Coronavirus is trying to take over the planet, but it wasn’t always that way. Just six weeks ago, we rubbed shoulders with strangers and explored without fear of contagion. This week, the Five Backpacks Family is offering excerpts from our journal during travels through Vietnam back in February, to call into remembrance the way things…
Our Cambodian Home
I wake to the sounds of roosters crowing and monks chanting Buddhist mantras over a distant loudspeaker. The former burst without warning, like desperate cries of sorrow; the latter drone steadily with constant affirmations of peace. In the darkness of my room, I try to tune my mind to the mantras, effortlessly woven harmonies and…
Elephant Valley Project – A Sanctuary for Elephants and People
Written by Jack, Leo, and Seth (with editorial input from their parents). Lately, there has been a lot of talk about the coronavirus, and it’s unsettling. At a time like this, it is nice to have a way to unwind. When we saw an elephant sanctuary supporting ecotourism, we knew it was our chance. This…
Compounding Errors and the Cost of Stupidity
You really can’t pin this on us. How could we have possibly known? It turns out that some people take their Tourist Visa requirements very seriously. At least, some of them do, some of the time. Unless there is a reason not to… but we’ll come back to that. Like a Tasmanian Devil In Heat…
An Immigration Story – New Zealand Wants You!
I struggled with what to write here. On the one hand, our visit to New Zealand was one of love and levity. We spent the first week with wonderful old friends Glenn, Lisa, and their kids—extended family, really—who just moved to a town on the North Island near Auckland. It was lovely just living in…