www.natepaine.com

Tangier, VA is a bit odd· 2179 days ago

Hello Folks!

Well, it’s been about 3 months since I’ve been overseas…and it still feels good to be back. :)

This past weekend (Memorial Day), Mom, Mike, Jen and I went down to Tangier, VA. Tangier is a pretty unique place – very isolated from the outside world.

Tangier is an island in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay – about 1 1/4 hour ferry ride from the Maryland coast. The island has a population of 600 and it’s all about crabs. The Chesapeake Bay is the #1 crab producing area in the world – I didn’t know that.
We stayed in one of 3 Bed & Breakfasts. The folks are generally friendly – and many still speak with an Elizabethan (British) accent. There are 3 restaurants with dangerously short hours and most of the traffic is electric golf carts.

We had a good time… hope you enjoy the pics.

Nate

Crab shacks - one of probably 200.
Click on article title for more pictures…

Comments [212]

Video Bonanza!· 2265 days ago

Hi Folks,

I thougth I was all done posting on the travel log for a while…but then I got the idea to post some videos from throughout the trip. Some are goofy…some are beautiful…all require some patience while they download! Enjoy!

Paris, France – outside Notre Dame cathedral (13.17mb)

Paris, France – view from the Pantheon (15.91mb)

Paris, France – Eiffel Tower, second floor (53.48mb)

Paris, France – The Eiffel Tower is blinking :) (10.25mb)

Prague, Czech Rep. – Well, what can I say. Sometimes the backpack travel (hostel) scene is like this…young and just having a good time. (27.76mb)

Cesky Crumlov, Czech Rep. – This is a UNESCO listed town in southern Czech. (33.18mb)

Brno, Czech Rep. – Just a fountain that I like in a mall in Brno… (10.37mb)

Stary Smokovic, Slovac Rep. – The highest point that we got in the High Tatras mountains. Nice! (43.65mb)

Dubrovnic, Croatia – Another UNESCO listed town…almost completely restored after the war. Really a nice place! (50.73mb)

Poros, Greece – The “whirling dervishes” we called ourselves: Marcus, Sindy, Marlene, Laurel, and me. Riding scooters around the island. (40.87mb)

Poros, Greece – We found this run-down monestary with this crazy old guy living there slowly restoring the place. He wanted us to bring him back some cigarettes. :) (77.70mb)

Pamukkale, Turkey – Known for it’s calcium springs. (34.47mb)

Istanbul, Turkey – There are stay cats all over the city. Jen and I got some little fish by the river and walked around feeding the cats with varying success. (19.51mb)

Kiev, Ukraine – They’ve got some stinkin’ deep subways here. And I thought it was interesting to watch the humanity go by. (25.81mb)

Kiev, Ukraine – I had a fabulous time at Safe Haven. Here’s a few of the guys goofin’ around right before I left. (46.04mb)

Trans Siberian, Russia – This is what it looked like the whole time. Snow, birch trees, and my cabin companion from Irkutsk. This leg (Moscow-Irkutsk) was 3 days on the train. (24.35mb)

Listvianka, Russia – Lake Baikal: 20% of the earth fresh water and beauty to match! (23.27mb)

Trans-Mongolian, Mongolia – Here’s another window into the travel life. After my time in Russia, I was thrilled to find a few English speakers on the train! Some of these guys have posted comments: Aaron is the blond guy and Stewart is the one with the beard. (20.57mb)

somewhere, Mongolia – Our first night of 6 in the Mongolian wilderness we got a little throat singing concert right in our ger. (27.97mb)

somewhere, Mongolia – Us and our guides playing basketball with some local kids. (31.43mb)

White Lake, Mongolia – After driving west for 2-3 days, we finally got to the White Lake. A little energy release sliding around on the ice. (13.32mb)

White Lake, Mongolia – Our base camp at White Lake. It’s all about yak, sheep, and goat! (36.10mb)

somewhere, Mongolia – We were on horseback for two days heading further west from White Lake. (23.98mb)

somewhere, Mongolia – I think this ger camp was the highlight of the trip. The kids here were hilarious. Even the adults would hang around until we told them we had to sleep. Amazing memories from a place very far from home…in many ways. (22.26mb)

Beijing, China – Beijing’s still got plenty of bikes! I rented one to ride to the universities that I wanted to visit. (38.23mb)

Manila, Philippines – My first experience in ‘economy’ class from Manila to Puerto Princesa. It was a blast and I still keep in touch with some people I met on the boat. One overnight. (55.85mb)

El Nido (Palawan), Philippines – The ride from Puerto Princesa to El Nido was a like a 10 hour amusement ride. It had rained a lot the week before and the roads were really muddy. Here’s the first (failed) attempt by our bus driver to get up a mud hill. (18.79mb)

