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...

There’s Many A Good Tune Played By An Old Banjul

by Calvin Sun | Dec 18, 2022 | December 2022: Senegal, The Gambia, & Guinea-Bissau, The Gambia

We take a break from the driving today; 3 days ago in St. Louis the group collectively had decided it would be better to break up the road trip south to Guinea-Bissau from Senegal and stay a night tonight in Banjul, the capital city of The...

Don’t Tell Me I “Kun’ta-Kinteh” Drive From Senegal to The Gambia!

by Calvin Sun | Dec 17, 2022 | Border Crossing, December 2022: Senegal, The Gambia, & Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, The Gambia, Uncategorized, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

This morning from Dakar we drive south. With no way to convince our driver Kemo to turn on the A/C and then finally getting his confirmation he did not get a car with A/C, we took a deep breath, reminded ourselves there are far worse fates in life,...

The Many Saints of St. Louis, Senegal

by Calvin Sun | Dec 15, 2022 | December 2022: Senegal, The Gambia, & Guinea-Bissau, Senegal

Not Saint Louis, Missouri -- we're now kicking it in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Saint-Louis island in Senegal, the former French capital city of both French West Africa and then French Mauritania in the early 20th century.After a brief and...

Lac Rose …By Any Other Name Would Look Just As Blue

by Calvin Sun | Dec 14, 2022 | December 2022: Senegal, The Gambia, & Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

After 2 days in Dakar, we began our drive up this morning at 10am to Saint Louis, the old French capital of Senegal located right on the northern border near Mauritania. Since our driver Kemo was not familiar with Senegal north of Dakar (it would be his first...

Do You Have the Keys to Da-Kar?

by Calvin Sun | Dec 13, 2022 | December 2022: Senegal, The Gambia, & Guinea-Bissau, Layovers, Senegal, Walking Tours, What Dreams May Come

I had been so pleasantly surprised by Air Senegal's Flight HC408 JFK-DSS route 5 months ago while on my way to Cape Verde, I felt confident enough to book the very same flight again this time to visit Dakar itself. Senegal has been high on my list for awhile and...

Meet the Monsooners to Senegal, The Gambia, and Guinea-Bissau!

by Calvin Sun | Nov 18, 2022 | Introductions

Introducing our next group of monsooners joining me for my first West African monsoon since Mali! . . . And I'm especially grateful to those returning with me -- Evan Danek, 9 time monsooner to Off The Eastern Coast Of Africa / The Indian Ocean, North Pakistan,...

Galápagos Day 5: North Seymour

by Calvin Sun | Nov 13, 2022 | Galápagos Islands, November 2022: Galápagos Islands

On our last morning and right before our 11am flights back to Guayaquil and Quito, we woke up at an early 6am call for a quick last minute morning visit to North Seymour: An island formed at the same time and by the same process - an uplifting of undersea lava -...

Galápagos Day 4: Santiago & Bartolomé

by Calvin Sun | Nov 12, 2022 | Galápagos Islands, November 2022: Galápagos Islands

For our fourth and last full day in the Galápagos, we arrived at Sullivan Bay on the eastern coast of Santiago Island. Here we took a break from all the fearless wildlife and focused instead on the lesser known geology and volcanic origins of the...

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