Asia

Biting_midge_on_human_skin, CSIRO_ScienceImage. CCx3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

It’s a buggy life

A couple days after my family joined me in Taiwan, we went swimming in the rural mountains of Miaoli County, where my mom grew up. In the 15 minutes between emerging from the water and putting on insect repellent, my 10-year-old kid racked up over 100 intensely itchy insect bites. “We didn’t see any mosquitoes!” …

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Beitou hot springs: snake oil baths?

I arrived in Beitou early on a drizzly Wednesday morning, exhausted and achy from a cramped and sleepless 14-hour flight. Fortunately, the apartment I booked had a hot springs tub and piped the jade green “magical waters” right from the source, flowing from the volcanic Thermal Valley. Hoo boy, was I looking forward to that! …

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Batu Caves: 400 million year old caves and Hindu holy site near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The Batu Caves are ~400 million year old limestone karst caves formed by tectonic action pushing up an ancient seabed floor of squished-together shells and coral. They are also a funky mix of geologic and guano science, Hindu holiness, monkey shenanigans, stair workout, and retro-cheese. . To get there, take the KTM train north to …

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Street art in George Town, Penang, Malaysia

Wandering around old, preserved streets is even more fun when there is street art to be found. George Town is full of street art, especially around the Armenian Street area.