Brokenroads.com

Travel Logs

Mexico(Dec 2007)
The area is full of interconnecting footpaths that the locals use to get to different farm areas, gather firewood, and stand demurely to the side as a bunch of gringos on their mechanical ‘caballos’ pedal by.
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New Zealand(Dec 2006 - Jan 2007)
I’m not talking about the ‘wow, this is really pretty’ kind of beauty. I’m talking about breath-taking, eye-popping, get-a-bulldozer-to-lift-your-jaw-off-the-pavement kind of beauty. The kind of beauty that seems to break open your ribcage and set your heart afloat.
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Patagonia(Dec 2005 - Jan 2006)
So there we all were, walking the glacier like a bunch of cowboys. We strode up and down like a bunch of icicle-slinging glacier gauchos, our crampons leaving only tiny incisions in the ice.
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Indonesia (Aug 1998, Sep 2005)
At a housewarming party, all the guests were entertained by kids playing bamboo-pipe music (which sounded a bit like oompala music), traditional dancing by women in beautiful beaded costumes while sacrificial pigs were paraded up through the rice paddies.
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Sri Lanka (Dec 2004 - Jan 2005)
I won't attempt to let you know how beautiful and powerful it was to be up on the top of the mountain, watching the sun poke out from the few clouds that hovered over the lower hills, listening to the tenor chanting of the Buddhist monk, bidding goodbye to the calendar year.
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	Georgia (Jul 2003) Georgia is the most backwards country in Europe I know of. They greet each other with a kiss on the left cheek instead of the right, they have beer with breakfast and coffee with dinner, and their language is the only one I know of where the consonant "D" is used for Mom (Deda), and "M" is used for Dad (Mama). Read more \|
	Madagascar (Jun 2003) These funny looking trees were once thought to have beautiful luscious foliage, but as the story goes, the tree was never satisfied. First it complained to the gods that it didn’t have beautiful flowers. Then it complained that it didn’t have tasty fruit. Finally, the gods, sick of the tree’s vanity, grabbed the trunk, yanked it from the ground, and stuck it back into the earth upside down. Read more \|
	Laos & Cambodia (Jan - Feb 2003) Some people book a ticket on a whim, check out a guide book from the library, then spend the remaining 14 hours on the plane ride over trying to figure out where to go, where to stay, and what to see. And that's how I found myself on an airplane to Laos with two guidebooks, one backpack, and no plans. But I suppose most of you have learned to expect this of me. Read more \|
	Turkey (Jun - Jul 2002) There is so much to explore in the region that I only barely scratched the surface after four fun-filled days. I toured the amazing underground cities which can get as far as 7 stories underground, climbed into caves and pigeon houses carved in the strange rock pillars by early inhabitants, hiked in the beautiful valleys, and visited the many churches in the area which have sadly not fared well with the onset of vandals. Read more \| Download the pdf
	Saguaro National Park, AZ (Apr 2002) The trip was labeled as a strenuous backpacking trip; we were to hike 9.3 miles up 4500 ft. elevation gain, but at least we only had to carry our tents and clothes. They took care of the rest. The hike up was grueling, but it was fascinating to hike in what they call the "Sky Islands", where you pass through 7 climatic zones. Read more \|
	West Africa (Dec 2000 - Jan 2001) Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw. Several hundred men were stomping in the dust, dancing rhythmically to the constant drumming of the 'tam tams'. They were wearing anything and everything from antlers and loincloths, to dresses and galoshes, to bubble wrap and lab goggles. Some chewed on the narcotic Kola-nuts, others chewed chicken legs, frogs, and snakes. Read more \|
	Ecuador (Sept 1999) All night long, my clothes would be covered with moths licking off whatever delicacy I had sweated onto them. And I seemed to be a 24-hour diner for any insect interested in blood. I thought of the images of African children who are so desensitized and weak they can't even swat the flies off their face, and felt I could actually relate to their apathy. There was no winning against the insects! Read more \|
	Switzerland (June 1998) After a short apricot break, we started up the path again, and realized we were once again lost. For some reason, we couldn’t seem to figure out the markings. We meandered a bit, backtracked a bit, then finally got our bearings. I suppose the entire task was aggravated by the fact that we had no compass and no topographical map. Read more \|
	Thailand (Sept 1997, Jul 1998) I spent my time in the countryside, taking river canal rides through the rice patties, helping cook those amazingly spicy dishes that I could barely eat, and practicing my Thai with the villagers. I must have impressed the family, since they proudly paraded me around, introduced me as their daughter to anyone and everyone, and urging me to spout off some Thai phrases I had picked up. Read more \|

travel logs

Thailand
Switzerland
India
Indonesia
Ecuador
West Africa
Turkey
Laos & Cambodia
Saguaro National Park
Georgia
Madagascar
Sri Lanka
Patagonia
New Zealand
Mexico