At a press conference in September of 1969, President Richard Nixon had the following exchange with journalists regarding growing suspicions that the US military was involved in a secret war inside one of Vietnam’s neutral neighbors, Laos: Q: There has … Continue reading
The countries of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and other neighbors once composed the single country of Indochina. A lot’s happened since then though as various more powerful countries from both East and West have fought for influence over these small Southeast … Continue reading
Although it’s not very noticeable from here on the streets of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s largest city, it’s an interesting factoid that this is one of just five communist countries remaining in the world today (Cuba, China, Laos, and … Continue reading
On the 4th of August, 1964, near the height of the Cold War, the President of the United States interrupted a national television broadcast and falsely told the American Public that two US destroyers had been attacked with torpedoes by … Continue reading
It’s already been a couple weeks since we pulled into the marina on the north side of Phuket island, where we intend to leave Tamarisk until we depart Asia in a couple months. We’re accustomed to seasonal weather delays like … Continue reading
Thailand’s west coast is world famous for its stunning vertical cliffed islands, idyllic white sand beaches and turquoise coves. A few have have made their way into popular movies like Leonardo Dicaprio’s The Beach and the James Bond film The … Continue reading
The Mallaca Straits aren’t known for being a spectacular destination for cruising sailors. Its fame instead comes from its history of rampant piracy, which fortunately for us, no longer is a concern. Sailing here these days is mainly about getting … Continue reading
From our fairly primitive vantage point here half way up the Malacca Straits near Pangkor Island, it’s difficult to believe that one of the world’s most dense and technologically modern metropolises (metropoli?) lies just a couple hundred miles away. But … Continue reading
It’s time to talk about a subject that’s a bit ugly, but an important one if you’re into the kind of things we do. That subject is crime, and specifically its sub-category: scams. If you grow up in a nice … Continue reading
We used to take a lot of things for granted about how the world works before taking up the nautical lifestyle we’re now living. Buying an iPad, filling up the car with gasoline, or switching on an air conditioner are … Continue reading
So we’re finally back underway after more than six weeks of being stalled around Bali. The length of our stay there was unscheduled, but also not a big surprise, as we had arrived in Bali without a clue regarding where … Continue reading
Jason has been slacking lately on his blogging responsibilities, so it’s Piers here filling in. We’re well aware that an update is long overdue but there has been a lot going on in our department. The reason is because we … Continue reading