The Ring of Fire: Circling the Pacific in 6 Months

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About this blog

This is a post-graduation trip, which will deplete my coffers significantly, but hopefully recharge my scientific and emotional batteries. Lots of sun, hiking, new food, awkward local interactions. The works.

The plan checklist:

1. One Star Alliance Circle Pacific ticket (16 flights, 22,000 miles)

2. One backpack--hopefully under 30 lbs if possible

3. Six Months of non-stop travel

4. 1 netbook to try to keep this blog updated

5. Countries to visit in chronological order: Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and then ending in Hawaii.

Notice one thing not on this list: sanity.

Here's hoping it turns out well. Wish me luck.

• 1

  Oh, the practicalities! The Beginning of the end?   San Francisco, CA on Jun 29, 2011 0 pictures 0 comments
• 2

  Lunch with Sloan   San Francisco, CA on Jun 30, 2011 6 pictures 1 comment
• 3

  Escaping the heat: Kyoto edition   Kyoto, Japan on Jul 3, 2011 12 pictures 0 comments
• 4

  Kumano Kodo: Pilgrimage or Grudge match?   Matsusaka, Japan on Jul 4, 2011 10 pictures 1 comment
• 5

  Nachi: Kumano Kodo's End   Nachikatsuura, Japan on Jul 5, 2011 14 pictures 0 comments
• 6

  Hiroshima: Maddeningly profound   Hiroshima, Japan on Jul 6, 2011 8 pictures 0 comments
• 7

  Kurashiki and Onomichi: Rainy day Plan B   Kurashiki, Japan on Jul 7, 2011 9 pictures 0 comments
• 8

  Kumamoto Layover   Kumamoto, Japan on Jul 8, 2011 7 pictures 0 comments
• 9

  Takachiho: The Creation of a Nation   Takachiho, Japan on Jul 9, 2011 17 pictures 0 comments
• 10

  Kagoshima: the bottom of Kyushu   Kagoshima, Japan on Jul 10, 2011 4 pictures 0 comments
• 11

  Yakushima 1: The island of Princess Mononoke   Hirauchi, Japan on Jul 11, 2011 14 pictures 0 comments
• 12

  Yakushima 2: Yakisugi Land Cedar Forest   Hirauchi, Japan on Jul 12, 2011 19 pictures 0 comments
• 13

  Yakushima 3: Sun, sand, streams and mosquitoes   Miyanoura, Japan on Jul 13, 2011 8 pictures 0 comments
• 14

  Yakushima 4: One mother of a hike   Miyanoura, Japan on Jul 14, 2011 20 pictures 0 comments
• 15

  Yakushim 4.5: Last gasp   Kirishima, Japan on Jul 15, 2011 4 pictures 0 comments
• 16

  Kirishima: Plan B it is   Kirishima, Japan on Jul 16, 2011 9 pictures 0 comments
• 17

  Around Kagoshima: Volcano and Festival   Kagoshima, Japan on Jul 17, 2011 13 pictures 0 comments
• 18

  Kagoshima: The Calm before the Storm   Kagoshima, Japan on Jul 18, 2011 3 pictures 0 comments
• 19

  Trapped in Limbo   Kagoshima, Japan on Jul 19, 2011 0 pictures 0 comments
• 20

  Why is Japan not for backpackers?   Nagoya, Japan on Jul 20, 2011 0 pictures 0 comments
• 21

  Akan National Park 1: Mashu lake and Iozan   Mashu, Japan on Jul 22, 2011 14 pictures 0 comments
• 22

  Akan National Park 2: Lake Kussharo   Mashu, Japan on Jul 23, 2011 19 pictures 0 comments
• 23

  Biei and Furano: Japanese Farmer Chic   Biei, Japan on Jul 25, 2011 21 pictures 0 comments
• 24

  Rishiri-to: Mini Mount Fuji   Oshidomari, Japan on Jul 27, 2011 22 pictures 0 comments
• 25

  Rishiri to Rebun: Island Hopping   Kafuka, Japan on Jul 28, 2011 20 pictures 0 comments
• 26

  Rebun: The 8 hr (Love and Romance) Hiking Course   Kafuka, Japan on Jul 29, 2011 31 pictures 1 comment
• 27

