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  • Vietnamese Ear Cleaning

    Vietnamese Ear Cleaning

    Last year my good friend Dave told me about an unusual experience he had after getting a haircut in Vietnam. The barber asked him if he wanted something additional done. Though he didn’t know what the barber had offered, Dave is always game for cultural experiences, so he said yes. “Next thing you know”, he…

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  • Cuba up close

    Cuba up close

    Visiting Cuba is like going on a date with someone you met online. You’re enchanted by pictures of an attractive 20 year old, but when you arrive, they turn out to be 90. I’d never had an interest in visiting a place that people had described as impoverished, lacking in phone service and most of…

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  • Getting taken for a ride in Bangkok

    Getting taken for a ride in Bangkok

    One of the things SE Asia is known for is its low crime rate. I hear from many solo women travelers that this is one of their top reasons for traveling here. Joan and I are amazed to see people walk away from their laptops while they use the restroom or leave their keys in…

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  • A Haunted statue park near Bangkok

    A Haunted statue park near Bangkok

    I found myself in Thailand. I don’t mean that spiritually. I mean I found a guy who leads Meetup groups on unusual adventures around Bangkok similar to the unique tours I lead around Portland. This week Joan and I joined him and a small group of people to visit a haunted statue garden, a floating…

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  • A reluctant traveler to Asia becomes a regular

    A reluctant traveler to Asia becomes a regular

    Joan and I continued our journey through SE Asia with a flight from Taiwan to Bangkok where we rented an apartment for two weeks. I’d learned a lot about Joan since our first trip to Thailand and had made adjustments to encourage future visits. They worked! By the end of our two weeks in Bangkok,…

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  • Love and Layovers: Taiwan

    Love and Layovers: Taiwan

    Joan once mentioned an idea for a book called “Love and Layovers” about a couple who travel the world together and share all of their adventures. While the book still warrants further development, I was inspired to give this post that title since that’s exactly what we did. Our trip to Thailand began with a…

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