<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[RSS Feed]]></title><description><![CDATA[RSS Feed]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com</link><image><url>http://direct.ecency.com/logo512.png</url><title>RSS Feed</title><link>http://direct.ecency.com</link></image><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:01:11 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="http://direct.ecency.com/@landof1000smiles/rss" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Indonesia: A Cathedral of Creativity- Symon's Art Zoo, Bali]]></title><description><![CDATA[I was literally driving around Bali, on the main road which makes a ring around the island. Near the northern tip, around Campuan, I practically wrecked my motorbike while instinctively pulling over when]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/indonesia-a-cathedral-of-creativity-symon-s-art-zoo-bali</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/indonesia-a-cathedral-of-creativity-symon-s-art-zoo-bali</guid><category><![CDATA[travel]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[landof1000smiles]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 26 Jul 2018 11:14:24 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/jnusq1Poy5ZzhCdfPYmqSt5HHZF5iKqou5FaT6cgM89Cs5c9Ci17T6D7vMD3LRP7LfKRkVyij61TaCJCajnMHHXjGqtZj57Dyj8bsZRynQVBu2oPz1Gw2HB22RYpZNK52mVwsqF9W3g7uXMeF8DaspiZw65njrTANKPD5zFDQzxEZXmDyHC983VcBBzh6AEq8dpSsw26G6gdZbuAtPfGFJpeC9o4LqDkpqVj514eZzMytJXYo1QZJKK1pYU3coehgsQhCTECBw6Gt7YZqUbAVCSVYRQYc1BtE25SefvNdQHhb2UhFkowUCheaaW16xUqicyCATWR2nLnX1USDZohPbc2?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[China- My 27th Birthday at the Great Wall]]></title><description><![CDATA[I had never really treated myself for my birthday. In fact, throughout my teens and twenties I was usually working on this annual time of reflection and celebration of myself, but towards the end of my]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/china-my-27th-birthday-at-the-great-wall</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/china-my-27th-birthday-at-the-great-wall</guid><category><![CDATA[travel]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[landof1000smiles]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 07 Jul 2018 12:52:42 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/HNWT6DgoBc14riaEeLCzGYopkqYBKxpGKqfNWfgr368M9UahJdoTd7h5GkEQonrhZfE2paLxd2RSTvKat48cBmJkGbwWqJ2gCidchGVhKRRZ9fVibZY4e9VZVpr?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Reflections- 'When in Rome' Isn't Just a Neat Idea]]></title><description><![CDATA[Speaking purely from the subjective perspective of a 30-s something western traveler of Southeast Asia, there are several areas I’ve noticed in which we may enact the axiom “when in Rome, do as the Romans]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/reflections-when-in-rome-isn-t-just-a-neat-idea</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/reflections-when-in-rome-isn-t-just-a-neat-idea</guid><category><![CDATA[travel]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[landof1000smiles]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 19 Jun 2018 02:23:06 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/4HFqJv9qRjVeVQzX3gvDHytNF793bg88B7fESPieLQ8dxHkqfPg59febKcQwzJeUu2EGjMqALyboHrr2zCD7wbdYLKA2f227nkzU5bedkU4GwZQMkMH4VwTf2YxWoRJpD4ooP4USU5N7aZZGatugsG19w4WUAR2NLWJ?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Laos- Down and Out in Luang Prabang]]></title><description><![CDATA[I was at the farm a few more days before getting down to the last allowed by my visa. Wresting myself from its bucolic environs, I hitched up to Luang Prabang. I would remaining three days of my Laos visa]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/laos-down-and-out-in-luang-prabang</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/laos-down-and-out-in-luang-prabang</guid><category><![CDATA[travel]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[landof1000smiles]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 16 Jun 2018 07:38:39 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/2FFvzA2zeqoVJ2SVhDmmumdPfnVEcahMce9nMwwksSDdRvPiZFU1smbo982mEWMb8U1sdABfg3QaAaHUh81wnqqdW6uLMzWHsdrPF5ZQfgWhQXZVpZt99krpsSpjY?