The Everywhere blog

Allow me to introduce Jane Keeler, a travel photographer, avid blogger, and ESL teacher living in Bishkek, Kyrgystan. She grew up in Lake City, Florida but had an inclination to travel the world. On top of living in Kyrgystan she has also resided in Russia and South Korea and has an array of images from all over the world documenting life the way she sees it.

If you've never been to Kyrgystan and really want to know how the lifestyle is out there then checking out her images would be worth your while. She captures everything from architecture to landscapes to animals to the lovely people that reside there.

We asked Jane a few questions about herself, her life, her passions, and inspiration. Check this inspiring lady out.

"The foothills surrounding Naryn are also home to quite a few traditional Muslim-Kyrgyz cemeteries... with some of the most spectacular views imaginable, also where I want to be buried!" (on The hills above Naryn, Naryn, Kyrgyzstan)

What is one dream place you would like to see included in Everywhere?
I'd love it if you featured Russia or South Korea—since I've spent so much time in those places and have so much to contribute. Plus, I'd love to see how the experiences other people had in those countries were different from mine.

"The tour was very quiet, and everyone was very serious. You could feel the tension in the air, especially as armaments and security procedures were discussed." (on Panmunjom, Joint Security Area, Korean Demilitarized Zone, Seoul, South Korea)

Did you have any previous travel writing or reporting?

Nothing professional. I'm an avid blogger and I blogged at From Russia with Blog while I was in Russia. My Korean, American, and Kyrgyz adventures are chronicled at Janes Daily Blah's.

What's the favorite travel adventure you've chronicled at Everywhere so far?

Ooooh, that's a hard one. I have so many favorites! I'd say my post and photos from my trip to Siberia in May 2006 are probably at the top of my list as that trip was one of my most exciting adventures to date.

"Somewhere on the more than three day journey between Vladimir and Irkutsk, my friend Joanna contemplates the plains of Siberia." (on the Trans-Siberian Railroad, Russia)

"Transportation in Siberia consists mainly of ancient vans. This van brought us from the village of Sakhyurta to the shore of Lake Baikal." (on Siberian transportation, Sakhyurta, Russia)

"In order to reach Olkhon Island, we had to cross Lake Baikal. In early May, the lake is still frozen, but it is starting to thaw. As such, the ice is not strong enough to support cars and trucks. We had to walk." (on walking on thin ice, Lake Baikal, Sakhyurta, Russia)

"The waters of Siberia's Lake Baikal had only just begun to melt. Only my friend Joanna, a native of Minnesota, was brave enough to test them out. She didn't stay in for long!" (on testing the waters, Lake Baikal, Sakhyurta, Russia)

"At the end of Karl Marx street, you will arrive at a nice park along the Angara - an excellent place to watch the sunset." (on Angara River, Irkutsk, Russia)

What inspires you most about Everywhere?

I LOVE the internet and the rise of sites including Everywhere and JPG, that involve user created content and the fact that they both combine UCC with traditional media print. I think it's the next step in the evolution of both internet and traditional media and I am absolutely thrilled to be a part of it!

Thanks Jane!

Be sure to check out Jane's travelogue for more of her great adventures.

One of the best sources for snappy commentary on world travel has to be Everywhere Member Sloan Schang (on the right, getting better acquainted with a fellow traveler). Sloan is currently sharing his travel photos and stories from Mongolia, Miami, Ireland, Graceland and beyond. I'm particularly fond of Sloan's tongue-in-cheek photo captions.

See for yourself! A great place to start is the articles section of Sloan's travelogue for stories on his adventures from eating tamales in Oaxaca to traveling cross-country in a 1977 Volkswagen . Sloan also took a few minutes off from his rambling ways to share a bit more:

What's the favorite travel story or place you've shared?

I'm pretty proud of being the first person on Everywhere to "discover" Pie Town, New Mexico, but I'm also fond of the "How to Get an Indian Haircut" story that was included in Issue 2. I like to use barber shops as an immersion into local culture when I travel, both in the U.S. and abroad. My first haircut in India was so shockingly exotic that it may forever be my favorite travel experience.

Do you have any previous travel writing experience?

I write for a living, about travel and everything else, but it's a fairly recent pursuit. Everywhere has been a great help in gaining exposure.

