Articles (3549)
Paul Kan’s Asia Journal #5: May 6-24, Yunnan & Guanxi, Part I – China
Silence, order, balance; the contrast to Vietnam’s seeming bustle and disorder leaves Paul both surprised and relaxed.
The Game of Buzkashi – Afghanistan
Buzkashi is an ancient game of horsemanship, playe
The Big Bulge – Yemen
In Yemen, a country of 17 million people and 70 mi
Rafting the Amazon: Pink Dolphins
Pink Dolphins Pali reading inside the raft The sun finally came up. We untied the ropes, pushed off, and continued our adventure down the river. It took a while to get away from the cloud of mosquitoes. They followed us for most of the early morning. As the day warmed, other bugs came to enjoy
Rafting the Amazon: Mosquitoes!
Mosquitoes! Waving goodbye to George and his family In the early morning we untied the raft from the dock and pushed off. George and his family waved as we floated away. We rowed between the network of houses built along the river and out to the river’s current. As soon as we reached the river,
Afghanistan – Afghanistan
Before the Russians invaded, Afghanistan was a cou
Rafting the Amazon: Whirlpools
Whirlpools Steering the raft At sunrise we got up and continued the journey. I was tired and my lips were swollen and numb from mosquito bites. Pali’s legs were covered with bites from the day before. We had no idea how far we had gone but we hoped that we were near our destination. At […]
Rafting the Amazon: The Final Stretch
The Final Stretch In the morning I returned the mosquito net to the villager, we said our good byes and pushed off. A majority of the locals were still sleeping when we left. I guess I assumed that rural people always wake up at the crack of dawn. In the morning we drifted well. I […]
Rafting the Amazon: The End of the Journey
The End of the Journey Last view of the raft That morning we woke early to the sound of the market next to us. We began to sell our supplies including the machete, water container, plastic tarp and other items. The local children took what was left, including the oars and cooking pot. The raft […]
Rafting the Amazon: Pucallpa
Pucallpa I’d been traveling for about a month since I finished my service with the Peace Corps in Paraguay. I was with my Chilean girlfriend, Pali, and our hope was to reach Venezuela by land. We had already explored Paraguay’s Chaco region, Bolivia and Central Peru. We recently left Huancayo and after a long, bumpy […]
Rafting the Amazon: Indigenous Village
Indigenous Village The good sleep renewed my energy and I was more optimistic about finishing the journey. We said our good-byes and thank you’s to the villagers and pushed off. The first hour or so on the water was perfect. There was no wind, the water was smooth and the current strong. View from the […]
Rafting the Amazon: Getting Permission
Getting Permission The seaworthy vessel In the morning we took a bus to the port Captain’s office. I was told that we had to get a permit to make the river journey to Iquitos. As part of the permit process, Pali had to type a letter that explained the motive of our trip and the […]