Nyepi

This time last week, downtown Ubud was taken over by giant papier mâché demons in celebration of Balinese New Year, called Nyepi.

Portraits of a Laos Village

During my month in Laos I spent some time up in the mountains north of Luang Prabang, and I was lucky enough to visit some rather remote village communities populated by families from the Hmong and Khmu minority groups. We had a blast hanging out with the local kids, playing games with them, and visiting their schools.

Hoi An

In the second week of January my brother and I made our way out of Cambodia and across the border to Vietnam. We spent a few days in Saigon with a friend of mine who lived in town, and enjoyed getting the local perspective in a way we would've struggled to discover on our own. But we soon moved on, David returning to America and I traveling north on the night train.

I spent a week on my own in Hoi An, just relaxing, keeping mostly to myself, and making plans for the year ahead. I rented a bike and every day rode around town or out through the country side, wandering wherever I pleased and taking hundreds of photos. Here's a sample of what I saw.

Indie Travel Manifesto

Indie Travel Manifesto by BootsnAll & Rolf Potts

Boarding Pass

I'm so excited to have been featured on one of my favorite blogs, Prêt à Voyager. It's a fascinating and beautifully curated travel and design blog run by fellow Baltimorean abroad Anne Ditmeyer. Check out the rest of her excellent Boarding Pass series, it will suck you in!

Vietnam First Look

On the street, Saigon
Here's one of my first shots from Vietnam, in Saigon. This shot really sums up my feelings about crossing the street in this city. It's almost a transcendental experience. You have to set aside your fear and your desire to make a run for it, calmly step into the road, and slowly make your way across with unwavering speed and determination. And the motorbikes flow around you and reform their pattern, like a river. There's something elegant about it, so long as you don't get hit.

Traveling up the coast on the Reunification Express; the trip did not disappoint
I'll be posting many shots from my time in Vietnam soon, keep an eye out.