What is the one dream place you would like to write about?

Calcutta (Kolkata), India

Anything else you'd like to share?

I'm really looking forward to this presidential election. Also, I think Everywhere is pretty neat. I hope it lives a long and happy life.

Thanks! Here's a sampling from Sloan's travelogue:

"Go Barefoot: It doesn’t take a zen master to realize that the big, stinky pile of loafers outside the temple means you should take yours off too."- (from the story Don’t Be A Devadatta: How To Behave Yourself In A Buddhist Temple)

"Mao Zedong's cult of personality has long outlasted his reign as one of China's most notorious rulers. As a result, his legacy is greater than just questionable national social policies - it also includes a nearly bottomless treasure chest of tacky and hilarious souvenirs."

"Mongolian driver, Balaara, diagnoses trouble with his van. Surviving the wilderness roads of Mongolia requires patience, luck and a very large box of spare parts."

"It's almost 2 acres in size, 25 feet deep, filled with catfish and turtles and ringed by views of the Davis mountains. And the water temperature is always 74 degrees, just right for swimming on this sunny (and delightfully deserted) February day." (on swimming at Balmorhea State Park, New Mexico, USA)

Everywhere member Christopher Boffoli is a Seattle-area photographer, writer, foodie & filmmaker. Fortunately for us, he's also a world traveler happy to share his many adventures. From eating reindeer in the Arctic Circle to appreciating the fine and famous toilets of Tokyo, Christopher's travelogue is packed with some great travel tales.

We asked Christopher if he would share a bit more about his writing, photography, and life for the Everywhere blog, and he shared some of his best travel advice and stories.

What's the favorite place you've ever visited?

Picking just one favorite is like trying to pick a favorite movie. There are just so many. The south island of New Zealand was definitely a place that exceeded my expectations. But if I had to pick absolutely one place I’d have to say Morocco. Foreign places often look and feel too American or Western. Everything about Morocco just felt different, right down to the color palates and the quality of the light. It was a marvelous place.

(Photo: Marrakech, Morocco)

Any places you’ve visited where all you wanted to do was leave?

Vanuatu in Melanesia. I’d like to think that I could tough it out and survive anywhere. But everything about that place seemed backwards, tired and dirty. It seemed impossible to get away from all of the bugs and mold. The only redeeming part of that trip was the chance to photograph some of the interesting Melee people. Otherwise, I couldn’t wait to leave. I’m sure there are worse off places in the developing world. But no other trip has made me more grateful for the comforts of home.

What's the one dream place you'd like to travel to?

Again, it is so hard to pick just one place. Iceland, India, Nepal, Afghanistan and Myanmar are right up on the list. But if I had to choose just one I’d say I’d love to see the Torres Del Paine National Park in Patagonia.

Do you have any regrets about a place you’ve visited or something you might do differently?

I was at the most remarkable fish market on the docks at Pusan, South Korea and the variety and freshness of the seafood they had there was astounding. I’m a pretty adventurous eater and a sushi lover but I felt like so much of what I saw in that market was completely alien to me. At one point I encountered a woman who offered me a bite of her lunch. It was a plate of tiny octopus tentacles sprinkled with sesame seeds and they were still moving, wriggling all over the plate. I wasn’t brave enough but if I had the chance again I would have gone for it.

(Photo: Pusan, South Korea>

Any additional advice?

There’s a great line in Karen von Blixen’s book “Out of Africa” that has always resonated with me. She wrote, “The world was made round on purpose so that we can never see too far ahead.” I think this is a great philosophy by which to approach travel and also even life. There is something to be said about being organized and planning carefully. But you should also endeavor to be open to new experiences and savor surprises.

Thanks Christopher! Be sure to see all of Christopher's travelogue for more great travel stories. Here's just a sample of his work:

"Whereas other modes of fast transportation tend to accelerate quickly and then level off, Shanghai’s mag-lev train never seems to stop accelerating. The sensation was somewhat like a smoother, quieter jet take-off. (on On the Mag-Lev Train, China)"

"If I have any qualms about eating reindeer meat while live reindeer are standing nearby looking on, I forget it the instant I taste the lunch they have made for our visit." (on Reindeer Tagging with the Sami people, Sweden)

"The French-born and trained vintner Christophe Barron decided to plant his grapes on plots of land that were packed with baseball-sized rocks so dense that it almost appears there is more rock than dirt. The rumor was that the quality of the land reminded Barron of similar vineyards in France and that he thought the presence of the rocks would greatly challenge his vines to produce grapes of greater complexity and character."- (on the wineries of Walla Walla, Washington, USA)

Want to get the goods on New Jersey? Come check out the travelogue of Everywhere member Chris Piazza.

