Trans-Siberian Railway Part 6 – Irkutsk to Yekaterinburg
November 9, 2018
This was the longest leg of our entire train journey, lasting over 48 hours. I splurged on first class for this leg, in order to have the comfort of privacy. We took train #1, the Rossijia. When I was booking tickets, not all the trains had first class. We stayed in Irkutsk for an extra day to be able to…
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Trans-Siberian Railway Part 5 – 4 days in Irkutsk & Lake Baikal
November 6, 2018
Day 1 – Irkutsk Wandering We checked into our hostel at Katyusha Travel Centre, a no-frills hostel that is clean, spacious with a large common space. I didn’t realise that bathroom wasn’t en-suite for a double room, but hey, a little hostel living is good for the soul. First order of business is to get a Russian SIM card. I…
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Trans-Siberian Railway Part 4: Ulaanbaatar to Irkutsk
August 16, 2018
Our train departing from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia was already at the station when we arrived, but boarding didn’t begin until around 30 minutes before departure. When booking this trip, I booked second class for journeys that are around 24 hours or less, so for this 23-hour leg, we were in second class. Old World Charm The 305 train is markedly older…
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Trans-Siberian Railway Part 3: 24 hours in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
July 19, 2018
As soon as we got off the train, we felt the breeze of that fresh Mongolian air with a shining sun. We saw a guy holding a sign of our hostel (Zaya Hostel), and walked towards him. But first, cash. With 3 ATMs in the train station, only one worked with my Charles Schwab VISA card. With 2,000 to one…
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Trans-Siberian Railway Part 2: Beijing to Ulaanbaatar
July 4, 2018
Goodbye China The overnight leg of our Trans-Siberian railway journey was a 31-hour ride from Beijing, China to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. We arrived at the Beijing Railway Station a whole 90 minutes before departure. The night prior, we had seen long lines at the square, where people were getting into the station, and feared the same. Turns out, at 5:30am, while…
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Trans-Siberian Railway Part 1: Shanghai to Beijing
June 29, 2018
The day has finally come to begin our grand goodbye tour! The first leg from Shanghai to Beijing was fairly ordinary. We took the high speed rail from Shanghai Hongqiao to Beijing South station. I’ve taken this journey several times throughout my time in China, but this time would be without a return ticket. As usual, I purchased all the…
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10 Days in Thailand & Cambodia
August 12, 2017
Day 1: Bangkok Arrived in Bangkok. There were 4 of us; one coming from Shanghai, two from Washington D.C., and another from Michigan. We managed to all arrived within 24 hours of one another. We spent the night at THA City Hotel, a no frill, cozy boutique in a nice part of the city. Conveniently located and easy to get…
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3 Days in Siem Reap, Cambodia
August 7, 2017
On a whirlwind trip with my Peace Corps loves in January, we hit up Cambodia. We traveled just after New Year, and thus was a high tourist season. Angkor Wat was understandably crowded, but I live in China, so nothing is that crowded for me. The city isn’t very big, so depending on how much temple-hopping and relaxing you want…
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One week in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam
October 8, 2016
I’ve been living in Asia for the last four years, but yet never ventured to Vietnam. I heard there is good coffee, so I decided to give it a go! One note of caution: Vietnam recently changed its visa policy for Americans. We were only able to obtain 1 year, multiple-entry tourist visas to Vietnam.* The downside is, that visa…
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Birthday Cleanse: Yoga Detox Retreat in Kerala, India
September 18, 2016
On the start of a new journey, each day is filled with incredible newness. When a day goes by, it feels as though a week has passed. My 30s has been this way thus far. Several months ago, I felt my life was losing direction. The corporate grind and the comfortable Shanghai life bored me. I needed clarity, some time…
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