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Indonesia: Nearly Shipwrecked on the Way to Nusa Lembongan]]></title><description><![CDATA[It was a more or less clear day on the island of Gili Trawangan as my girlfriend and I enjoyed our English breakfast on the beach and waited for our boat to begin to take passengers. We were heading off]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/indonesia-nearly-shipwrecked-on-the-way-to-nusa-lembongan</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/indonesia-nearly-shipwrecked-on-the-way-to-nusa-lembongan</guid><category><![CDATA[travel]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[landof1000smiles]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 15 Jun 2018 02:59:33 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/3DLAmCsuTe3bV13dhrdWmiiTzq9WMPZDTkYuSGyZVu3GHrFS5WmiazGdvZQcFzoxD8LooTRjrWunN7gMFs6gwJv5qdGcTciD26R1wvjUfey4jxinbWQyhh5KwWFwzzizD8FJwwNmYMgTCT8uoAsQovjzxdAdVee?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Vietnam- Shuffling Through Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum]]></title><description><![CDATA[With the exception perhaps of the recently departed Nelson Mandela, there are no other political leaders in modern history I can think of who command as much auspice and importance to a country as Ho Chi]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/vietnam-shuffling-through-ho-chi-minh-s-mausoleum</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/vietnam-shuffling-through-ho-chi-minh-s-mausoleum</guid><category><![CDATA[travel]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[landof1000smiles]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 07 Jun 2018 10:24:21 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/32FTXiZsHoAW6noHJDhrg3W8ZKHVFSsLYM859aTDCF8iErWFSobDoQR2uLrcgPw2ZjhgkSMjF8JqRVvdgwB2y64DAUrcvNVM18k4oX3YF2gPHnvHfi9JDdcNQYYiHB2e2FAHAmcJmY5V7mUi?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Indonesia- The Two Faces of Bali]]></title><description><![CDATA[Bali has historically been known as a picture-perfect postcard island ever since Westerners began strolling over its pristine beaches nearly a century ago. To a large extent this reputation is well earned-]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/indonesia-the-two-faces-of-bali</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/indonesia-the-two-faces-of-bali</guid><category><![CDATA[travel]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[landof1000smiles]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 03 Jun 2018 16:14:30 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/32FTXiZsHoAW6noHJDhrg3W8ZKHVFSsLYM859aTDCF8iErPShXVe9UYNYrJkbgnCwUfkfMVL9jGMQvKCp2XKS4PgcfBAJLfxHSuCx9eYaaCcKST9LotM7SfJU7Mg2RTaqPz6NzDmMhXwWoZ8?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[China - Houhai, the Perfect Compliment to a Day of History Gazing in Beijing]]></title><description><![CDATA[Beijing offers countless engaging sights for those interested in history, culture and art. Less often mentioned are the many amazing contemporary destinations in the city which beckon to travelers. When]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/china-houhai-the-perfect-compliment-to-a-day-of-history-gazing-in-beijing</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/china-houhai-the-perfect-compliment-to-a-day-of-history-gazing-in-beijing</guid><category><![CDATA[travel]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[landof1000smiles]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 01 Jun 2018 10:10:27 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/D5zH9SyxCKd9GJ4T6rkBdeqZw1coQAaQyCUzUF4FozBvW7K7SrbiXMYvfzjTD6wqYWFgSE7ccTZQfHF9ofLHK7XSiuyZYNPEQdivMZ7G2YjNxYA2TGtzuPBqtHaHAtZ5XEx2K8?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[China- Grokking the Yungang Grottoes]]></title><description><![CDATA[I had spent a week in Beijing, and had soaked up the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, all the palaces and hutongs and markets and museums that I could really handle in that amount of time. Wanting to see]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/china-grokking-the-yungang-grottoes</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/china-grokking-the-yungang-grottoes</guid><category><![CDATA[travel]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[landof1000smiles]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 23 May 2018 07:36:06 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/HNWT6DgoBc18GVREvvsnAjfLwLF5qHHFduNHKinpwMZhD8ok8BA1waNjBJ2x51iR94YmE4GkJV4Z641qYuHird4EzrQv1UuCYnKs731TetVQofTA7rDySEuWtzi?