1. Siberia Travelogue - Part 6 – When Stairs Attack

By Richard A. Chapo In this continuing series, we cover my move from San Diego to Chita, Siberia to be a professor at Chita State Technical University. We pick up the story going to the train station in Khabarovsk to catch the Trans-Siberian Railroad. Day 4! If you’ve been reading this series on NomadJournalTrips.com, you know my original travel estimate was 2 ½ days from San Diego to Chita, Russia. Well, day 4... read more

2. Argentina Travel - Buenos Aires, Mar del Plata, Iguazú Falls, Tierra del Fuego, and Patagonia

By Rick Chapo Argentina is on the way back from the economic crisis of the last few years. If you are looking for a travel destination, Argentina is amazing and cheap. Economic Woes While Argentina has unlimited beauty, it also has unlimited corruption. The massive corruption finally lead to an economic crisis at the turn of the century. With the currency devalued and jobs hard to find, Argentina was ... read more

3. Bird Watching Journals – Preserve Your Bird Watching Experiences

By Rick Chapo Bird Watching is a great way to escape the rat race and be one with nature. Alas, your bird watching experiences can fade with time. The best way to prevent this is to keep a bird watching journal for your sightings and trips. Bird Watching Journals Take a minute to give some consideration to your most recent bird watching experience. What sticks out in your mind? Now think about the first ... read more

4. Budapest, Hungary – The Castle District

By Rick Chapo Towering a couple hundred feet above the Danube River, the Castle District in Budapest is a special place. Surrounded by gothic churches with stain glass, a visit to the Castle District is like stepping back into the renaissance. Castle District Situated in the Buda section of Budapest, the Castle District sits on the eastern side of the Danube. Positioned a couple hundred feet above the Dan... read more

5. Camping Journals – Preserve Your Camping Experiences

By Rick Chapo Camping is a great way to escape the rat race and be one with nature. Alas, your camping experiences can fade with time. The best way to prevent this is to keep a camping journal for your adventures. Camping Journals Take a minute to give some consideration to your most recent camping experience. What sticks out in your mind? Now think about the first time you ever went camping. Undoubtedly... read more

6. Eastern Russia – Vladivostok, Khabarovsk and Magadan

By Rick Chapo With an incredibly large land mass, Russia is really many countries in one. In this article, we take a look at travel destinations in the Far East. Vladivostok A naval port city on the Pacific Ocean, Vladivostok has a passing resemblance to a run down San Francisco. Home to the Pacific Fleet of the Russian Navy, the city has lost a little of its luster as spending on the military has dried u... read more

7. Khmer Rouge Prison 21 – The Chilling High School In Phnom Pehn, Cambodia

By Richard A. Chapo Most travel stories are of the happy-go-lucky variety. Every once in a while, however, one visits a place that evidences the vicious, dark side of mankind. Khmer Rouge Prison 21, known as Tuol Seng, is one such place. It is a stark reminder of the cruelties humanity can visit upon itself. Tuol Sleng In 1962, the high school of Ponhea Yat was opened in the center of Phnom Pehn. The school con... read more

8. Mountain Hiking Tips, Mountain Trekking Gear & Equipment Hints.

By Marc Wiltse Mountain hiking demands great gear and more education than your typical trail hike. Why? Because as you ascend breathing becomes less efficient, passage grows rugged, and rescue becomes more challenging. So consider your mountain equipment to be your life support system. Where in day hiking you may be able to get away with wearing light-weight boots or shoes, in remote mountain hiking it's a go... read more

9. Siberia, Russia – The Slow Train - Part 8

By Rick Chapo After deciding to move to Siberia for a year to teach at the Chita State Technical University, I embarked on a travel odyssey unlike any other. In this entry, we pick up the trip on the Trans-Siberian Railway. The Horror As my new Russian friend walked down the hall, I reflected on the information he had provided me with a grimace. The train ride from Khabarovsk to my destination, Chita, wa... read more

10. Siberia, Russia – The Trans-Siberian Railway - Part 7

By Rick Chapo After deciding to move to Siberia for a year to teach at the Chita State Technical University, I embarked on a travel odyssey unlike any other. In this entry, we pick up the trip leaving the train station in Khabarovsk. A Train To Nowhere? In deciding to travel to Chita, Siberia, I had originally estimated a travel time of three days. Okay, maybe three at the outside figuring time changes a... read more

11. Cambodia – The Blind Masseuses

By Rick Chapo Cambodia has seen far more than its fair share of tragedy and misery. The blind masseuses offer a glimpse of the true Cambodian heart and will to carry on. Seeing Hands Massage With the onset of the genocidal rule of the Khmer Rouge, Cambodia took a serious turn for the worse from the late 1970s through the early eighties. When the Khmer Rouge were finished killing or starving as much as tw... read more

12. Budapest – Health Resort Spas

By Rick Chapo Budapest is an amazing city with so many attractions that it is hard to know where to start. The health resort spas seem as good a place as any. Budapest Spas Budapest sits on a tectonic plate fault line in Eastern Europe. While earthquakes seem inevitable, one advantage to the location is the proliferation of mineral water spas in the city. Here are a few highlights. The Gellert Spa Hote... read more