Chris Piazza lives on the New Jersey Shore with his wife and children and has been sharing his photographic skills and insider knowledge of this area. Even if you've never visited Jersey, it's easy to get a great sense of the feeling of the Jersey Shore through his shots and descriptions.

I particularly love Chris' photos of classic, nostalgic Jersey sites awaiting renewal:

Like all of us here, Chris is also a true travel enthusiast with some wonderful stories from his trips. We recently asked him to share a bit more about his travel history and aspirations, so here are his tales of destroyed negatives and broken bones:

What makes your home region a good, or bad, place to travel to? Spring Lake, New Jersey has been my home for the last twelve years. I have grown to love this retreat on the shore that had previously been a summer destination for me. After my wife and I were married, we decided to live in this year round community. Being four blocks from the Atlantic Ocean is spectacular, especially when there is a good sea breeze and you can smell that salt air.

To stay in town, you will have the opportunity to choose from a number of bed and breakfasts and small older hotels that give a flavor of the Spring Lake of old. However, gone are the days of the grand hotels that bordered the ocean during a bygone era. The largest of these was the 500-room Monmouth Hotel most recognized for its great red dome. The hotel faced the wrecking ball in 1975.

Today, one of these majestic beauties still stands - the Essex and Sussex Hotel - that was converted to units for those aged 62 and older. The refurbished hotel helps gives the feel of what it must have been like in the glory days during the 1870s when wealthy Irish businessmen from Philadelphia settled here - giving the town the nickname, The Irish Riviera.

(Photo: Essex & Sussex)

Favorite place you've ever visited? Hands down, my favorite place to visit was the Hawaiian Island of Kauai, with Maui being a very close second. As my current hometown would suggest, I love being close to the water. Visiting Hawaii brought being close to the water to a whole new level with the beautiful landscape, incredible hiking and tropical weather.

The pinnacle of the visit to this island was our hike in the Waimea Canyon. Mark Twain had referred to the Waimea Canyon as "The Grand Canyon of the Pacific"; Its beautiful hues were most likely the elements to which Twain was referring when coining the name. The vistas of the canyon remain a vivid memory as we took in the view from one of the many pools near the peaks that towered over the canyon. I would like to say that I have a collection of photos to share from the visit to the canyon, but in our haste to develop our photos on Maui, we brought our film to a one-hour photo shop. When we arrived to pick up the film they informed us that the developer jammed and the negatives were damaged in the processing. It is a sad thought that to this day still stings...

Any places you've visited where you all you wanted to do was leave? There is hardly a place I have ever visited that did not have some qualities that made me want to explore more. However, extreme cold tends to want to make me go in the opposite direction. A two-week stint in St. Paul, Minnesota where the temperature never climbed above 20 below zero was probably the one time I can recall when I wanted to hit the road. But don't get me wrong... I love the Twin Cities and lived there for two years. However, I much prefer the summer months when the land of 10,000 lakes comes alive. But the "allure" of freezing hands and blue lips make me want to avoid the winter months.

What is the one dream place you would like to travel too? At the end of the day, somewhere in the south Pacific tops my list. Based on the legendary beauty of one island in particular, my winner is Bora Bora... Staying for about a month without a Blackberry in an over water bungalow in what some have called the world's most famous island, sounds like my idea of paradise.

What's the strangest thing that's happened to you while traveling? Nearly six years ago I had a running injury and was given crutches to help me get around. My last stop while traveling was Denver in July. I went to dinner at the Denver Chop House and as we were leaving the restaurant, one of my crutches got caught on the top step (no fault of the restaurant). I must have looked a bit like a pole-vaulter flying through the air as I landed flat-footed on the concrete.

