TravelBio

Back in August, I visited a friend in Japan for six days. Part of me wishes I could have stayed longer--I love the city of Tokyo and there is always more to explore. But after flying back to the US I had to get ready for my next trip: a month in Colombia! I didn't have to be back in San Diego for fall quarter classes until the end of September, so I wanted to make the most of my summer break. Who knows when I'll have another five weeks free. Again, since I'm behind here, I'll keep the details short and add pictures. After a couple days in Ohio visiting family, I flew to Bogotá, where I couchsurfed for the weekend. After three days there, I flew to Cartagena, where I met Mike and Sam, who I had lived with with at OSU. We spent three nights in Cartagena, then flew to the island of  San Andrés , followed by another trip to Bogotá. Sam, who had limited vacation, flew back to the US, but Mike and I went on to explore a few small towns near the capital. The following

As I mentioned in my last post, I traveled after my internship in Singapore. Since the internship began before the end of my spring quarter classes, the 10 weeks were over by mid-August. Our fall classes didn't start until the end of September, however, so I had lots of free time! I have no idea when (or if) I will get another six weeks off, so I had to take advantage and travel. Another classmate and good friend of mine was interning in Tokyo over the summer, so before I used my free flight back to the US (provided by my company) I made a six-day stop in Japan. My buddy was living outside central Tokyo, in an area called Warabi. Central Tokyo-ites think of Warabi as the countryside, but it's far from green pastures. My friend's apartment was within walking distance of the train station, convenience stores, and dozens of restaurants. The metro is a straight shot to the central station in just over 30 minutes. I arrived on a Saturday evening and stayed through Thursd

Here are more photos from my 10 weeks in Singapore this past summer: The National Museum of Singapore View from Mt Faber Park Kaya Toast, a typical breakfast dish Bar on the first floor of Parkview Square, on of the most expensive office buildings in Singapore Arab Street Sultan Mosque 19th century Chinatown in the foreground, and the Pinnacle Duxton in the background. The Pinnacle is actually public housing; over 80% of locals live in subsidized housing, so it's definitely not the same as the projects back in the US! These are more common HDB units Lian Shan Shuang Lin Monastery, near Toa Payoh station; about 3/4ths of Singaporean citizens are ethnically Chinese, with significant Malay and Indian minorities (plus lots of temporary residents) I was surprised to find a Burmese temple; like I said, there are lots of temporary workers in Singapore Trail near MacRitchie Reservoir; despite its high population