Coffee on Entoto Mountain in Addis Ababa
February 4, 2014
By my second week in Addis Ababa, I had visited all of the notable museums listed in the Lonely Planet. I wanted something a bit more authentic. So, I hired Million, the taxi driver who is buying a goat for his sister, to drive me up Entoto Mountain – the mountain range just outside of Addis, and supposedly has a…
Read More
Journey Through Ethiopia
February 2, 2014
Everyone knows that you don’t get a true sense of a country by simply visiting its capital city. And for that, I ventured on a 13-hour bus ride up north, to see the ancient capital of Gondar, Ethiopia. It was an incredibly nostalgic ride as I had spent many hours of my Peace Corps service on similar journeys.
Read More
Castle, Church, Coffee
February 1, 2014
Our Gondar adventures continued the next morning with a sunrise breakfast on our hotel’s terrace. We stayed at Lodge du Chateau. It’s centrally located with superb service. The lodge is just that, a lodge, hence pretty basic. Very Lonely Planet. The Peace Corps Volunteer nearby works closely with this hotel, and it sells products from local charity, farm cooperative, and…
Read More
Market Day in Gondar
February 1, 2014
We journeyed into Gondar on a Friday night, and the next morning, we caught the weekly market in town. I love market days! It’s the time of the week when the town comes alive. Anything you could possibly need, you can find on Market Day. The key word here is need, not want. I love the sensory overload – the…
Read More
Baboons on Simien Mountain
January 31, 2014
One of the top attractions in Northern Ethiopia is Simien Mountain. Given that we were traveling in a group, we organized a private tour. Bus departed from Gondar. Two hours later, we arrive at the bottom of the mountain. Apparently, we needed not only a guide, but also a guard who came with a rifle. Supposedly there used to be…
Read More
Oasis in Debre Zeyit
January 31, 2014
When Jenn asked whether I wanted to visit another ancient city or SPA resort on a crater lake, the answer was an easy one. They did call me Posh Corps back in the days after all. I enjoy rugged travel into the developing world, but I also enjoy the finer things in life that the developing world has to offer.
Read More
Impression of Ethiopia
January 27, 2014
Since I left Cameroon at the end of my Peace Corps service in 2010, I return to the continent for the first time. At the end of 2010, I did take a trip to Tunisia, which is technically in Africa. Though this time, nearly 4 years later, I feel like I’ve returned home. I took Qatar Airways & Emirates from…
Read More
Witness Terracotta Soldiers in Xi’an
November 26, 2013
One of the most impressive aspects of my trip to Xi’an was witnessing the Terra-Cotta soldiers. I was quite mesmerized by this experience, and thought it deserves a separate post. Most people who’ve seen it says the experience is somewhat overrated, and I certainly can see why this may be. Nevertheless, I found the ancient relics to be most fascinating.…
Read More
Xi’an Wanderings
November 24, 2013
Last weekend, I took my first overnight train in China to the ancient city of Xi’an. My friend Aly, who has lived in China for 4 years now, is a huge fan of train travel. It was her birthday weekend, and her only request was to take an overnight train somewhere for 14 hours. I happily tagged along. As someone…
Read More
Halloweekend in Moganshan
November 3, 2013
Every now and again, a weekend trip is necessary for a Shanghai dweller to get some fresh air, to switch up daily routine, and obtain some fuel for the soul. This weekend, I was invited to a trip to Moganshan (莫干山), a popular getaway destination just 3 hours of drive from Shanghai. A girl whom I met recently invited me,…
Read More