Author Archives: John
The Money Trail – Indonesia
Landing at the Bali airport and withdrawing a cool million (Indonesian rupiah) from the ATM there was an interesting experience. Definitely made us feel like high rollers! 1 USD ~= 9000 Rupiah
North, South Tour of Bali
After a relaxing week in Ubud, we headed out to see other parts of the island. I used my first trip to Bali as a guide (my very first trip out of the US was to Bali, back in 2001) … Continue reading
The Money Trail – Malaysia
The ringgit is the currency of Malaysia. Featured prominently on the 5 ringgit note is the Hornbill, a bird we saw a lot of on Pulau Pangkor. I even fed one a banana – I held up the banana and … Continue reading
Highland Adventures
After saying our goodbyes to the Injays, we boarded a plane bound for Malaysia. But, we wouldn’t be without friends for long. We quickly met up with our hip, Austin buddies Cheng and Negina, who had been visiting Cheng’s family … Continue reading
The Money Trail – Japan
Ah, the Japanese Yen. Distinguished from other currencies we’ve used to date in that you have to use so much of it! No bones about it, Japan is expensive. Like ten US dollars for one shiny, red apple expensive. 1 USD … Continue reading
We’re talkin’ baseball…
Many expat Americans, including several families of American baseball players that bounce between Japanese teams and the majors back home, live in the same condo complex as our friends the Injays. Trish happened to mention that we’d be visiting to … Continue reading
The Money Trail – Hong Kong
Next up on the money trail, the Hong Kong Dollar. The Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) is certainly the most colorful currency we’ve encountered to date. Perhaps more interesting is that commercial banks, under license from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, … Continue reading
Back to Civilization
After some wrangling at the Datong airport (ask us about it sometime…), we boarded our flight back to Beijing to continue our journey through China. From Beijing, we caught our first bullet train, bound for Shanghai. I have to say, … Continue reading
Dinner in Datong
After our day touring the Hanging Monastery and Yungang Grottoes, Shelley and I ventured out to a restaurant in downtown Datong that was suggested to us by our wonderful tour guide, Nancy. This was a bit more complicated than it … Continue reading
More Datong…
UPDATED: I was able to upload the video from the Hanging Monastery. Take a look below! As Shelley pointed out in a previous post, Datong was a pretty fascinating place. In addition to experiencing “Real China,” we also had the … Continue reading