As one the most traditional of all the Federated States of Micronesia, Yap retains a lot of the customs that have started to fade out in other places. One of the most immediately visible of these are the faluw, or Men’s Houses, that showed up in every village I visited. Traditionally […]
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Kayaking Palau
Kayaking Palau What to do when you find yourself on an island chain in the North Pacific and just really need to get away for a while? Grab a kayak, hitch a ride, and launch out for the Rock Islands of Palau: As the rats chewed through the fabric […]
Tengboche Mani Rimdu Festival: Monks, Masks, and Mountain Men
Palau’s Jellyfish Lake: One Snorkel, Two Fins, Thousands of Jellyfish
In the “Most Surreal things I’ve ever done” department, Palau’s Jellyfish Lake is right up towards the top. Jumping in the water with thousands of jellyfish floating about would normally seem like a really bad idea. Those first few seconds, swimming into Palau’s Jellyfish Lake and its hordes of the […]
Tengboche Monastery, Nepal
Traditional Yap Stone Money
Long before the Yuan was pegged to the Dollar was pegged to the Market and it was all pegged to the whims of Warren Buffett, Yap had its own sort of pegs: stuck into the center of their giant stone money. The Yapese are so proud of this tradition (and […]
Hey there! I'm Stephen, this is my travel blog, and that's me in the poofy hat.
I'm a photographer / writer traveling since 2008, and I've been doing my best to visit amazing places.
My current focus is Central Asia, because for a hiking and camping enthusiast it's as good as it gets.