From Weed Wacking to Fuji Peaking Nakagomi Orchard was my ultimate reason for beelining for Japan in April 2019, right there and then. I found the Workaway page several years back and fell in love. Obsessive love. Cherries, peaches, grapes, countryside, home-cooked Japanese meals, a well-built dorm with wifi and tatami rooms—could a project be more ideal? Volunteers were promised bike… Read More
Camping Oatmeal Three Ways Some favorite combinations for a wholesome breakfast on the trails. Camping Oatmeal Three Ways Classic Oatmeal Raisin Ingredients 60g (2/3 cup) instant oatmeal 1 spoon chia seeds handful raisins 1 spoon crushed walnuts pinch of cinnamon water Instructions Fill pot with water and heat on stove until boiling. Turn stove off. Combine remaining ingredients… Read More
Backpack Qinghai On A Budget Little-known Qinghai teems with ethnic diversity and high altitude landscape. Landlocked into the Northwest of China, this province is a stark contrast to the developed Eastern half of the country. Tibetans and Huis, the predominant ethnic minorities inhabiting Qinghai, practice their religions and culinary skills alongside one another. To brush up against their lifestyles is… Read More
The World’s Best Beef Noodles A wide, steamy bowl of broth. Winter radish and bits of chopped beef blended in. A nest of soft, thin, hand-pulled noodles. A dark puddle of chili oil. Green onion garnish. The World’s Best Beef Noodles 牛肉面 (niú ròu miàn). Beef noodles. A cornerstone dish to the Chinese cuisine, for three straightforward reasons: it’s simple,… Read More
Like A Local: Taking The Train In China It was on the slow trains of China where I fell in love with the country. As my fatigued body was slowly rocked from side to side through thousands of kilometers of countryside, I stared at the vibrant train culture that took place before me. Then, I joined in. Like A Local: Taking… Read More
Pairs Of Children Make My Day Pairs Of Children Make My Day Have I ever had a bad day while traveling? Is like asking myself, do I eat ice cream? All the time. Medical mishaps, immigration errors, bed bugs, fallouts with new friends and old friends. I can honestly say that in less than two years on the road, I’ve outlasted… Read More
The Ultimate Chinese Snack Sunflower seeds are the holy grail of Chinese munchies. Locals tow bags of roasted sunflower seeds with them wherever they go. Whether bored, gossiping about who got accepted to what university, playing mahjong, drinking tea, drinking, or especially when taking the train, I assure you that they will be cracking these things. The Ultimate Chinese Snack… Read More
Orchard Observations: The Counterintuitive Way Life Works Hidden away in a corner of Japan’s fruitiest prefecture, I was volunteering on one of the best farms that ever happened to me. I wove my bike through rice fields and greenhouses of cherry trees. On clearer days, I soaked up a splendid view of Mount Fuji. One morning, I even found myself at the… Read More
I Only Got Eyes For Eis “Wem keatsn es? To whom do you belong?” My favorite ice cream in Austria sits behind an unassuming window located in a village of 3,000 people. You ring the bell and the friendly face of a young restaurant server greets you before taking your order. You walk out holding a cone that contains a smooth,… Read More
High Up Huangshan: Three Days In China’s Yellow Mountains It was a Sunday morning. My mom, dad, myself, and our enormous sack of lychees and grapes were moving at 250kph along the train tracks through Chinese countryside. I was still unaware of what I was in for. Across the aisle of our train compartment, my mother was stretched across three seats, and unresponsive. I… Read More