Multnomah Falls & Oregon’s Waterfall Corridor: How to Visit

This is the first blog post about my 12-day roadtrip from Vancouver to Death Valley and back. My aim is to share some ideas for those planning to visit Multnomah Falls and the Waterfall Corridor, while also sharing some of my personal experiences and insights. Summary What is the Waterfall Corridor? Many have heard of […]

Epic Roadtrip Time: Driving from Vancouver to Death Valley

Summer 2022: the travel bug itched like the woolliest of sweaters. Due to covid-related flight cancellations I had not left Canada in over three years (since the 2019 Rickshaw Run in India). With grad school finally completed and self-employment allowing me the flexibility to take time off, it was time to go on an adventure! […]

Want a free Heidelberg Castle tour? Learn Japanese

Heidelberg is gorgeous. This university town along the Neckar river dates back some 2,400 years, and has been one of Europe’s great academic hubs since 1386. Though Heidelberg Castle was my primary destination, I first set off for the “Philosopher’s Way” – a high trail overlooking the old city. It has been traversed by the […]

Dodging Bullets at Crystal Falls

I’m certainly not the most professional of hiking enthusiasts. I’ve encountered bears, been enveloped by fog at altitude and lost the trail, and fallen down a (fortunately, small) waterfall – but none of those happenings were as frightening as the time I heard unexpected gunfire nearby. It was early January 2014 and I was nearing […]

Escaping Havana

No, I don’t mean going on a day trip out of the city to explore Cuba’s beautiful landscapes and caves, which is a must for any visitor to this country. In 2016 over 56,000 Cubans entered the United States,1 leaving their own country behind for economic and political reasons. Although travelling to Ecuador, Colombia, or […]