The less than skillful landing resulted in a broken hip and an ambulance ride to Rose Medical Center (not a bad place to stay if you break a bone!). The next morning I had what they call an "open reduction and internal fixation" meaning a plate a four "pins" were inserted to hold everything back together. (BTW - "pin" is another way of saying "we are going to put these really large screws in your leg and it's going to hurt...")

It would be an understatement to say this was not what I had in mind for this trip. But, hey, I survived and don't set off too many metal detectors at the airport...

Anything other travel advice or comments? Avoid going to Disneyland the day after Thanksgiving... My sister and brother-in-law, as well as my parents, moved to Orange County many, many years ago. Personally, I enjoy visiting the "Happiest Place on Earth." But the day after Thanksgiving really tests your endurance for lines. At the time, we had our 18 month old daughter. After two rides we left...

And before I forget... Avoid traveling with crutches if you can help it!

Thanks Chris!

Be sure to check out all of Chris Piazza's photos for more great shots and captions from the Jersey shore, the Catskill Mountains, and throughout California.

"Love a great steak & cheese? How about some Italian sausage with onions and peppers? Top it off with an ocean breeze and you've got the Midway Steak House on the Boardwalk in Seaside Heights, New Jersey.... before long the aroma of sizzling steaks cooked to perfection will be wafting through the air. YUM! Summer is almost here"

"Made famous by the song by Brue Springsteen "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy), " Madame Marie still sits on the Boardwalk in Asbury Park off of 4th Avenue."

"Even when a hurricane was brewing off of the coast, it did not deter this angler from surf fishing on the beach in Spring Lake, New Jersey."

Gijs Bekenkamp is in the enviable position of saying he has visited over 60 countries. Lucky for us, he has some fantastic travel stories and photos to prove it. You may have spotted his travel photography and writing published in our last issue, Everywhere 02.

Gijs is a graphic designer from the Netherlands with an amazing eye for photography. However, be sure to read the captions on his photos as well for some hilarious commentary on travel from around the world. You can take a peak at Gijs' Everywhere travelogue for some great festivals in Cameroon, graffiti in Lithuania, and strongly worded warnings against durians and pushbikes. We recently asked him to share a bit more about his travel history and aspirations:

How long have you been an Everywhere member and how did you get involved? I’ve been an Everywhere member since day one actually. JPG Magazine had send out an email about the launch of this new magazine and I immediately got exited. So Monday morning, first thing was to ‘discover’ a couple of places. I think a picture of a Transdnestrian Cook in a small diner in Tiraspol was my first posting.

(Photo: Transdnestrian Cook, Moldova)

What's the favorite travel story you've shared? What fascinates me about traveling is not only the places you visit but also the way you visit them. Therefore I love the Issue 03 theme ‘Slow Travel’.

I posted several photos for this theme but the article ‘Valhalla, the Caribbean heaven’ is probably my favourite so far. Not just because of the pictures and the story but also because the experience I had back then was an utter blast. We sailed with a bunch of backpackers from Panama to Colombia in order to pass the Darian Gap. The Darian Gap is a 54 mile stretch of land between Panama and Colombia. This stretch of rainforest has many hazards like swamps, insects, FARC-guerilla activity, etc, etc.

The sailing trip brought us paradise-palmtree-islands, Kuna-Indian-tradional-dances, cullo de pollos (free translation: the asshole of a chicken, fierce Caribbean storms) and much, much more.

Did you have any previous travel writing or reporting experience? Next to several exhibitions (amongst others an exhibition at the International Photo-manifestation Noorderlicht) and a nomination by National Geographic with this photo, I had a couple of publications in Dutch magazines, newspapers and books. My latest publication has been in the book ‘A Summary of the World’ by Esther Kokmeijer, an awesome 372-page hardcover book about a journey to the centre of gravity of each continent.

What is the one dream place you'd love to visit? That’s a hard one… almost as difficult to say what the 'best' place was that I've visited so far. You find out that the more you travel, the more you want to see, but for now my dream-place would be a trip I’m planning at the moment to India, Nepal and Bangladesh.

We want to follow the trail of an uncle of my girlfriend. He went on an extensive trip in the sixties and left a diary about this traveling. Unfortunately the guy passed away shortly after his return. There is almost no visual footage of his travels and we would love to redo a part of his trip to be able to add pictures, our experience and our time-frame to his diary. We want to follow his trail from Delhi, India to Kathmandu, Nepal.