El Nido (Palawan), Philippines – The second time he made it and everyone in the area scrambled to get on (their rides were still stuck at the bottom). (11.56mb)

El Nido (Palawan), Philippines – My friend and I hired a local guide to show us the trail to the top of the cliffs overlooking El Nido. (42.27mb)

El Nido (Palawan), Philippines – My buddy in El Nido. His mom worked at the restaurant. He’d follow me around until I gave up and played with him a while. (15.51mb)

El Nido (Palawan), Philippines – The diving and snorkeling near El Nido was the best I saw on my trip. This is a video riding out to the first dive site. (28.34mb)

Coron, Philippines – An afternoon riding cycles around the island with a Canadian guy I met. Earlier in the day I ran in to a mudslide up to my gas tank and (separately) broke off my gear shift pedal. A fun day. :) (11.15mb)

Bangkok, Thailand – This is that great longtail boat ride into the recesses of Bangkok…right before I got ripped off by the guy sitting next to me. (21.62mb)

Koh Tao, Thailand – Highly recommended! I spend a week on this beach. My favorite beach in the world, I’d say. (54.08mb)

Koh Tao, Thailand – A pretty nice little island off the north shore of Koh Tao. (46.09mb)

Kuala Lumpor, Malaysia – An early Chinese New Year performance in the mall beneath the Petronas Towers. (22.58mb)

Kuala Lumpor, Malaysia – A shot of the Petronas Towers from the huge park behind them. (20.80mb)

Singapore – A day after the Chinese New Year, the celebration was still going strong in Singapore. (14.74mb)

Ao Nang, Thailand – The island formations in this area are amazing. Ao Nang felt like the Jersey shore…a nice little family vacation spot…with an amazing backdrop. (21.52mb)

Bangkok, Thailand – Back in Bangkok. I couldn’t believe how long the line was for Rotiboy buns. I think I should start the first US franchise! (23.45mb)

Hong Kong – A bittersweet goodbye to the Hong Kong waterfront…one of my favorites over the past two years. (23.19mb)

I can’t believe anyone actually scrolled down this far!

Later,
Nate

Comments [671]

New web site· 2271 days ago

Hi All,

The new site is at www.natepaine.com/plog or simply www.natepaine.com.

See you there,
Nate

Comments [34954]

Done traveling for now...· 2280 days ago

Hello Everyone!

Well – it’s been a blast! I’ve really enjoyed having this site as a way to keep in touch with you all! I definitely appreciate all the comments and emails that you sent along the way….as a solo traveler, they kept me going!

So, what did I learn from all this wandering around? Well…
1) You could travel your whole life and still never scratch the surface of the diversity, beauty, and relationships that exist out there. So, early on in the trip, I had to learn to just enjoy where I was…and not worry about all the other places that I wanted to see too.

2) Travel truly is a wonderful way to gain and appreciation for different cultures around the world…and at home! I found that I learned the most by talking with other travelers…as opposed to locals. And I found that I learned more about home, by comparison, than I learned about the area I was visiting! Interesting!

3) Financially, it’s possible to do this kind of travel for around $30/day. That was my target and I found that I was able to hit it by living simply. Living simply is also nice because it puts you right in with other travelers and locals…not behind glass in a posh hotel or tourist bus. I’ve kept a record of what I spent on everything, so if any of you are interested in more details, just let me know.

4) I’m so glad that I took the time and effort to follow a dream that I had. The experience has encouraged me to be bolder in stretching a bit beyond my comfort point and ‘going for it’! I felt this way after doing my massive house project… and, now, as I start a business, I think I’ll look back with the same feelings. It’s always scary up front, but once you jump in, the water’s pretty warm! :)

This will be the last post for now (until I travel again), but I’m going to keep this site up as a link off my soon-to-come main page.

So again, thanks again for riding along with me!
Take care,
Nate

Comments [1399]

Ao Nang...cliff land!· 2280 days ago

Hi All,

One of the last posts here…now that I’m home. Towards the end of the trip, I took fewer and fewer pictures, but Ao Nang, a beach area near Krabi, Thailand was so amazing that I took a lot of shots!

Here’s a few pics!

