Plastic Vampire Teeth in the Land of Dracula, Part II
While Bran Castle has little to do with either Vlad Tepes or Stoker’s Dracula, there is an authentic and much less visited Dracula’s castle not far from Bran. High atop […]
Category Archives: Travel
Plastic Vampire Teeth in the Land of Dracula, Part I
On screen, there were three seats. He was seated on the far left and in each of the chairs next to him were two women dressed all in black […]
Going On a (Transylvanian) Bear Hunt
There was a rustle in the woods to the left of the trail. The guide’s hand went up, an alert to us to stop walking. Less than 50 yards away, […]
Selfies and Self-Reflection in Laos
Dawn in Luang Prabang, Northern Laos. As they have for centuries, Buddhist monks wearing saffron robes and carrying alms dishes emerge from the many wats that line the streets of […]
A Day With Wayans: Cat Calls, Jungle Coffee, and Some Friendly Extortion at the Besakih Men’s Club
If you ever find yourself trapped in an elevator, sharing a taxi, or picnicking under a frangipani tree with a Balinese, there’s a very good chance that his or her […]
Don’t Bribe the Gardener
It was Tuesday morning, and the Royal Palace was supposed to be closed on Tuesdays. That morning, however, the gate was open, it was our last day in Luang Prabang, […]
Hunting for Leeches and Tree Houses in Southern Laos
“Are you scared of leeches, Matt?” It wasn’t a question I had been prepared for or was thinking about. And it wasn’t that I was as scared of encountering leeches […]
Spot the Bunker, Flag the Furgon, and Other Games for an Albanian Road Trip
Mercedes, Mercedes, everywhere, and I’m driving an Opal Corsa. And these were real Mercedes, not the “I bought a Mercedes medallion on eBay and Krazyglued it to my sedan” Mercedes […]
Promenading in the Shadow of Never Mountain
The church bells echoed through the quiet town streets of Berat, Albania. It was 6pm, and it was time for giro. We had read about this tradition of “total town […]
