The Monsoon Diaries: How to travel the world with no time or money -

Grenada Más

by Calvin Sun | November 4, 2025 | Grenada, October 2025: Pirates of the Caribbean's At World's End | 0 Comments

🇬🇩 190 down. 3 to go. After our 3 day stay in Dominica, we took a long hour-and-a-half drive back to the airport from our Portsmouth lodgings, stopping for a quick photo opportunity along the way. Dominica's airport is tiny. You...

Dominica-n’t Miss This

by Calvin Sun | November 1, 2025 | Dominica, October 2025: Pirates of the Caribbean's At World's End, Way Way Off the Beaten Path | 0 Comments

From St. Vincent, we boarded InterCaribbean Airways JY 717 at 12:20pm. Their new airport, however, was built just 8 years ago and still has some operational quirks. The staff double-printed my first leg itinerary from St. Vincent to Barbados without including...

Dead Men Tell No Layovers: St. Vincent & The Grenadines in 12 Hours

by Calvin Sun | October 29, 2025 | Layovers, October 2025: Pirates of the Caribbean's At World's End, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 0 Comments

Fresh off a quick overnight in Grenada (courtesy of a free JetBlue voucher from last October's Welcome to Chinatown gala), we touched down at Maurice Bishop International Airport at 1:53pm. This marked the beginning of a 3-country Caribbean...

Getting Away With Robbinsville: The Akshardham Redemption

by Calvin Sun | October 6, 2025 | Camping, Layovers, New Jersey, October 2025: Camping in Robbinsville | 0 Comments

One of my more unique camping trips to have monsooned; this is what happens when you plan a camping trip months in advance just to visit a temple arguably worth seeing as a world-class destination. I was stuck at work all day Friday as Eddie took the initiative...

A Quick Halifax Check

by Calvin Sun | September 12, 2025 | Layovers, Lessons Learned, September 2025: Newfoundland to Saint Pierre & Miquelon, Walking Tours | 0 Comments

After two days in Saint-Pierre (and a turbulent ferry ride to Miquelon and back), we boarded an hour-and-a-half direct Air Saint-Pierre 9am flight to Halifax, landing around 9:30am local time (Halifax runs an hour behind Saint-Pierre), Our onward...

Miquelon Impossible

by Calvin Sun | September 11, 2025 | Doctor in the House, September 2025: Newfoundland to Saint Pierre & Miquelon, Way Way Off the Beaten Path | 0 Comments

Sometimes the most spontaneous detours leave the strongest impressions. That morning in Saint Pierre, we hadn't planned on leaving the island. But after completing two walking tours around St. Pierre and checking the ferry schedule, we realized we could still...

48 Hours in a Little Saint-Pierre-ce of France

by Calvin Sun | September 11, 2025 | Saint Pierre and Miquelon, September 2025: Newfoundland to Saint Pierre & Miquelon, Way Way Off the Beaten Path | 0 Comments

After three days soaking in St. John's charm, we dropped off our rental car at YYT Saint John's airport to catch the rare 5pm direct flight (PH1127) via Air Saint-Pierre to Saint-Pierre & Miquelon: one of the few weekly connections between Newfoundland and...

Don’t Be Dildo-Dallying

by Calvin Sun | September 9, 2025 | Canada, September 2025: Newfoundland to Saint Pierre & Miquelon, Way Way Off the Beaten Path | 0 Comments

While based in St. John's, we took a spontaneous day trip by rental car to the now-famous town of Dildo. You'll know when you arrive; they're incredibly proud of their distinctive name. Though a vocal minority has repeatedly raised referendums to...

St. John’s: The Eastern Edge of Everything Everywhere All At Once

by Calvin Sun | September 9, 2025 | Canada, September 2025: Newfoundland to Saint Pierre & Miquelon, Serendipitous!, Way Way Off the Beaten Path | 0 Comments

Months ago I decided to gift myself a week off after Labor Day...simply because I could. After a year as wild as this past one, I craved actual and intentional self-prioritization to restore some balance. Finding fares under $200, I booked a morning departure:...

Singapore Airlines Business Class FRA-JFK

by Calvin Sun | August 5, 2025 | Flying Fancy, Germany, Summer 2025: The Long Road to Berlin | 0 Comments

After a slow morning walk and talking about our villain (antihero?) origin stories in Berlin, I hugged Daniela and Gabe goodbye, hopped on the tram for a few stops, went underground for the metro, and made it back to the hostel in time for a 1:30pm check out. Nisha,...

Our Interview On Radio Freedom!

by Calvin Sun | Oct 26, 2011 | Publicity, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

Does this make us famous? We go on at the 64:00 and the interview lasts about an hour. We talk about how we pay for our travel, where my favorite places are, and of course getting into North Korea as an American.

A Plane Crash In Nepal

by Calvin Sun | Sep 25, 2011 | Crisis, Nepal, Post-travel Reflections

About 2 months ago I was extolling the wonders of seeing Mount Everest with my own eyes. I woke up today to read that the same Beechcraft 1900D turboprop airplane I had been on just crashed a few hours ago, killing all onboard: 2 Americans, 10 Indians, 6 Nepalese, and...

So What’s After North Korea?

by Calvin Sun | Sep 18, 2011 | Our Next Adventure, Pre-travel Preparations

It's hard to live up to the stunts we pulled in North Korea. But that doesn't mean we're going to quit while we're ahead! What we're planning for the next year (FYI, I didn't take these photos, because...well...I haven't gone there yet):

$2 For A Bottle Of Water?!

by Stephanie Quan | Aug 24, 2011 | California, United States

Back in California. I was hoping for the passport control person to give me a nice and hearty "Welcome back" or "Welcome home". But instead I got "how old are you?" "you traveling to all these places by yourself?" "what for?" "how did you afford this?". Homeland...

Food In Beijing

by Stephanie Quan | Aug 24, 2011 | China, Fit for Foodies, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea

Leaving in two days for the states. gulp. In beijing now, rediscovering a city I had only briefly seen before. I love these back alleys and tea shops. Two things I should start this entry with: 1. I was raised Chinese (well, as well as my parents could manage in...

I’m Coming Home, I’m Coming Home

by Stephanie Quan | Aug 24, 2011 | China, Introspection, Post-travel Reflections, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea

Traveling, as cautioned about in many a health class, is addicting. Sometimes dealers will give you the first few hits free. You'll see a city or two on your own, find some interesting parts in your exploration and claim an unique experience/high. Then you get brave...

Creepy North Korea: The Hidden 5th Floor

by Calvin Sun | Aug 23, 2011 | Let me tell you a Story..., North Korea, Rules Are Meant To Be Broken, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, Way Way Off the Beaten Path, What Dreams May Come

For a more compelling and professional journalistic write-up of what we had experienced, please read BBC News' longform article on us and our story: BBC NEWS: The man who went to the North Korean place that ‘doesn’t exist’ - June 18, 2018. I promise you, it's...

The North Korean Propaganda Machine

by Calvin Sun | Aug 20, 2011 | Let me tell you a Story..., North Korea, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea

They must really have something against us foreigners. Possible evidence of phone tapping in our hotel room: But really, the level of self-love North Korea displays is greater than the more subtle aspects of the Burmese newspaper. Where in Myanmar I...

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