Later,
Nate

Click on article title for more pictures…

Comments [2537]

Where's Nate? Home!· 2280 days ago

Final Google Earth file: 060218.kml

Itinerary:
Sat 2/18/06: Telford, PA!
Fri 2/17/06: Hong Kong
Mon 2/13/06: Shanghai, China
Sat 2/11/06: Macau, China
Thu 2/9/06: Bangkok, Thailand (2 days)
Mon 2/6/06: Ao Lang, Thailand (3 days)
Fri 2/3/06: Koh Phi Phi Don, Thailand (3 days)
Thu 2/2/06: Hat Yai, Thailand (1 day)
Mon 1/30/06: Singapore (3 days)
Tue 1/24/06: Malaka, Malaysia (5 days)
Sat 1/21/06: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (3 days)
Thu 1/12/06: Koh Tao, Thailand (1 week)
Mon 1/9/06: Bangkok, Thailand
Thu 1/6/06: Macau, China via Hong Kong (3 days)
Tue 12/20/05: Hong Kong, Newark, Telford – home for 2 weeks!
Mon 12/19/05: Manila, Philippines
Fri 12/16/05: Coron, Philippines (3 days)
Fri 12/10/05: El Nido (Palawan), Philippines (7 days)
Thu 12/8/05: Puerto Princesa (Palawan), Philippines (2 days)
Sat 12/03/05: Manila, Philippines, via HKG (5 days)
Thu 12/01/05: Guangzhou, China (2 days)
Sat 11/26/05: Shanghai, China (5 days)
Thu 11/24/05: Thanksgiving in Nanjing, China (2 days)
Sat 11/20/05: Beijing, China (4 days)
Thu 11/17/05: Back in Ulaan Baatar (3 days)
Thu 11/10/05: Kharkorhin, Tsetserleg, Tsagaanuur, Ogiinuur gers
Tue 11/07/05: Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia (3 days)
Sat 11/05/05: Ulan Ude, Russia (2 days)
Wed 11/02/05: Listvyanka (Lake Baikal), Russia (2 days)
Mon 10/31/05: Irkutsk, Russia (2 days)
Thu 10/27/05: Get on Trans-siberian railway 11:30pm
Tue 10/25/05: Moscow & St. Peterburg, Russia (yikes!)
Wed 10/4/05: Kiev, Ukraine – Safe Haven Intl!
Sat 10/1/05: Odessa, Ukraine
Thu 9/29/05: Ferry across Black Sea (2 days)
Mon 9/26/05: Istabul, Turkey
Sat 9/24/05: Nate and Jen in Selcuk, Turkey (2 days)
Wed 9/21/05: Jen arrives in Istanbul!! :) One week only. :(
Tues 9/20/05: Istanbul, Turkey (4 days)
Mon 9/19/05: Pamukkale, Turkey (1 day)
9/17/05: Fetiye, Turkey
9/16/05: Bodrum, Turkey
9/15/05: Patmos, Greece
9/11/05: Syros, Greece
9/8/05: Poros, Greece
9/8/05: Athens, Greece
9/5/05: Pristina, Kosovo
9/3/05: Gusinje, Montenegro – Nyces!
9/1/05: Dubrovnic, Croatia
8/27/05: Budapest, Hungary
8/24/05: Stary Smokovic, Slavak Rep.
8/22/05: Cesky Krumlov, Czech Rep.
8/18/05: Prague, Czech Rep.
8/14/05: Paris, France
8/11/05: London, England
8/10/05: Newark, NJ, USA
Man, it went fast!

Comments [4108]

There's no place like home...· 2291 days ago

Greetings from Bangkok!

It’s great to be back here eating some of the most awesome food I’ve ever tasted! I don’t think I’ve posted since Koh Phi Phi… in between I stayed near Krabi at a place called Ao Nang for a few days. The limestone cliffs there were amazing…I’ll post some pics for you soon! All in all, I’d say Thailand is a very good place for westerners to travel to. It’s cheap, friendly, with great food and great islands. Consider it! :)

OK, so I’ve got some surprising (for some) news!: I’ll be back in the US in a week! Amazing, huh?! Here’s the deal: Since begin home at Christmas, there have been two big issues chipping away at my travel desire: 1) I’m less and less interested in doing things that keep me away from Jen. I’m still really glad that I took the time to travel…but, now I’m ready to be back home with her! Hopefully sometime down the road we’ll get to do some travel together – which will be much better!! 2) I’ve been working on the details of starting my business…and I’ve gotten to the limit of what I can do from internet cafes on the beach…so I’m excited to come home and really get things rolling.

So…that’s the news! I’ll be traveling to Shanghai to pick up some stuff I left there and then flying home from Hong Kong on the 18th.

Later!
Nate

Comments [9196]

Superbowl and 'The War on Terror'...· 2296 days ago

Hi All!

Well, it’s my last morning on Koh Phi Phi… and even though I liked Koh Tao better, it’s been nice here.

You can see in my pics that I was able to watch the second half of the Superbowl (but no cool commercials – dull international version). It was probably the most enjoyable Superbowl ever for me. Just hanging out with a few other Americans and looking in on a very American sport from across the miles. It’s a new level of appreciation.

