dln6874's VirtualTourist Home Page

I love to travel - simply put. If I didn't have to work for a living, that's what I would spend majority of my time doing. I take every opportunity to travel, and I expect a lot more to come. I have no plans to stop traveling anytime soon.

I will do my best to keep this site updated with all of my travel experiences. Unfortunately, I don't have pictures from many of my trips from the past since I've only had a digital camera since 2003. Maybe some day I will scan some of the photos in....

Some of my recent trips are highlighted on this page below. This doesn't include all the other cool places I've been to, too, such as:

- The Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia
- Guiness Brewery, Dublin, Ireland
- Up the Eiffel Tower, Paris, France
- Versailles, France
- Stonehenge, England
- The Little Mermaid statue, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Bullfighting and flamenco dancing in Spain
- Lochness, Scotland
- Taj Mahal, Agra, India
- Angkor Wat, Cambodia
- Snow Festival, Sapporo, Japan
- Kodo concert, Sado Island, Japan
- Hike up Mt. Fuji
- Hiking in Nepal
- Beaches of Thailand
- Snowboarding in Japan, Whistler, and U.S.
- Hiking the Inca Trail

Riviera Maya, Mexico (4/27/06-5/4/06)

A fabulous week in gorgeous Mexico. We rented a car and drove around to various places in a week. Saw several Mayan ruins (Chitzen Itza, Ek Balum, Coba, Tulum) as well as some awesome beaches. We visited the eco-parks of Xel-Ha and Xcaret.

Europe (7/30-9/30/05)

3 months internship in the Hague, Netherlands. Weekend trips within Holland and to Germany (Trier, Cologne, Munich, Neuswanstein Castle, Dachau Concentration Camp, Koblenz, Boat ride on Mosel river to Cochem) and Belgium (Brussels and Antwerp). It's my second time living in Europe (first time was in London back in '98) and just like before, I had a fantastic time while there - thanks to the fun people at work. I also love the working conditions there.... I hope I get a chance to stay longer someday.

Lake Tahoe (1/15-19/05)

Had to take advantage of the snow dump. It was warm by the time we got there, but the snow was still good. And I don't like the cold anyways. Met up with Pooch and Jgins. Also got to see Matt for a few hours. Last run for the season.

Whistler (12/21-28/04)

Christmas in Whistler... with snow! Couldn't have asked for a better present from Santa. This place has so many runs too. You never get bored from having to do the same runs all the time.

Japan (3/17/04-4/11/04)

First I stopped in Tokyo and stayed with Otoe's family. Saw Mom and my extended family. Then I had to get out of the cold so I went to Okinawa for a week. You really need a car there to see all the cool places, but I took some of the Japanese tours, which was... kinda... interesting. The highlight of my trip was definitely my stay with Hiromi near Kyoto though. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom so Kyoto and Nara was just beautiful. And so was Osaka. The trip ended with a few more days in Tokyo at Keiko's place.

Backpacking in the Southern Hemisphere (9/1/03 - 2/6/04)

Started off with a 2 week stay in Johannesburg with my friend Phillip. Went to Kruger NP (with Bundu Safaris), Pilanesburg NP, Sun City, and horseback safari in Krugersdorp. Then another 3 weeks going through Drakensburg, Durban, Coffee Bay, Cinsta, Hogsback, Outdshoorn, Hermana, and ending in Capetown where I spent a week. From Capetown, I took a 3 week overland tour through Namibia and Botswana to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. After Africa, I spent six weeks travelling around New Zealand - doing as many day hikes as possible. I also had a cool Lord of the Rings experience in Wellington. From NZ, I went to Australia where I spent Christmas and New Year's in Sydney. Another few weeks were spent going up the East Coast. Frazier Island and sailing around Whitsunday Islands were highlights. Then I flew to Darwin to see Kakadu NP, and then an overland to the Red Center to see Uluru and Olgas.

Road Trip USA (3/15/03-5/15/03)

The 2 month road trip started in NYC after quitting my job of 5 years. First stop was my dad's place in Illinois. From there, we drove together to Grand Canyon and Sedona. He took off from there and I took off to Vegas and Death Valley. Met a new friend, Paula, in Joshua Tree NP. Went to San Diego to visit Ernie, and we took a few days to visit LA and San Francisco. From San Diego, I took route 10 through El Paso and San Antonio to Houston, where I met up with my karate instructors from years ago. Then a stop in Clearwater before heading down to Miami where I stayed with Rich and got a taste of Capoeira. The last stretch was a stop in St. Augustine, and then to Dallas, Georgia to see Alice, also a friend from my karate days way back when. From there, it was a stop in Charlotte to see my brother, Nathan, and then back to Virginia Beach, my new home.

Here's just a few of the trips I'd like to do in the near future:

- 88 Temple Pilgrimage around Shikoku, Japan
- Kilimanjaro hike, Serengeti, and Ngorogoro crater in Tanzania
- See the pyramids of Giza and boat cruise down the Nile in Egypt
- 2008 Olympics in Beijing, and a side trip to Xian and Shaolin
- Trip to Galapagos Islands
- Another road trip around the U.S.A.