  Rebun 2: More Wandering in the Wind   Motochi, Japan on Jul 30, 2011 12 pictures 0 comments
• 28

  Rebun 3: Leaving Home...Again?   Sapporo, Japan on Jul 31, 2011 6 pictures 0 comments
• 29

  Poroto Kotan: The indigenous Japanese   Shiraoi, Japan on Aug 1, 2011 19 pictures 0 comments
• 30

  Hakodate: Ika, Ika, Ika Odori!   Hakodate, Japan on Aug 2, 2011 14 pictures 0 comments
• 31

  Hirosaki: Neputa Festival   Hirosaki, Japan on Aug 3, 2011 10 pictures 0 comments
• 32

  Ozore-san: Buddhist 'Hell' Mountain   Mutsu, Japan on Aug 4, 2011 9 pictures 0 comments
• 33

  Aomori: Neputa 2   Aomori, Japan on Aug 4, 2011 15 pictures 0 comments
• 34

  Tokyo: A vacation within a vacation   Tokyo, Japan on Aug 7, 2011 13 pictures 2 comments
• 35

  Seou 1: No Longer the Hermit Kingdom   Seoul, Korea Rep. on Aug 9, 2011 18 pictures 0 comments
• 36

  Seoul 2: Palace, tentacles, same old, same old   Seoul, Korea Rep. on Aug 10, 2011 24 pictures 0 comments
• 37

  Gyeongju: Capital of Old Silla Korea   Gyeongju, Korea Rep. on Aug 11, 2011 15 pictures 0 comments
• 38

  Gyeongju 2: Silly on Silla   Gyeongju, Korea Rep. on Aug 12, 2011 17 pictures 0 comments
• 39

  Haeinsa: A Monk's Life   Haeinsa, Korea Rep. on Aug 13, 2011 17 pictures 0 comments
• 40

  Busan: Confusion, Conversion and Consternation   Busan, Korea Rep. on Aug 15, 2011 6 pictures 0 comments
• 41

  Jeju: The tropical (UNESCO) life   Jeju City, Korea Rep. on Aug 16, 2011 18 pictures 0 comments
• 42

  Jeju: Sweat Equity   Seogwipo, Korea Rep. on Aug 17, 2011 12 pictures 0 comments
• 43

  Jeju: The last hurrah   Jeju City, Korea Rep. on Aug 18, 2011 11 pictures 0 comments
• 44

  Seoraksan: Hiking galore   Sokcho, Korea Rep. on Aug 20, 2011 24 pictures 0 comments
• 45

  Seoul: Drink, see and maybe learn something   Seoul, Korea Rep. on Aug 22, 2011 8 pictures 0 comments
• 46

  Seoul: Run, DMZ! (aka Ahoy, North Korea)   Seoul, Korea Rep. on Aug 23, 2011 15 pictures 0 comments
• 47

  Taipei: No Rest for the Wicked (Tired)   Taipei, Taiwan on Aug 24, 2011 16 pictures 0 comments
• 48

  Beijing 1: Let the backpacking commence   Beijing, China on Aug 30, 2011 10 pictures 0 comments
• 49

  Beijing 2: Tianenmen and Forbidden City   Beijing, China on Aug 30, 2011 29 pictures 0 comments
• 50

  Beijing 3: The Great (Invisible) Wall   Beijing, China on Aug 31, 2011 12 pictures 0 comments
• 51

  Beijing 4: Summer Palace and winding hutongs   Beijing, China on Sep 1, 2011 26 pictures 0 comments
• 52

  Beijing 5: Serenity, now! (aka Riding the Rails)   Beijing, China on Sep 2, 2011 11 pictures 0 comments
• 53

  Xian 1: Welcome to Beijing...again   Xi'an, China on Sep 3, 2011 33 pictures 0 comments
• 54

  Xian 2: An Army Fit for an Emperor   Xi'an, China on Sep 4, 2011 16 pictures 0 comments
• 55

  Kunming: Welcome to Yunnan   Kunming, China on Sep 5, 2011 6 pictures 0 comments
• 56

  Dali: Appropriately Surreal (Was it all a dream?)   Dali, China on Sep 6, 2011 45 pictures 0 comments
• 57