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Cambodia- Meta House: A Bastion of Cinema and Art in Phnom Penh]]></title><description><![CDATA[My experience travelling in places usually involves exposing myself to a great many examples of local cultural interests. When I arrive in a new place, one of my favorite things to do is to go to the important]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/cambodia-meta-house-a-bastion-of-cinema-and-art-in-phnom-penh</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/cambodia-meta-house-a-bastion-of-cinema-and-art-in-phnom-penh</guid><category><![CDATA[travel]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[landof1000smiles]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 18 May 2018 12:34:06 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/qjrE4yyfw5pQYiuVvgYiUBP16WHGGN7UNn1BCdGdSBzvkqRakVE3FsxRD2AF1xTVR6D5t47iv832ihqjsTZyTyyUwykXaL1LGYAK2vnTEU12fieaxxoxgFq8?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Hong Kong- The Seething, Careening Pace of Hong Kong]]></title><description><![CDATA[For the past year I have lived in the peaceful, small, traditional and slow town of Ubud in central Bali. Ubud is a place where everyone smiles, where the sidewalks are covered with small offering plates]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/hong-kong-the-seething-careening-pace-of-hong-kong</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/hong-kong-the-seething-careening-pace-of-hong-kong</guid><category><![CDATA[travel]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[landof1000smiles]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 15 May 2018 12:03:21 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/9vWp6aU4y8kyJM9JABQLS7EhjmU3VVqJQJsLWXdiMS24FjDJubJZR1UAZM6snQdz6zmWzfj3eufPwYoLXfezph4o4GBccfwDHVi4FEJDNzVJaUGTSvbfJN3StWg1qwU7ZPt4XgMxB7LDNrhCJ?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Indonesia- Candi Sukuh, Java's Mysteriously Mayanesque Temple]]></title><description><![CDATA[The drive itself is pretty straightforward. From Jogjakarta you head to Solo, the other capital of Javanese culture, and drive through the city and keep going northeasterly. Traffic tapers off, it begins]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/indonesia-candi-sukuh-java-s-mysteriously-mayanesque-temple</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/indonesia-candi-sukuh-java-s-mysteriously-mayanesque-temple</guid><category><![CDATA[travel]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[landof1000smiles]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 09 May 2018 08:20:15 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/YpihifdXP4WTySVi815wTBS1cviU2Mho5Jm3v8vr8EdZmwqticpqsuS5RaCkR9CwazR85i7jizZPUKDActPyXTVfyabxJZDyedCWxEJUzzmU2zHY6yyFKjGdsJyLNBxZ99K6xWYtSzKeRYMJWBho5tff7ApotWh31nL9nRgVwkQN?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Timor Leste- Passing the Afternoon on Dili's Public Buses]]></title><description><![CDATA[Prior to my trip there, I had studied a bit of the history of Timor Leste, one of the youngest countries in the world. Before it gained its independence in 2002, it bore the tragic brunt of a brutal,]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/timor-leste-passing-the-afternoon-on-dili-s-public-buses</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/timor-leste-passing-the-afternoon-on-dili-s-public-buses</guid><category><![CDATA[travel]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[landof1000smiles]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 06 May 2018 02:44:48 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/8SzwQc8j2KJb4ARrxQxCjX4jizub4U5CAK3WwB89ryVJXtaMJmBbSzPUGTK5R9a1Huir1AkuyCNiZvjaH5yvcWHZE6QjzqP1rKEFiz4YvUmrHNNAYfQ?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Cambodia- Getting a Tooth Pulled Out in Phnom Penh]]></title><description><![CDATA[I had had enough. I was completely driven to the tether of my threshold of pain. This malignant force in my mouth, which initially was only a problem when I ate ice cream or drank ice-cold water, had now,]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/cambodia-getting-a-tooth-pulled-out-in-phnom-penh</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/cambodia-getting-a-tooth-pulled-out-in-phnom-penh</guid><category><![CDATA[travel]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[landof1000smiles]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 02 May 2018 11:19:42 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/RGgukq5E6HBS5wvERDA3ZF4P2WKQy2VoZZet1QV2ULUihYkQkQbkTBM417j1pAd24M3QEAEJDTBMe6bXtit96496jSzKxMDYLB8E1cttSMPDhMZKrFcYt3GttExS9M8?