13. Riviera Maya, Mexico – Paradise Defined

By Rick Chapo The Riviera Maya on the Caribbean coast was a secret getaway to paradise for many years. No longer. Now it is considered one of the finest beach areas in the world. Riviera Maya Located on the Yucatan Peninsula in the state of Quintana Roo, the Riviera Maya is jaw dropping beautiful. Although the area was only known to a select few for years, the last 10 years has seen a boom in tourism an... read more

14. Student Travel – Backpacking In Europe

By Richard A. Chapo For the fortunate few, life isn’t complete without a backpacking trip through Europe. This right of passage is believed to further the maturation process of college students, according to sociologists. Of course, others have opined that copious amounts of alcohol, sun and Amsterdam have something to do with it. Regardless of your purpose, you still have to figure out what to take. Backpack – Ge... read more

15. Fly Fishing Journals – Keep Track of Your Trips

By Rick Chapo Fly fishing is addictive. Once you start, you'll never stop. Whether you are going to the local water hole or to Alaska, you should use a fly fishing journal to keep track of your sessions. Fly Fishing Journals Fly fishing is more than just fishing, it’s a peaceful, surreal activity. For many, there is almost a meditative quality to casting. For avid fly fisherman, fly fishing trips to loc... read more

16. Travel Journals – Preserve Your Travel Experiences

By Rick Chapo Traveling is a great way to escape the rat race and experience new cultures and places. Alas, your experiences can fade with time. The best way to prevent this is to keep a travel journal for your trips. Travel Journals Take a minute to give some consideration to your most recent trip. What sticks out in your mind? Now think about the first trip you ever took. Undoubtedly, you remember few ... read more

17. Bird Watching Mecca – 338 Species At Acadia National Park

By Rick Chapo When it comes to birding, Acadia National Park is a mecca for sightings. The Park has 338 bird species, which is a record for any national park in the United States. The list of species includes such rare birds as the bald eagle, 23 warbler variations and falcons by the bushel load. If you’re looking to fill out your life list, Acadia is the place to be. The park has such a wide variety of bird... read more

18. Bandelier National Monument – New Mexico

By Rick Chapo Located in north central New Mexico, Bandelier National Monument’s 32,737 acres encompasses a spectacular array of archeological, historic, and natural features. Today, 10,000 years after its first visitors appeared, Bandelier attracts more than 300,000 people each year. "It is the grandest thing I ever saw," proclaimed Adolph F. Bandelier as he stood at the rim of Frijoles (free-HOH-lace) Cany... read more

19. Sweden Travel – Stockholm and Karlskrona

By Rick Chapo Known as the land of Vikings, Sweden is actually an odd mix of cosmopolitan cities and vast stretches of wide-open spaces. For budget travelers, Sweden is a bit expensive. Stockholm An incredibly beautiful city in the summer, Stockholm is the Venice of Northern Europe. Like Venice, Stockholm is built on the water with canals and waterways criss crossing the city. Instead of marshland, Stock... read more

20. Backpacking Journals – Preserve Your Backpacking Experiences

By Rick Chapo Backpacking is a great way to escape the rat race and be one with nature. Alas, your backpacking experiences can fade with time. The best way to prevent this is to keep a backpacking journal for your adventures. Backpacking Journals Take a minute to give some consideration to your most recent backpacking experience. What sticks out in your mind? Now think about the first time you ever went ... read more

21. Living In Siberia – Lenin's Revenge

By Rick Chapo In 1999, I moved to Chita, a city in Siberia, Russia to teach for a year. After seven days of planes, trains and, well, more trains, I was ready to experience Chita in all its glory. Day 1 – Lenin’s Revenge Riding on a train for three plus days does weird things to your equilibrium. You tend to develop a natural compensation for the swaying. Unfortunately, your body doesn’t just snap back wh... read more

22. Cambodian Taxi Chaos – a Leaf, a Radiator and a MacGyver Moment

By Richard A. Chapo The roads in Cambodia are vicious, angry slabs of asphalt filled with potholes that would qualify as valleys in some countries. Fortunately, I had it made traveling from Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh. Or so I thought. Cambodian Taxis Having spent two weeks in the relaxing beach town of Sihanoukville, I was getting bored and so were the three chaps traveling with me. It was time to head to the ... read more

23. Monaco – The Wealthy Conclave of Europe

By Rick Chapo Perched over the Mediterranean Ocean, Monaco is a picturesque country. With very high prices, most travelers can only afford to spend one day in this conclave for the rich. Monaco The principality of Monaco is a bizarre little place. Situated to the east of the French Riviera, the country is very small and dominated by the city of Monte Carlo. Everything in the principality caters to the we... read more

24. Loincloths and Tenderizing at a Budapest Spa

By Rick Chapo The Gellert Hotel Spa is renowned as the ultimate spa destination in Hungary. Here’s a first hand account of the Gellert experience. Gellert Hotel Spa While in Budapest, everyone kept saying I hadn’t experience Hungary until I had a spa. According to my newfound friends, “a spa” meant the Gellert Hotel Spa. Being a macho American male, I dragged an American girl I met on the train with me... read more