  Lijiang: Old China with New Nougaty Filling   Lijiang, China on Sep 7, 2011 19 pictures 0 comments
• 58

  Tiger Leaping Gorge: Or Thorn Scratch Lost Human   Lijiang, China on Sep 8, 2011 25 pictures 0 comments
• 59

  Lijiang: If it rains, eat...a lot   Lijiang, China on Sep 9, 2011 19 pictures 1 comment
• 60

  Yangshuo: Birthplace of the 20 RMB note   Yangshuo, China on Sep 10, 2011 11 pictures 0 comments
• 61

  Yangshuo 2: Biking up the Yulong River   Yangshuo, China on Sep 11, 2011 25 pictures 0 comments
• 62

  Yangshuo 3: Chinese Cooking Class (Wok this way)   Yangshuo, China on Sep 12, 2011 14 pictures 0 comments
• 63

  Yangshuo 4: Hiking down the Li River   Yangshuo, China on Sep 13, 2011 19 pictures 0 comments
• 64

  Ping'an: White Knuckling Dragon Backbone Terraces   Ping'an, China on Sep 14, 2011 17 pictures 0 comments
• 65

  Hong Kong 1: Emerging from a Burning Building   Hong Kong, China on Sep 16, 2011 28 pictures 0 comments
• 66

  Hong Kong 2: At the Altar of Buddha and Money   Hong Kong, China on Sep 17, 2011 18 pictures 0 comments
• 67

  Macau: China's Oft Forgotten Middle Child?   Macau, China on Sep 18, 2011 19 pictures 0 comments
• 68

  Saigon: War and Peace   Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on Sep 19, 2011 22 pictures 0 comments
• 69

  Halong Bay: I Might Be Luxury Intolerant   Halong Bay, Vietnam on Sep 21, 2011 34 pictures 0 comments
• 70

  Hanoi: How much Vietnam can you cram into a day?   Hanoi, Vietnam on Sep 23, 2011 39 pictures 0 comments
• 71

  Tam Coc: Halong Bay on Land aka Plan B   Ninh Binh, Vietnam on Sep 24, 2011 21 pictures 0 comments
• 72

  Hue: The last Imperial city of Vietnam   Hue, Vietnam on Sep 25, 2011 23 pictures 0 comments
• 73

  Hoi An: Take a Colonial Stroll   Hoi An, Vietnam on Sep 26, 2011 30 pictures 0 comments
• 74

  My Son: The ruins of the Champa empire   Mỹ Sơn (2), Vietnam on Sep 27, 2011 13 pictures 0 comments
• 75

  Bangkok: In Search of Thailand   Bangkok, Thailand on Sep 28, 2011 37 pictures 0 comments
• 76

  Ayutthaya: The Ruins of the Middle Siam Kingdom   Ayutthaya, Thailand on Sep 30, 2011 27 pictures 0 comments
• 77

  Chiang Mai: Wat hunting and Thai Cooking   Chiang Mai, Thailand on Oct 2, 2011 35 pictures 0 comments
• 78

  Chiang Mai 2: Water (and Bananas) for Elephants   Chiang Mai, Thailand on Oct 3, 2011 17 pictures 0 comments
• 79

  Chiang Rai: The Green and Golden Triangles   Chiang Rai, Thailand on Oct 5, 2011 46 pictures 0 comments
• 80

  Phnom Penh: Rising from the Abyss   Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Oct 7, 2011 34 pictures 0 comments
• 81

  Phnom Penh 2: New Kings to Old   Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Oct 8, 2011 21 pictures 0 comments
• 82

  Angkor 1: The Outer Temples   Siem Reap, Cambodia on Oct 9, 2011 29 pictures 0 comments
• 83

  Angkor 2: The Little Circuit   Angkor Wat, Cambodia on Oct 10, 2011 62 pictures 0 comments
• 84

  Siem Reap: A Much Needed Temple Break   Siem Reap, Cambodia on Oct 11, 2011 26 pictures 0 comments
• 85

  Angkor 3: Last Day in the Ruins   Angkor Wat, Cambodia on Oct 12, 2011 37 pictures 0 comments
• 86

  Singapore: Eat, Shop, Eat, Repeat   Singapore, Singapore on Oct 14, 2011 33 pictures 0 comments