The Cold, Clammy Hands of the Man from Varanasi

It did not matter that we have been traveling for more than 12 hours then. When we got to Varanasi that day, despite feeling exhausted and dizzy from all the chaos going about, we wanted to go out and start exploring. The thing with Varanasi is that, everything that is shocking and rattling about India, it's ten times more in Varanasi. The streets are busier with people and cars and rickshaws. The alleyways, which they call gali, are more pungent with all the trash, cow manure, incense, and flowers for the dead.

Varanasi is the picture you have of India where people descend down a wide staircase, which they call ghat, to bathe, wash and go about their daily business right at the banks of the most sacred river in all of Hinduism, the River Ganges. Thus, more importantly, Varanasi is where, in keeping with Hindu practice, they burn their dearly departed and let whatever charred remains there is flow down the river.

How to Apply for a Tourist Visa to China

Having included China in the second half of my six-month itinerary, I knew there was one more reason I had to go home for the holidays. I had to take care of my Chinese Visa last week while I was still in the Philippines. It was easier for me this time. I was just basically renewing it. However, it would be for a slightly longer period—30 days.

I wrote a step-by-step process on visa application a few months ago based on my first experience as an applicant. However, visa application rules have changed since then, as I found out on my second application. Thus, let me update that post right here: How to Apply for a Tourist Visa to China.

Why Travel Tuesday: Back on the Road

(Every Tuesday, I will be featuring a photograph from a place I have gone to, a photograph which I believe will inspire others to go out and see the world for themselves. For this week, Why Travel Tuesday talks about the oftentimes insatiable feeling of starting another journey, whether it be for just a few days or a even a few months. There is nothing like the feeling of being back on the road.)


Rough riding on a 4x4 through the sand dunes of Mt. Pinatubo

Packing List Redux (A Much Needed Evaluation)

I should consider myself extremely lucky that I am able to sit back and evaluate the list of things that I have on my backpack halfway through the trip where else but in the comforts of my own home. Yes, I have been back home since the day before Christmas Eve and I am still in the Philippines. However, I am leaving very soon to continue what I set out to do August last year

Thus, it is only appropriate that I revisit my packing list. I have to pack lighter and bring only what I learned I needed the most. I need to ask myself:

• How many pieces of clothing did I really use? Which ones?
• What item was most useful?
• What item I should not have taken with me in the first place?

Why Travel Tuesday: Visiting Famous Landmarks

(Every Tuesday, I will be featuring a photograph from a place I have gone to, a photograph which I believe will inspire others to go out and see the world for themselves. For this week, Why Travel Tuesday talks about something we all like to do when we travel: tick off famous landmarks on our bucket list. And if at all possible, goof off in the process.)

9 Backpacker Districts Every Budget Traveler in Asia Should Know About

More often than not, when we talk about budget travel, we usually refer to traveling backpacker style. This usually means hostels instead of hotels, street food stalls instead of restaurants, and do-it-yourself sightseeing instead of packaged tours. There is a lot more flexibility nowadays, of course. But it is still well worth knowing which area in your next travel destination to check out when you want to find the cheapest options available.

In my travels around Asia, I tended to trod along the backpacker trail. (Why wouldn't I?) Thus, I had been able to see first-hand how each place checks out. I have my favorites and, of course, my not-so favorites. Let me list them all down here:

1. Pham Ngu Lao, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam

The very busy Pham Ngu Lao street juts out southwest from the Ho Chi Minh City Bus Station. That alone is a plus point for me. It's close to the center of everything. The area is a dizzying combination of street signs, bootleg book peddlers, sidewalk food courts, bright and gaudy bars and restaurants, and of course, motorcycles! I have been to Ho Chi Minh twice (thrice, if you count my transiting there from Cambodia) and I know I will stay in the Pham Ngu Lao area the next time I am in Ho Chi Minh.

Recommends: My My Arthouse (hostel's a bit tricky to locate but great value at 7 USD per bed)

Bangkok's Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Photo Essay)

Even though I was still hung over from the simple lifestyle and the mountain vistas that trekking in Nepal afforded me, I knew that I was already in another country with its own rich culture waiting for me to explore it. It was the first time, too, that I was traveling solo. My trekking partner has moved on to Vietnam, whilst I opted to stay in Thailand. So on that day, I decided to get out of the hostel and walk around Thailand's capital Bangkok.