeks of planning, I had 10 plane tickets, another 15 countries to visit, and many many hosts to stay with from couchsurfing.org. Couchsurfing became a very important part of my trip. The benefits of staying with someone local are endless. Most notable are the fact that they speak the language, know the area, and know how much things are supposed to cost (if you travel outside your native country, you’ll learn quick that most places will try to gouge you if you’re a foreigner because they think you have lots of money – especially the street vendors).

In my stories going forward (and I’ll go back to update previous stories), I’ll list who I stayed with, my experience with that person, and a link to their couchsurfing profile in case you want to contact and stay with them.

Here is Rachelle’s profile. She was a wonderful host and an incredible cook. We spent a month exploring Chiang Mai. She has become a good friend and I’m even helping her with her new travel business Kronos Travels. She coordinates and hosts trips to Italy.

View from Doi Suthep mountain over Chiang Mai city, northern Thailand (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

One day while in Chiang Mai, I decided to take my scooter and go for a little sight seeing to nearby mountains. Doi Suthep overlooks Chiang Mai and is one of the tallest mountains in all of Thailand. When I left, it was hot and sunny (at the base of the mountain). By the time I got to the top, 40 minutes later, it was still sunny, but felt like it was 15-20 degrees colder. The views weren’t that good due to the smog in the air and the fact that it hadn’t rained in weeks. About halfway up, I started seeing more and more signs for waterfalls so I took a little detour, parked my scooter, and walked about 10 km into the jungle mountainside to see what I could see. The sounds of the jungle were amazing. Animals of all kinds could be heard. There were also many types of tropical fruits growing everywhere – coconut and banana were the most common. Durian were also visible high in the trees from time to time as well. If you haven’t tried Durian – you MUST. Get it as fresh as possible. They are about the size of a basketball, tan in color, and covered completely in sharp spikes. Once cracked open, you will see why many places have signs that say “no durian allowed” on the front entrance. They smell like old gym socks, but taste my custard from a fresh pastry. The edible part is the little cream colored sack inside and has the consistency of pudding.

When buying it in Thailand, you can get a large fresh durian (already cracked open, removed, and ready-to-eat) for about 100 thai baht ($3 USD). I purchased a durian with littlefoot at Jungle Jim’s in Cincinnati for $22 USD which was frozen so it had to be thawed out quite a while. That’s yet another benefit to living in a warm tropical environment – the selection and price of fresh fruits and veggies. Especially tropical fruits like mangos, pineapples, dragon fruit, etc.

During my stay with Rachelle in Chiang Mai, I learned of an annual Ultimate Frisbee Hat Tournament. I love playing ultimate, so I decided to sign myself up. Then I learned there was a theme for the after party: “heroes that never quite made it.” In true American style, I decided to go as Chris Pontius (Party Boy from MTV’s Jackass). My costume comprised of a speedo, headband, and that was about it. The tournament was amazing and I met a ton of new friends. Many live in the area and travel all over the world teaching english or working short-term contracts before moving on to another country or area. Most of the people playing in the tournament were also die-hard ultimate players that have played in many many tournaments before. So suffice it to say, I wasn’t very good, but learned a lot and had a BLAST playing with them. Our team name was “They’re greeeeeaaaat!” and we ended up placing 5th out of 8 teams. We missed the semi-finals rounds by 1 point.

As the sun rose and fell every day, I learned more about Thailand, met wonderful new friends, and enjoyed wonderful dishes that I never heard of before. This is yet another benefit of traveling – so many new things each and every day. A lot of people have asked me how I make so much money to be able to travel to so many places. This is a big misconception of course. The difference lies in the type of adventure you go on. Traveling is one thing. Going on vacation is another. Traveling doesn’t require much money and is more of a way of life as opposed to a 2-week spending spree. Be well. And namaste.

What is your favorite place to visit and why? What kind of things did you experience there that made it so special?

The post Temporary permanent residence in Chiang Mai Thailand appeared first on Destination Growth.

A few stories that I intend to catch up on in the next 3 days: (I’ll add the links as I publish the stories)

• My brief career as an amateur Ultimate Frisbee Hat Tournament player in Thailand (click here)
• Waterfall hikes, yoga, and meditation in Thailand (click here)
• What to do and where to eat while in Chiang Mai (click here)
• What NOT to do when you’re in a cage with a 200 kg tiger (click here)
• Nightlife in Chiang Mai – Do’s and Don’ts (click here)
• How to book a stay with a host on couchsurfing.org (click here)
• My run-in with the Chiang Mai police (click here)

For pictures of my recent adventures, be sure to check out my Facebook page photo albums (TONS of photos)

As you can see, there are quite a few stories to catch up on, and this will only bring me to February 1, so I guess I should get to it.

As always, thank you for taking the time to read my adventure stories. Be well. And namaste.

The post So many places so little time appeared first on Destination Growth.

Angkor Wat is one of those places that once you see it, you’ll never forget it. Words can only say so much, so I decided to uploaded some video and pictures to give you a small glimpse of what it’s like.

The post Angkor Wat in Video appeared first on Destination Growth.