-
Photo Essay – Panjiayuan Market, Beijing, China
The Panjiayuan Market (aka. the Dirt Market) is a huge flea market held on the weekends that should be visited by all travelers and flashpackers spending a weekend in Beijing. Â As you can see in the images below, you can find just about anything there. Â Some areas are organized by goods sold while in others […]
-
Flashpacking New Zealand
Every flashpacker knows it – New Zealand is king of “extreme activitiesâ€. It’s where the bungee jump got its start and is home from everything to hiking glaciers and gorgeous treks to scuba diving and whale watching. Many people know about the recent quake that hit Christchurch on February 22nd and this inspired a group […]
-
Mt. Fuji – Should travelers really be climbing mountains?
Just like travel, the idea of climbing to the top of a mountain has an adventurous feel to it.  It certainly isn’t something one does regularly, and I am now fully aware just why that is. Factor in what’s involved – getting to the mountain, climbing the thing, doing whatever you plan to do on […]
-
Onbashira – A dangerous log ride takes center stage during a Japanese festival
There are some pretty outrageous festivals around the world. While huge music and party-type festivals come to mind, when it comes to cultural festivals, you can’t beat the Japanese. Japan has a considerable variety of festivals that take place all over the country and range from the Sapporo Snow Festival to the Hounen Penis Festival. Any flashpacker looking for a unique experience in Japan during the years of the Monkey or the Tiger should go to the Lake Suwa area (about 3 hours north of Tokyo) and take part in the Onbashira festival.