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,...

A Wedding (The Baraat) In Lahore: Part 2

by Calvin Sun | Dec 31, 2013 | Fit for Foodies, Pakistan, Way Way Off the Beaten Path, Winter 2013: Antarctica to Pakistan

After returning from Badshahi Mosque, the ladies got their henna done back at the bride's house: We go for some late night ice cream afterwards at The Gelataria and The Sweet Spot: The next day we take it easy and head to the 2nd...

The Badshahi Mosque

by Calvin Sun | Dec 30, 2013 | Fit for Foodies, Pakistan, Winter 2013: Antarctica to Pakistan

The morning after the Mehndi, we enjoy a day off. After 2 breakfasts, Mariam's cousins and friends took us on a trip for the Badshahi Mosque: Due to a glut of protests in the old city, we are forced to take a few detours. We...

A Wedding (The Mehndi) In Lahore, Part 1

by Calvin Sun | Dec 29, 2013 | Lessons Learned, Pakistan, The Nightlife, Way Way Off the Beaten Path, What Dreams May Come, Winter 2013: Antarctica to Pakistan

I was lucky to arrive in time to not only attend the Mehndi (the pre-wedding ceremony and dance competition -- and where the bride gets her henna done), but to also perform in it at the last-minute. The groom's family arrives: ...

How I Got To Pakistan

by Calvin Sun | Dec 29, 2013 | Let me tell you a Story..., Pakistan, Serendipitous!, Way Way Off the Beaten Path, Winter 2013: Antarctica to Pakistan

Within 24 hours I went from being the lone foreigner at Lahore's International Airport: to wedding dancer: It's been a dream of mine for at least 2 years to come to Lahore. I was fairly close by 3 years ago when I was in Amritsar,...

At The Top Of The World

by Calvin Sun | Dec 27, 2013 | Blitzkrieg!!!, Lessons Learned, Public Transportation, United Arab Emirates, Way Way Off the Beaten Path, Winter 2013: Antarctica to Pakistan

When I was in Dubai 2 years ago in 2011: When I was in Dubai 2 years later today: It's good to be back in Dubai. It might just be my hunch, but UAE flights seem to have shrewdly designed their flight schedules so that most everyone...

Transatlanticism

by Calvin Sun | Dec 27, 2013 | Argentina, Epiphanies on the Road, Serendipitous!, Spain, United Arab Emirates, Winter 2013: Antarctica to Pakistan

Press play. Watch. And then keep reading: I Will Possess Your Heart (Album Version) from Marteen on Vimeo. Hard to believe that just last week we were in Antarctica. As I'm nearing the final moments of a...

Top 11 Experiences In Argentina

by Stephanie Quan | Dec 27, 2013 | Argentina, Camping, Guest Posts, Post-travel Reflections, What Dreams May Come, You're Going to Miss It...

I went to Argentina with my sister and our friend Eva in March. This is a list of my favorite experiences. (and why you should go!) 11. Gelato Its everywhere. Its delicious. Bring your dairy pills because you'll want globs of it every day. ...

A Christmas In Buenos Aires

by Calvin Sun | Dec 27, 2013 | Argentina, Fail, Fit for Foodies, Lessons Learned, Let me tell you a Story..., Mo' Money Mo' Problems, Rules Are Meant To Be Broken, Serendipitous!, Walking Tours, Way Way Off the Beaten Path, Winter 2013: Antarctica to Pakistan

I arrived on the eve of Christmas in Buenos Aires, welcomed by fireworks among the skyline and along the streets of Montserrat: I slept in until the next afternoon where Tabitha, also recuperating from the same trip we took to Antarctica a few...

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