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

Getting Away With Robbinsville: The Akshardham Redemption

by Calvin Sun | October 6, 2025 | Camping, Layovers, New Jersey | 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, 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,...

When You’ve Never Been to Berlin

by Calvin Sun | August 4, 2025 | Let me tell you a Story..., Serendipitous!, Summer 2025: The Long Road to Berlin, The Nightlife, Walking Tours | 0 Comments

If it's not already playing, press play. And then start reading. After 3 days in Amsterdam, Nisha, Sujay, Priscilla, Kenny, and myself boarded a 2pm direct train bound for Berlin. It was a 7.5-hour journey that gave us just enough time to reflect...

I Amsterdand We’re Back in Amsterdam!

by Calvin Sun | July 31, 2025 | How Did You Do That?, Let me tell you a Story..., Summer 2025: The Long Road to Berlin, The Netherlands | 0 Comments

From Tomorrowland, because apparently we still weren’t done, 7 of us rerouted north for one last hurrah in Amsterdam, linking up with Anthony Lui and his Dutch crew. While most of the group boarded planes home to brave the dreaded post-festival blues, we...

Tomorrowland After The Fire

by Calvin Sun | July 29, 2025 | Belgium, Festivals, Fit for Foodies, Serendipitous!, Summer 2025: The Long Road to Berlin | 0 Comments

How’s my ankle holding up before Tomorrowland.... This is Day 0 — right after a 1500-lb bull stepped on it: Day 8: Day 4: Day 17: Not bad, right? Turns out I can be pretty decent at wound care when the stakes are high. Last year was cancer, this year...

I Came Ban-fora Good Time!

by Calvin Sun | Feb 3, 2023 | Burkina Faso, February 2023: The Western Africa Hopper - Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

After breakfast in Ouagadougou we set off at 7am for a grueling 10.5 hour drive to Banfora via passing through Dedougou and Bobo Dioulasso, with a handful of stops and a quick half an hour lunch. The ride was forced to be interesting over intense...

Burkina Faso La Ti Do!

by Calvin Sun | Feb 2, 2023 | Burkina Faso, February 2022: Mali, February 2023: The Western Africa Hopper - Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea

I always follow through! I had originally planned to visit Burkina Faso last January right after my trip in Mali but when a coup d'etat took place in Burkina Faso's capital city on January 23, about 2 days before I was supposed to visit, I ended up deferring...

When The Grand Bassam Drops

by Calvin Sun | Jan 16, 2023 | Blitzkrieg!!!, Côte d'Ivoire, January 2023: Côte d'Ivoire, Layovers, Way Way Off the Beaten Path, Weekend Trips

With extra time and running an hour ahead of schedule after a late morning in Yamoussoukro, Dayo and I agreed to cram in a 4 hour onward drive and detour to visit Grand-Bassam: a UNESCO World Heritage site and town in the southeastern part of the Ivory Coast,...

Yamoussoukro: The Largest Basilica in the World

by Calvin Sun | Jan 16, 2023 | Blitzkrieg!!!, Côte d'Ivoire, January 2023: Côte d'Ivoire, Layovers, Uncategorized, Way Way Off the Beaten Path, Weekend Trips

The world's largest basilica . . . . . . just got SERVED. After a morning walking around the country's economic capital of Abidjan, we drove up 3 hours to reach Yamoussoukro, the political capital city of Côte d'Ivoire, by 11am,...

The First Month & Monsoon of the Year Is….ABIDJAN-UARY!

by Calvin Sun | Jan 16, 2023 | Blitzkrieg!!!, Côte d'Ivoire, Getting that VISA, How Did You Do That?, January 2023: Côte d'Ivoire, Layovers, Way Way Off the Beaten Path, Weekend Trips

The end of 2022 was coming around and nobody was yet taking up my offer to repeat our Caribbean adventure last January. So my gut started talking and I began to consider postponing the original plan in favor of a different excursion. Poking around options...

Meet the Ivoirians!

by Calvin Sun | Jan 11, 2023 | Blitzkrieg!!!, Introductions, Weekend Trips

Only 3 weeks home and we're going back to West Africa. I had announced this trip less than a month ago while in Dakar, expecting nobody to sign up. I'd only be in the Ivory Coast for a day, after all; who'd be crazy enough to join? Well, Gina “Million Dollar...

Besos From Bissau

by Calvin Sun | Dec 20, 2022 | December 2022: Senegal, The Gambia, & Guinea-Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

Bissau, the eponymous capital city of Guinea-Bissau. After a weeklong road trip across mid West Africa beginning in Dakar and as far north as the Mauritanian border at St. Louis, we rest our weary legs for 2 days here. From our lodgings at Casa Cacheu, we...

Crossing from The Gambia -> Senegal -> Guinea-Bissau

by Calvin Sun | Dec 19, 2022 | Blitzkrieg!!!, Border Crossing, December 2022: Senegal, The Gambia, & Guinea-Bissau, Getting that VISA, Guinea-Bissau, How Did You Do That?, Senegal, The Gambia, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

Starting from an hour's south of Banjul at a last minute villa I found on Booking.com in Old Yundum, we set out at 6:30am in the morning. Good timing because we started driving approximately 5 minutes right after the power went out in the house from what was...

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