You know, everywhere I go, I’m still surprised at the almost complete absense of American travelers. On a popular tourist island like phi phi, I talk with plenty of scandinavians, brits, germans, australians, kiwis, canadians…french…dutch…the list goes on… but not many americans at all. The consensus is that Americans have it too good at home to want to travel…and, I think, we’re sometimes too career oriented as well. So…to the folks back home: there are pros and cons to long travel…but if you have any interest, I’d certainly recommend it as an amazing learning experience!

I’ll use that reflection on Americans as a segue into the introduction of my most recent read, “The Pentagon’s New Map”. After the last few years of ‘the war on terror’, I found myself a little confused…and actually a bit critical…of what the US was doing in Iraq and with ‘the war on terror’ in general. “The Pentagon’s New Map” has been a very helpful read in terms of explaining the US strategy in a way that the gov’t, so far, has failed to do. I won’t get into detail, but I’ll give you a decent quote to sum up the book:

“As a 2002 UN report noted, ‘The Arab region has the lowest level of access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) of all regions of the world, even lower than Sub-Saharan Africa.’ Thanks to that stunted connectivity with the outside world, the Middle East’s deficits of freedom and economic development have only gotten worse in recent decades. They come together to diminish expectations of entire generations. Recent opinion polls in the region suggest that roughly half the young people wish to emigrate to other countries – half! How can you build a future when half of your young people would prefer living elsewhere? This is a region desperate to connect to the rest of the world.

Those diminished expectations generated the hatred that expressed itself on 9/11. Strip away the religion and the rhetoric, and 9/11 was nothing more than an act of desperation: the Middle East simply does not work for the vast bulk of the people who live there. The bin Ladens of that region blame the ruling elites there and the West for this sad state of affairs, and are convinced that greater disconnectedness is the answer, allowing these societies to go their own way, which they define as moving away from all that Westoxification.”

So, basically, this author defines the “enemy” as any regime that promotes disconnectedness from the world….because they do this at their own people’s expense in order to build their personal wealth and power. Their people then, in acts of despairation, strike out violently rather than expressing their opinions through the proper channels that exist in a democratic society. There’s a lot more that’s explained…but, for that there’s Amazon.com One more ad: I’m now in the process of figuring out how this concept knits in with my faith…or if it’s just more static on top of the real answer.

OK, enough’s enough! Here’s some pics.

Later,
Nate

Click on article title for more pictures…

Comments [127]

Singapore and the Chinese New Year· 2297 days ago

Hi All,

Well… I’m breaking my internet silence here with a few words and a few photos. I’m on Koh Phi Phi right now…an island off the western coast of Thailand. It’s island life – and pretty enjoyable.

But Singapore was the last place that I spent a few days – starting right after the Chinese New Year. Even though the actual day had passed, the celebration was still happening in force! It was pretty cool to be a part of.

Prior to Singapore, I had spent a week in Malaka (Malaysia)...and I put a lone picture up for you to see on my last Malaysia post.

Otherwise, things are going well…I’m on the countdown to going back to China…so I’m just enjoying the weather, the food, and the friendly people on my way back!

Take care,
Nate

Click on article title for more pictures…

Comments [10]

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Petronas· 2311 days ago

Greetings from the Petronas towers!

I’m in the mall on the ground floor of the Petronas towers in Kuala Lumpur. I remember when the towers were built a few years back (the highest in the world at that time) and I knew I wanted to see them in person. So, here I am – cool! I go up to the bridge (see pics) in an hour to take in the view of the city.

My trip from Koh Tao was pretty interesting – probably the most inefficient display of human transportation that I’ve ever witnessed. But I’m here…and it’s sunny…and the Malay people are very nice.

I had some very interesting discussions in the last 24 hours as well. First, I talked with (mostly listened) to a Muslim scholar who I happened to be sitting next to on one of the busses…for about two hours…about the core principles of the Islamic faith and also some harder issues surrounding why Islamic extremists go about their work with explosives more than anything else. Very interesting. Without going in to detail, I will say that I need to understand more…but early impressions are that the Muslim communitiy has some serious internal issues to deal with.

Interesting talk number two was with a Shia Iraqi who I met here in KL. He asked me where I was from and when I told him, he grabbed me by the arm and said “what a great country” and proceeded to elaborate about the situation in Iraq. Basically, he feels that the Americans were very necessary at the beginning (to oust Sadam), but now their reputation has gone bad because they haven’t been effective in stopping crime (kidnappings for ransom was the big issue in this guy’s mind). This guy was an merchant who imported things from Malaysia and other countries into Iraq…and just that fact was encouraging to see…that economic growth is taking hold in spite of the turmoil. So…there you have it!

I’ll leave you with a few pics from KL so far.

Take care,

Nate

P.S. I think I found and fixed the problem with the Google Earth file for those who were having difficulty opening it.

Click on article title for more pictures…

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