Snapshot Saturday: Postcard #9 Alcatraz Island, San Francisco

by Gay Mitra - November 26, 2011August 12, 201416

It’s day 158 of our round-the-world trip and our third weekend in Santa Clara, California. Today’s postcard is from Alcatraz also known as “The Rock”, an island on San Francisco Bay that was once used as a fort and a prison (which once held the infamous Al Capone). It is now a National Historic Landmark….

Snapshot Saturday: Postcard #7 Nimbin, New South Wales

by Gay Mitra - October 22, 2011August 12, 201410

It’s day 122 of our our round-the-world trip, and we’re back in Gold Coast, Queensland. I am already missing Byron Bay, but I also missed (way more than expected) walking around a mall so that’s what we did first thing yesterday at Surfers Paradise. In a week, we’ll be heading to Sydney once again and…

Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco: Clam Chowder In A Bread Bowl Please!

by Gay Mitra - October 3, 2011August 12, 201431

To admit that we headed to San Francisco for the primary purpose of slurping and gobbling clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl for lunch may cause a few raised eyebrows and exaggerated gasps… But uhm, it’s the truth. Not to see the Golden Gate Bridge nor the cable cars, but to have that hearty…

BenCab Museum

by Gay Mitra - August 23, 2011August 13, 201422

A sack of rice, boxes of groceries, and baskets of farm produce queued along the jeepney aisle. Passengers reshaped shifted every time a new one squeezed in, like tetrominoes in a Tetris game. My legs were devoid of sensation and my arms tried to position themselves comfortably but to no avail. I was, after all,…

Snapshot Saturday: Behind Barbs

by Gay Mitra - June 25, 2011August 13, 20148

Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, Phnom PenhOl’ Chao Ponhea Yat High School turned prison (Security Prison 21) by the Khmer Rouge. These barbed wires, tiled floor, and shutters were silent witnesses to the imprisonment, torture, and death of thousands. TweetShare This page was viewed times.

Kuching-Jakarta

by Gay Mitra - June 21, 2010August 13, 20142

On our last night in Kuching, we drank (potent) local rice wine, and was able to have a good sleep despite incessant pain from our bed bug bites. Kuching’s Sarawak Museum. Uhm, photography inside not allowed. Cheap, but very strong wine. And that’s our trusted small portable stove. Before we checked out Kuching Hotel (RM35…

Backpacking Borneo: Negara Brunei Darussalam

by Gay Mitra - June 1, 2010August 13, 20146

From Pulau Labuan, an express boat to Brunei’s Muara Serasa Ferry Terminal (RM35) is only an hour long. This port is situated about 25km off Bandar Seri Begawan, but we did not bother checking on transport options to the city since a CouchSurfing host was picking us up. Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque, conveniently located near…

Backpacking Borneo: Sabah Museum and Filipino Night Market

by Gay Mitra - May 9, 2010August 13, 20142

We woke up to an empty house the next day (blog continued from here) at 9-ish. We were staying at Kuni’s, our Couchsurfing host. Kuni already left for work, and Anita (another Couchsurfer staying at his house) already headed to the islands for a day of snorkeling. We didn’t have any sightseeing plans that day,…

Into the Rainforest

by Gay Mitra - April 14, 2010August 13, 20140

Nature lovers who flock to Sandakan are certainly pumped up. Sure it’s a gateway to ecotourism, but many are not aware that this rainforest has also witnessed a dark past. Nope, I’m not just pertaining to the diminishing number of wildlife. A POW Camp was once set up in Sandakan, and a gruesome “death march”…

Mausoleum of the Nanyue King

by Gay Mitra - March 8, 2010August 13, 20144

We arrived a little past 11:00 AM in Guangzhou (also known as Canton), the capital of Guangdong province, after a 27-hour train ride from Xi’an. We had 9 hours to kill before checking in for our 10:15 PM Manila-bound flight. Just enough time to visit one of the best museums in China. Inside the museum….