Carpe the Diem.
Share your travels, passions, and experiences. Connect with people from here, there, and everywhere.
Log where you've been
Log countries you've visited on your personal map. Marvel at your past, and more importantly, envision your future.
Share your passions
Diving, climbing, running, yoga, or whatever else you're into. And connect with like minded people.
Build your life list
A running tally of all the adventures, accomplishments, and endeavors you've checked off.
Vietnam.
Vietnam’s a country that’s been repeatedly rocked by outside invasion: The Vietnam War (called the American War here) is only the most notorious of a relentless reel of international conflicts stretching back to the ancient Chinese and Mongol invasions. Though there’s a whole lot of tragedy woven into Vietnam’s story—remarkably—the country is as culturally vibrant, arrestingly beautiful, and downright welcoming as any on the globe. Traveling in Vietnam evokes a great spectrum of experiences, from the chaotic streets and thrumming markets of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh to the rice fields of the Red River and Mekong deltas. Some of the most rewarding journeys here surrender to the passions of the taste buds and the stomach: Vietnamese cuisine, which includes strong strains of Chinese (dumplings, mooncakes, etc.) and French cookery (pastries, baguettes, etc.) as well as influences from other parts of Southeast Asia, is as complex and delicious as they come. Vietnam’s history has many chapters, even if many foreigners associate it only with the 20-year Vietnam War. Some of the country’s great historical sites are associated with the Champa Kingdom, which prevailed for many centuries along the central and southern Vietnamese coast before being folded into the Nguyen Dynasty. The jungle-swamped temple ruins of My Son and the spice-trade port of Hoi An (rich in Chinese and Japanese architectural influence)—both UNESCO World Heritage Sites—are only the best-known Cham locales. Other fascinating heritage destinations include Hue, the longtime imperial capital of the Nguyen Dynasty, and the Confucian Temple of Literature in Hanoi. And certainly there are sobering reminders of the devastating American War to pay tribute to, not least the Cu Chi Tunnels of the Viet Cong—a terrifying subterranean battleground during the war, now a major tourist attraction. Vietnam’s cities are some of the liveliest in Southeast Asia, but the countryside simply must be experienced: There’s breathtaking, almost dreamlike tropical scenery nearly everywhere, from the rugged mountains of the north—home to many of Vietnam’s indigenous tribes—to the mangrove jungle of the Ca Mau Peninsula, on the seam between the Gulf of Thailand and the South China Sea. Treasured landscapes (and seascapes) include the Gulf of Tonkin’s Ha Long Bay, spiked with limestone islets, and the astonishing caves of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. Long occupied by foreign powers such as the Chinese and the French, wrenched apart as one of the most notorious of Cold War battlefields, Vietnam is also a place charged with cultural energy and natural splendor. You can and should acknowledge the bloodshed of the past, but your experience here won’t be defined by such trauma: Instead, it’ll be the friendliness of the Vietnamese people, the delectability of the food, the interweave of centuries of history, and the inherent majesty of the landscape that’ll capture you—again and again.
Surfing.
Millions of years ago, our slimy ancestors crawled out of the sea, determined that their future offspring would walk on land, climb the tallest mountains, and let everyone know what they were eating on social media. But a lot of our marine relatives stayed behind for one reason: to catch some tubular waves, Dude. Before surfing became something to do with your brah (or LADYbrah), it was deeply embedded in Polynesian culture, particularly in Hawaii. There was a significant spiritual component to surfing, and new boards and their riders would actually be prayed for. It was so popular that even the kings got into it, surfing on their own special beach, which common people weren't allowed on. Then the Europeans swung by with their diseases and different way of life and ruined everything, causing a major setback to surfing and diminishing the spiritual component. It was, as the Hawaiians - probably don't - say, a real bummer, man. A revival started by Hawaiian superstar athlete Duke Kahanamoku took off in the 1950s, thanks to technological advances in California that made boards lighter, smoother, and most importantly, totally gnarly. Getting Started Now that the sport of kings is open to commoners, how can you learn? First part's easy: Go to the ocean. Great, now that you're near an ocean, find a surfing instructor. You can Google it of course, but try Yelp and you'll be able to find reviews of some surf shops and schools. On the other hand, if you're scared of sharks, or jellyfish, or the ocean, or whatever, but like the idea of surfing anyway, YouTube will teach you from the comfort of your own shark-free, landlocked, boardless, dry, boring, window-tinted home. Gear Surfboard: Typically made of polyurethane foam, covered with fiberglass cloth and coated with resin. Depending on the application and your skill level, there are lots of different varieties. None of which will get past airport security as a carry-on. Longboard: This is a typical beginner board. It's stable, comfortable and with a little practice a novice can be riding their longboard all the way to shore in no time. Typically about 8'-12' and wide throughout. Shortboard: If you like looking at pictures of awesome surfers, this is what they're riding. For experienced surfers, shortboards are high performance, maneuverable boards. Typically about 5'-7' long. Wax: Goes by temperature, so make sure you're using the right sex wax before getting screwed by that next wave. Wetsuit: You lose heat A LOT faster in cool or cold water than you would at a similar dry temperature. So, unless you're in really warm water, you'll need a wetsuit to surf for any length of time.
Egyptian Museum.
Overlooking Cairo's Tahrir Square, this museum holds one of the world's great collections of pharaonic treasure, including the golden funerary mask and grave goods of Tutankhamun. Wandering its crowded halls of mummies, sarcophagi, and statuary is a direct encounter with several thousand years of ancient Egypt.
