ZTP Teo's blog

Comfortably Numb

ZTP Teo — Sat, 4 Aug 2007 22:34:14 -0500

There I was, yes, I was. I know for you "travel writers" you should never talk about yourself...just about the place...anyway. I was walking towards Wigan from Bolton. I have always had a boyish desire to find Wigan Pier since I read Orwell’s odious ode to it.

So, I set out one...

Back in the USSR

ZTP Teo — Thu, 7 Jun 2007 08:38:43 -0500

Have you ever heard of the Panj River? Have you ever crossed the border between Afghanistan and Tajikistan?

I'm not going to talk about all the virtual intricacies of traveling in Tajikistan, no need, you will never actually go. I can tell you Dushanbe is an amazing, beautiful, convivial small...

Over the Hills and Far Away

ZTP Teo — Thu, 3 May 2007 05:54:35 -0500

It is difficult to know where to begin this. It is difficult to know where to start anything in Afghanistan. This was the 38th nation I have visited thus far in my life. I have lived in seven. There is an ambiance about this place that forces one to deeply examine the recesses of one’s soul....

101 Merits Which Make One a Traveler

ZTP Teo — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 07:29:46 -0500

1. “Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need ... roads.”

2. You receive food that in no way resembles the dish you ordered, and you don’t care.

3. You’ve seen the sun rise on every continent.

4. You’ve seen the sun set on each ocean.

5. You have to get a new passport because...

"Pakistan: Where Few Tread"

ZTP Teo — Fri, 6 Apr 2007 09:43:36 -0500

Lahore is 29 kilometers from the India-Pakistan border—it feels about 2900 miles away from India. The people are the largest difference. The Pakistani people have a sense of life. The streets are heaving with people whom smile, laugh, live and share. The streets are not that much cleaner and the air...

Retrospectus: Hindustan

ZTP Teo — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 03:10:24 -0500

It's has been an interesting ten weeks since leaving the States.

We are in Pakistan now, Lahore to be exact. And after two months of India, it is a welcome change. India is an extremely despondent nation. The south is mostly Tamil or Keralan and exudes similar tendencies of any southern region....

Update

ZTP Teo — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 07:26:41 -0500

I'm stuck in a small town in Nepal, trying to get to Kathmandu. The town is dominated by four donkeys that seem to own the streets. The main form of transportation is either ox-pulled cart or man-pulled rickshaw. It's a bit like rural Kentucky except everyone is Hindu--or--a bit like rural Pennsylvania...

The Autonomous Region of Sikkim

ZTP Teo — Tue, 6 Mar 2007 02:58:54 -0600

We ambled down the dirtily paved lane towards the Jeep stand in the early morning mountain mist. As we neared the bay of Jeeps waiting to go each direction on the compass, the crowds of people thickened. People were dressed heavily in over-sized, well-worn jackets, pants and hats. They carried burlap...

Misty Mountain Hop

ZTP Teo — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 04:05:17 -0600

We rambled nonstop for 38 hours from Mumbai to Kolkata. Since the journey was so long without a break we decided to splurge and travel in AC class. The travel was fairly boring. I spent most of it lying on my bunk drawing, reading, writing and sleeping above the rest of the train passengers.

The sun...

Secure Security

ZTP Teo — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 03:27:14 -0600

Just a quick observation...

This morning we checked out of our very loud hotel, Calcutta Lodge, and walked toward Seadlah station. The streets were in the usual morning throws--people getting their merchandise to their stalls and grown men washing themselves and their clothes in the gutter, ah India...

Mumbai

ZTP Teo — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 00:50:43 -0600

It is hard to sum a city in a simple blog. We arrived in Mumbai on a smoggy Sunday evening. Black taxi cabs, touts and heaves of Indians overwhelmed the entrance to CST – formerly Victoria – Station. We negotiated a fare and took a ride around in a few circles before arriving at Hotel Anukool on...

Chennai/Madras

ZTP Teo — Thu, 1 Feb 2007 02:44:53 -0600

When arriving in Chennai at the airport you have four options to get into the city: taxis, auto rickshaws, bus or train. The taxis and auto rickshaws are negotiable, but you should not pay more than 50RS for the rickshaw and maybe 100RS for a taxi that will probably be shared. If you have not booked...

A Day in KL

ZTP Teo — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 17:04:50 -0600

We woke before the alarm at 6:40. It was a warm Thursday morning and we were going to the Batu Caves.

After a shower and internet, we exited our hostel and walked around the corner to a bus terminal. We are staying in China Town on Jalan Sultan in a hostel called the Red Dragon. It is an old theatre....

Leaving Moscow

ZTP Teo — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 18:29:16 -0600

Уарославская Бокзал was under restoration when we departed Moscow. The imposing dirty beige façade rose high above the street among the triad of train stations entrenching the huge boulevard. Kazanskaya Vokzal was across the street and Leningradskaya Vokzal was hiding next door....