Food is not rational. Food is culture, habit, craving, and identity. – Jonathan Safan Foer Wiser words were never spoken, at least when it comes to food. And nowhere is the junction between food and culture more tangible than in the food markets of Southeast Asia. From the maze of wooden stalls sagging under the […]
Asia
Transforming Chaos into Strength in the Villages of Northern Laos
Not enough has been written about northern Laos, its remote villages and imposing kharst mountains stretching skyward between verdant rice paddies. We had spent six days working our way north along a tributary of the Mekong River, first by bus and then, when the roads vanished, by long boat. We stayed in villages perched precariously […]
Chance Encounters in Laos’s Holiest City
I usually avoid other tourists when I’m traveling. It seems like their only goals, especially at more popular sites like the Sistine Chapel or Prague’s astronomical clock tower, are to walk in front of my camera and to stand in really long lines. It’s easy to forget that maybe we’re not the only ones with […]