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,...

We Wanted To Go On A Safari, But Then They Told Us To “Kiss-ama” Ass!

by Calvin Sun | Feb 29, 2020 | Angola, Fail, February 2020: Angola & Cabinda, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

Not all travel days are going to be as perfect. After returning last night to Luanda, this morning we woke up bright and early at 6:30am for a drive to Kissama National Park, arriving there at 9am. Here in the park you supposedly can go on a...

“Andongo” Breakin’ My Heart In Pungo Andongo

by Calvin Sun | Feb 28, 2020 | Angola, February 2020: Angola & Cabinda, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

After an overnight stay by Calandula Falls and before beginning our return to the capital, we quickly took a morning dip at the local natural springs by the falls. After our dip, we then began our return drive back to the capital of...

A “Malanje” Of Memories: Calandula/Kalandula Falls & Kwanza Rapids

by Calvin Sun | Feb 27, 2020 | Angola, Doctor in the House, February 2020: Angola & Cabinda, Way Way Off the Beaten Path, What Dreams May Come

A little video I just quickly edited in of what we saw the past 48 hours: How did we get here? Well we began our journey yesterday morning, waking up early from Luanda at 4:30am for the slow 6am train heading towards the province of Malanje. We...

So We “Luanda”-ed Off: Shipwreck Beach (Praia do Sarico) & Angola Carnival!

by Calvin Sun | Feb 25, 2020 | Angola, February 2020: Angola & Cabinda, Fit for Foodies, The Nightlife, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

After our first day exploring and acclimating to Angola's capital of Luanda, this morning we woke up early at 6:30am and headed off to Shipwreck Beach (Praia do Sarico), the final resting place of long lost forgotten ships from all over the world. ...

Not All Who “Luanda” Are Lost . . .

by Calvin Sun | Feb 24, 2020 | Angola, Fail, February 2020: Angola & Cabinda, Getting that VISA, How Did You Do That?, Walking Tours

Angola: Once a Portuguese overseas territory from the 16th century to 1975, the country became infamous for becoming the staging ground for a brutal civil war (between the Soviets and an alliance of Western nations that ironically also included China...one of...

Meet The Monsooners To Syria!

by Calvin Sun | Feb 11, 2020 | Introductions

No matter what happens, I am grateful to know I live in a world where even if I'm heading to a place like Syria, a wonderful group of great people would join me. What is life when 16 exceptional, self-actualized, forward thinking, culturally competent, and...

“Nouakchott” Of Making It Out If I Miss My Flight! | Flying United Polaris (1-2-1 Config on the 787-10 From Brussels to NYC)

by Calvin Sun | Jan 26, 2020 | January 2020: The Saharan Odyssey, Mauritania, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

Not gonna lie, as punny as our blogpost title is today, it did jinx me: Royal Air Maroc just cancelled one of my flight legs home, so I had to rebook at the last minute via a Turkish Airlines alternative thanks to satellite internet...but hey, that comes with...

Missing You From “Atar” – Into the White Valley!

by Calvin Sun | Jan 25, 2020 | January 2020: The Saharan Odyssey, Mauritania, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

After an early breakfast in Ouadane we departed another drive out into the desert for Agrour to see some pre-historic paintings left there more than 6000 years ago. Do you see the imprint of the human hand underneath the sun?Humans?...

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