Retro Blog
Mountain Gorilla Adventures
By Tony on June 15, 2011 | 9 Comments »
What’s the best thing we have have ever done in our travels? It’s a question we are asked all the time. Most people would probably guess that such an absurdly broad question would be almost impossible to answer. In reality, it’s quite easy. The most amazing thing we have ever done is visit the mountain gorillas in the Virunga mountains of what was then called Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo). It’s the best thing we have ever done and will surely remain the best thing we have ever done. At least in my eyes. As we head to Borneo in the hope of spotting orangutans in the wild, we can’t help but flash back to another millennium and reflect for a moment on a very different age in travel.
The year was 1994, Thomas and I were in Uganda halfway through an 18-month overland trip from Germany to South Africa and the genocidal atrocities sweeping across Rwanda were just coming to an end. Bodies were washing up along the shores of Lake Victoria and waves of refugees were streaming over the border into neighboring Zaire, one of the most dysfunctional countries in the world at the time. Bizarrely, that moment, as insanely dangerous as it was » Continue reading this post »
Returning to Kota Bahru’s Central Market
By Tony on June 4, 2011 | No Comments »
The colorful central market in Kota Bahru holds a special place in my heart. I first visited in 1991 while traveling from Bangkok to Singapore via the famous Malaysian jungle railway. Despite the fact that I have been to a thousand markets across the world from Guatemala to Ethiopia to Tibet, this particular market remains one of my absolute favorites. I was eager to bring Thomas here to experience the visual feast.
And while a host of modern grocery stores are starting to erode the importance of this fabulous institution, it remains the highlight of any visit to the city. The colorful vegetable stalls and beautifully dressed Malay saleswomen are still very much present, although not quite in the same numbers as in 1991. It was also quite interesting to note » Continue reading this post »
Post No. 500 – CN Blog Revisited
By Thomas on September 11, 2009 | No Comments »
After celebrating my 40th birthday with an Italian feast, the celebration goes on commemorating our 500th blog posting! We’ve revisited the last 27 months and put together a list of the more memorable blog moments.
Traveling in Style?
An honest movie about first-class train travel in India where the comments are more telling than the video itself. It definitely makes for good reading.
Worth a Thousand Words
One of our favorite photos, taken in Zhaoxing, China. What a life she must have had…
A Different Kind of Ice Plant
A bizarre ice formation associated with certain plants. Researchers from across the globe are coming to our blog to check out our pictures. What’s your theory on it?
Attack in Mumbai
Caught in the middle of the Mumbai terrorist attack, we kept typing away hidden in our room just behind the Taj Hotel as the battles were fought all around us. Definitely one of our most memorable experiences. Mumbai Follow-Up now with additional photos.
Nubra Valley Through Bella’s Eyes
It’s great to sit back sometimes and let other people do the work. Read our first guest blog by 11-year old Bella from New Mexico. Great job, Bella!
Selective Photography
Those travel posters can be deceptive. Don’t believe everything you see as advertised.
Deprung Debates
Tibetan monks debating philosophy is everything but a quiet pursuit. And now, we’ve even added a video of this outrageous spectacle!
Dinner at the Cemetery
This was a new one for us! We just wanted a quick bite but unexpectedly found ourselves eating a masala dosa in a graveyard.
Chola Pass Misadventure
Our biggest wrong turn as of yet. Don’t let this happen to you.
The Ultimate Chicken Bus
If you thought chickens were bad, check this out!
