Wondering where we’ve been and what we’ve been up to? Our recent Twitter updates from the hills of Sikkim were all a facade.

We ran out of money. So Audrey went looking for work in Varanasi, India’s holiest city. And this is what she found.

So there we were: Audrey was sketching an amorphous menagerie – a sheep, a cow, and a chicken – along with a simple carrot, all on small pad of paper, while Dan offered a few charades and barnyard audio cues - a chicken dance, a moo, and a hearty “baaah” – to help bring the animal farm to life. (Thankfully, charading a carrot was beyond Dan’s abilities.)

Had the Chinese wine we consumed turned on us? Continue Reading »

No place takes the logic out of logistics, from pillar to post, like the former Soviet Union. Inspired by our own experiences, the following entries are in no logical order. Let’s dig in.

Worst Toilet: Svaneti Region of Georgia
Competition in this category was exceptionally fierce, but the nod goes to Svaneti. Although we highly recommend a visit to the region, we suggest you pack your hip waders for visits to the outhouse. Continue Reading »

While we were relieved to see an English menu at a local dumpling joint in Qingdao, we were alarmed by some of its offerings. This time, we could really use your help. Continue Reading »

Ladies, are you looking for a man? Having trouble finding that special someone?

Men, are you stymied by women’s steely Jedi Knight abilities to thwart your every move?

The Rosetta Stone of dating is revealed for all!

We discovered it outside a shiny, clubby looking place aptly named Friend-making clubhouse at half past eight, a Jiefang Lu outpost of a chain in Xi’an, China focused on…we’ll let you use your imagination on this one. Continue Reading »

No less idiosyncratic than its architecture, Turkmenistan’s laws are the stuff of laughter and legend. Though locals may plead ignorance or flat out deny that some of these laws ever existed, here’s what we discovered about some of the more notable whacky entries conjured up by the former president, Sapmurat Niyazov (otherwise known as Turkmenbashi, Leader of all Turkmens).

What’s true and what’s Turkmenbashi urban myth? Here’s the scoop based on our peek inside Turkmenistan. Continue Reading »

“This is a hotel, right?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have rooms?”

“Yes. How long would you like the room?”

“For one night.”

“The whole night? You mean until morning?” It was 11:00 P.M. The woman at the desk seemed surprised by Audrey’s response. Continue Reading »

Thanks to the tourist bus from Iran, we made it back to Baku in time for a feast with Yahya and his family. That evening, we relayed the following story from our days in Tbilisi, Georgia…

As we shared an early evening beer on Tabori mountain in Tbilisi with our pal (who shall remain nameless for security reasons), he thrust his bottle in the direction of the skyline, and proudly toasted “to vulva!” Continue Reading »

So there we were, parched on the pavement in Gobustan, Azerbaijan. Fresh from gurgling volcanic mud holes and ancient cave scratchings, we looked forward to catching a mashrutka (minibus) that was due any minute back to the big city, Baku. Fifteen minutes, no mashrutka. Thirty minutes, no mashrutka. Heat exhaustion setting in. Drink some water. Continue Reading »

Why try to be funny when others can do it for you?

In that vein, we’d like to share some advice from Khmer Guides on entertainment and relaxation in Phnom Penh. This is a direct quote.

Relaxing Places: There are many foreiners night clubs along the riverfront and all the visitors can relax with snooker and romantic song with beautiful girls. Moreover, all the visitors can make special occationally with the girls that earn money by body Continue Reading »