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

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...

Melilla-ll Your Dreams Come True

by Calvin Sun | July 23, 2025 | Ceuta & Melilla, July 2025: Northern & Southern Spain, Spain, Summer 2025: The Long Road to Berlin, Way Way Off the Beaten Path | 0 Comments

After a long road trip across nearly the entire circumference of Northern Morocco, we reached our hotel by 2:00am local time earlier this morning at Hotel Melilla Puerto, trying our best to ignore all the kids trying to get in behind us due to a recent concert nearby...

N’Djamena It? I’m Gonna Go To Chad?

by Calvin Sun | Jan 3, 2025 | Chad, Flying Fancy, Getting that VISA, January 2025: Central Africa, Let me tell you a Story..., Way Way Off the Beaten Path

First you need... Getting the Visa Here’s the process: Download and fill out the visa form: Chad Visa Form Attach required documents: Filled out visa form A physical 2x2 passport photo. Your onward flight ticket out from Chad. An invitation letter. Prepare...

Niger-ly There!

by Calvin Sun | Jan 3, 2025 | Fail, Getting that VISA, January 2025: Central Africa, Layovers, Niger, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

To get in, you first need a VISA: Download and fill out 2 COPIES of the visa form: Niger online Visa Form. Attach the following documents 2 copies of the filled out visa form 2 passport photos to accompany the 2 visa forms A Letter of Invitation Prepare payment;...

Easter Island: It’s A Rap-a Nui!

by Calvin Sun | Dec 4, 2024 | Autumn 2024: Rapa Nui, Epiphanies on the Road, Post-travel Reflections, Rapa Nui, Serendipitous!, What Dreams May Come, You're Going to Miss It...

Been on all our list, it has its own emoji 🗿, it's been in the collective consciousness of all those who travel, and like Faroe Islands, it deserves to be visited before you grow too old. The 8 of us jumped on making this trip happen after...

Santia-way We Go!

by Calvin Sun | Dec 1, 2024 | Autumn 2024: Rapa Nui, Chile, Rapa Nui

I've been to Santiago before 10 years ago, but when looking through my short term memory loss of posts, I realized we never really explored the city! We had skipped over it for Valpariso, so it's now time to return and do it justice monsoon style. Arriving at...

Meet the Monsooners to Rapa Nui / Easter Island!

by Calvin Sun | Oct 14, 2024 | Introductions, Uncategorized

Enigmatic Rapa Nui and Easter Island awaits us. Welcome back those returning with me for their 2nd, 3rd, or even 4th monsoon: Melinda "Sunrise Hiker" Kwok, 4 time monsooner returning from Bhutan, Syria, Meteora and South Sudan Melissa "Look! Pizza!" Weinnman, 3 time...

Let’s Maldive Into Malé

by Calvin Sun | Sep 27, 2024 | Maldives, September 2024: Bhutan

After our 4 days in Bhutan, our respective groups bid farewell at the Paro airport. While most of them would return on a morning 7:10am flight to Kathmandu, only 4 of us -- Melinda, Sampson, Sujay and I -- paid about $250 extra for an onward flight from Paro to...

Where Heaven Meets Earth: Scaling the Sacred to Tiger’s Nest

by Calvin Sun | Sep 25, 2024 | Bhutan, September 2024: Bhutan, What Dreams May Come

We wake up this morning at the Eco Lodge by Paro to a stupendous view from our room. Today is the day we've all been waiting for. Today we achieve a bucket list item for everyone who knows where Bhutan is on the map, and fans of Nolan's Batman as...

Let’s get Punakha-d up for an Adventure!

by Calvin Sun | Sep 24, 2024 | Bhutan, September 2024: Bhutan, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

Today the 24 of us woke up to a glorious morning in Thimphu: For our second day in Bhutan we plan to drive from Thimphu, Bhutan's current capital, to Punakha, the former capital. After getting in some breakfast and coffee, we...

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