Soles of a Nomad

Travel isn’t all beaches and bliss. This brutally honest list of 14 cons of travel digs into the risks, realities, and contradictions that come with the road.

Some say Bran Castle isn’t really Dracula’s Castle. But fiction, memory, and imagination matter too. Here’s what I saw from across the street—and what I felt.

I first heard “Ozymandias” as a kid. Decades later, I found myself at the Ramesseum—the very site that likely inspired it. The poem, the place, the wind—it all hit at once. A funny, reflective, and slightly sweat-soaked look at what a ruined statue can teach us about greatness, memory, and what really lasts.

I had dreamed of the Nile River since childhood. In Luxor, I finally stood beside it—sunburned, overwhelmed, and speechless. Walking along the Nile in Luxor wasn’t just a bucket list moment. It was something deeper, something I felt in my bones.

I traveled to Uganda to see the mountain gorillas. What I found in the forest was bigger than awe, bigger than photography—bigger than I expected.

The center of every India city is packed with energy . . . and people Introduction: A Hard Truth on the Road   Before we came to India,...

At the India–Pakistan border near Amritsar, soldiers strut, flags fall, and the crowd roars. The Wagah border ceremony is part dance-off, part military ritual, and all surreal. What’s meant to stir national pride left me more contemplative than triumphant—because travel sometimes shows us how borders divide as much as they define.

Looking for the most beautiful village in the Himalayas? Turtuk, India is a remote, green oasis in the Karakoram Mountains—equal parts paradise and mystery. Read about our unforgettable journey to one of the last open villages near the India–Pakistan border.

We entered Nepal past a silent line of trucks. What we didn’t realize was that the road told a story—a blockade, a border, and a country gasping for breath.

Once the royal heart of Nepal’s Kathmandu Valley, Bhaktapur is a city of brick, prayer, and stillness. It doesn’t dazzle. But it stays with you.

Once upon a backpacker’s budget, I wandered Nepal with a creaky wallet and a pack of momos. Things have changed—fees, forms, and guides required. Worth it? That’s complicated.

Kathmandu isn’t just a basecamp for Himalayan dreams. It’s a city of spirit, scars, and stories. I visited twice—once as a backpacker in 1999, once with my family after the devastating 2015 earthquake. What I found each time changed me.

We spent a month traveling in Rajasthan, India, with our family—visiting Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, and Jaipur. No scams. No disasters. Just camels, forts, thalis, and rooftop dinners under the desert stars. A journey that was almost suspiciously smooth.

While staying at a small homestay in Kochi, India, we met Linda. She wasn’t just our host—she became a part of our journey, offering kindness, connection, and a glimpse into the emotional depth that sometimes finds you when you least expect it. This is the human side of travel.

Kochi challenged our lungs and won our hearts. In a city where the streets are cleaner than most of India but the air turns to ash by dawn, we found humor, irony, and unexpected beauty.

From bureaucracy to breathtaking temples, our arrival in Madurai reminded us why we travel. One night in India, and we found our travel smile again.

We came to Tissa for kottu and leopards. We found the best kottu we’ve ever had and took a gamble on spotting Yala’s elusive leopards. One succeeded. One didn’t. And that’s what makes travel worth it.

Some travelers scorn Sri Lanka’s stilt fishermen for posing for tourists. I disagree. Here’s why I happily paid—and why authenticity might be the most overrated travel value.

After years of family travel, I’ve learned the best moments aren’t the big-ticket adventures—they’re the muddy, sticky, pork belly-filled meals we share along the way

Luang Prabang is a tourist trap—and that’s OK. Between the kitschy night market, Western restaurants, and surprisingly good cheese, this little Lao town offers a charming, if touristy, escape