In 1873, Jules Verne wrote the classic Around the World in 80 Days, a novel in which Phileas Fogg ventures on an “impossible” journey around the world, visiting such destinations as Egypt, India, China, Japan, and the USA in a record-short amount of time. Up until that era, and for another 100 years, mankind has been trying to circle the world more and more quickly. Today, it is easy to travel around the world in less than 80 hours, and I feel that the race to circle the globe has lost a bit of its charm. While I certainly appreciate the fascinating modern ability to walk off a jet plane immersed in a completely new environment, I also strive to see more of the world up close and not just from the window of an aeroplane. Thus, while I certainly want to travel around the world, I also want it to take much longer than 80 days.
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Steve, and after I spent my childhood moving around various parts of the USA and Germany, I somehow ended up spending six years in San Diego. Despite the amazing weather, beaches, beer, and culture, I decided that I had spent enough time there and managed to obtain a scholarship from the Taiwanese government to study Chinese, a language I had spent two years learning at university. In the meantime, I had several months to travel the surrounding areas, and I started this blog a few weeks into what would become my longest trip thus far.
In this blog I hope to share with you some interesting things I come across as I travel, with plenty of photos to go along with them. It is also my goal to provide you with good tips to many common and not-so-common problems travelers face, and with some good information regarding prices of different cities. And although I love seeing all the major sites, I also love more alternative destinations that you may be interested in reading about. Lastly, sampling local cuisine is one of my passions, and I hope to share recommendations and photos of great food around the world.
I must disclose that I am by no means a master photographer (although I hope I will improve somewhat over the course of taking thousands of photos). I shoot using my Canon Rebel T3i, an entry level DSLR, and my cell phone, a Huawei Honor 8. Both devices are capable of taking nice photos, though I believe it is up to the photographer to control the control the camera using his skill. If you have any suggestions for improvement, feel free to let me know!
Finally, I welcome you to my site, and hope you make yourselves at home. If there is a place you think I should visit, or a topic you want me to address, let me know about it! Otherwise, I hope you enjoy what I have to share, and I hope that it will inspire you to take your own trip that lasts more than 80 days!