Anything else you want to add? Keep up the good work, I love the way Everywhere works. The fact that contributers decide (partly) how the magazine and the side evolves is a great and exciting process.

Thanks to Gijs for sharing with us. You can find all of Gijs' travel photos and stories in his travelogue. Here's just a sample of some of his travels:

"The Uygher frequent a game of snooker. This by itself is not very special. The thing that does make it special is the fact that they seem to play the game outside all the time. Even if it's freezing cold.."- On Outdoor Snooker in China

"Everywhere you look you can buy food and there are at least sixty places where you can buy freshly squeezed orange juice. I order a delicious looking meal and drink a 'special coke' (red wine served in a coca cola bottle)."- On 'Place Djemmaa el Fna,' Marrakech

"Especially the first seconds after getting into the mud are quite an experience. It feels like your weightless. You sink into the mud up to my chest. Much deeper is not possible."- On the Mud Volcano, Cartagena/ Colombia

"In the middle of Salar the Uyuni, a huge saltflat in the South of Bolivia you find this special hotel. It's entirey made out of salt, including the chairs, tables and beds. DON'T LICK THE WALLS"- On the Hotel de Sal Playa Blanca, Bolivia

With so many great adventurers on Everywhere right now, we thought it would be nice to make a few introductions. Here on the blog we'll be featuring some of our intrepid Everywhere members.

And what better place to start than with the wonderful Frans & Claire van der Lee? These lucky travelers are on a year-long journey, having already visited Thailand, Bali, Laos, & Vietnam.

Frans was nice enough to take a minute to respond to a few of our prying questions, most likely right before a quick jaunt to a New Zealand beach or some other envy-inducing activity:

How did you get involved in the travel-writing scene? I love to travel and am an avid photographer, so I jumped at the chance of being published. I don’t have travel writing or reporting experience, but my wife used to edit an academic journal, so she is a great asset. We are currently on a year-long trip around Asia and my wife takes care of all of the itineraries and planning. We are hoping she has time to contribute some stories as well!

Could you share your favorite article? My favorite posting is the first travel article I ever wrote, Pho(tolicious)!, about a cooking class in Hoi An, Vietnam. Most people just take in a city’s sights and forget about the hands-on experiences. It would be a great feeling if just one reader takes that same cooking class and has as wonderful an experience as I did.

What's your dream trip? The one dream place... is tracing the Silk Road through western China. It is still relatively unvisited and boasts amazing scenery and cultural diversity. It would be a true adventure!

Dream Gadget? One gadget I have been dreaming about since I first read about it a year ago is the soon to be released Zink Polaroid Mobile Printer. It is a pocket-sized printer that works without ink. When I was trekking in Bhutan I met four generations of women who let me take their photographs - I only wish I was able to give them prints on the spot. Don’t know if you can convince Polaroid to give me one so I can write about it!

What has your experience with Everywhere been like? One amazing result of this community of Everywhere is the connections made with fellow travelers. In planning an upcoming trip to New Zealand I searched the site and commented on a contributor’s photo. A few hours later I got an email from the photographer and we have exchanged a series of travel tips as he is planning a trip to Vietnam!

There you have it! Here are a few highlights from Frans & Claire van der Lee's travelogue. Be sure to stop by their profile and say hello. Sounds like you might be able to squeeze some free travel advice out of them too...

"The Taj Exotica Maldives ensures privacy from any passing fish by conveniently mirroring your bathroom window. If you want to intrude on their underwater domain however, you can just slip into the warm water from your dock before returning to your very own over water plunge pool."-On Maldives

"Enjoying the peace of sunset on Halong Bay before the Vietnamese love of Karaoke rocks the once tranquil night! Disclosure...we joined in!." -On the Halong Bay

"One nice thing about the heat of April is that it keeps the tourist numbers unbelievably low and the scourge of travel - the tour bus - is almost non-existent. In fact, we only saw one tour bus the entire time and they were local tourists from the capital. Instead we ran into the same independent travelers we had seen in Mandalay and Yangon, providing dinner companions to exchange our day’s adventures with." -On Bagan