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Indonesia- Nyepi: Bali's Island-Wide Exorcism]]></title><description><![CDATA[As the afternoon lingered on I started to hear more cacophony from outside my bungalow window in Ubud, hunched over my laptop, pecking out more of my manuscript. As the peal of bells, gongs, and wooden]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/indonesia-nyepi-bali-s-island-wide-exorcism</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/indonesia-nyepi-bali-s-island-wide-exorcism</guid><category><![CDATA[travel]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[landof1000smiles]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 30 Apr 2018 03:53:39 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/Zskj9C56UondJxcjVaienfhVaNb7LJVWG6e787gaQoZvUm1tcGqrvq5RQYRwUapsNnLTQ93mpgRxeLhCrHNdUNDsugDRuZBEJrkXYTa8oZptvuCSP9gJ?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Reflections- How to Be a Happy Traveller]]></title><description><![CDATA[In the past several years I have learned some of the basic things that are essential for travelling well and being baptized by the divine folly of the universe I have seen and experienced enough instances]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/reflections-how-to-be-a-happy-traveller</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/reflections-how-to-be-a-happy-traveller</guid><category><![CDATA[travel]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[landof1000smiles]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 28 Apr 2018 04:06:57 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/3W72119s5BjWPGGUiZ9pqnZoj8JHYxCCp9dtn2QVdjXp8yCZBPwG38YMGR9DMVK6DJewq8m6jrdg8DJAxw2rziW17gosokgSHbmgRaR4aYs4jMqQ4nA9Fc?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[China- Shanghai's Propaganda Poster Art Center]]></title><description><![CDATA[I was hunting for something interesting to do in Shanghai and came across the Propaganda Poster Art Centre on the always-wonderful traveler’s almanac Atlas Obscura. The PPAC is a private collection-cum-museum]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/china-shanghai-s-propaganda-poster-art-center</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/china-shanghai-s-propaganda-poster-art-center</guid><category><![CDATA[travel]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[landof1000smiles]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 26 Apr 2018 13:25:12 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/3DLAmCsuTe3bwjPJtcJJmZusPtExyx3sTaZakhzEoY5M1gQJgNWmgYXMZZVR5D6N84CvK1qPwi4tHyPNCnRchSPnjo9xPyLApUhPAt2S57dNcWf7TwoRta1pbKiEyqRuNtMf6GVG4qzE6j1YWpfSigGXnkHEB4i?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Vietnam- The Vietnamese Women's Museum in Hanoi]]></title><description><![CDATA[We all have our odd ways of exploring new places. I like to traipse through alleyways and ride around on public buses. I’m not a big fan of obvious tourist attractions. One thing I do love, however, is]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/vietnam-the-vietnamese-women-s-museum-in-hanoi</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/vietnam-the-vietnamese-women-s-museum-in-hanoi</guid><category><![CDATA[travel]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[landof1000smiles]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 17 Apr 2018 07:57:51 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/7258xSVeJbKnFEnBwjKLhL15SoynbgJKpQxRd1uowCNuFLhtuqRbzyLvusiZpeMu8fLKL2e3SqpE3oW7YzQsBAq9sv54VvA3scptcuS6ac4sAgvzLvSwLWzwRkEJMbHE4rsyFiJCfbyAn?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Hong Kong- A Day at the Chungking Mansions]]></title><description><![CDATA[The last time I arrived in Hong Kong, I searched the Internet to find some halfway interesting places in that city of banks, offices and escalators, using the fantastic website Atlas Obscura to find out]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/hong-kong-a-day-at-the-chungking-mansions</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/hong-kong-a-day-at-the-chungking-mansions</guid><category><![CDATA[travel]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[landof1000smiles]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 16 Apr 2018 08:52:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/W5LtFUPm6g774G2LPx8CTVHrbGQ778Sw45DBMcdCnHgcSeLL8SVqj1Eb7bpuXh92aX18LPGbVoCZEvwKRpePNrPKdTn2ptbUYAbqEp3yQ4aNZ5tabK9e5T1RxvzVyfVNkSXd4VdcCK5v78uGMM1BJUjHWioy8?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Indonesia- Where No Motors Go: the Gili Islands]]></title><description><![CDATA[One of the most common, boring themes in travel writing is a lament about places being “discovered,” thereby becoming popular, played-out and impure. Travelers love to talk about how they were at this]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/indonesia-where-no-motors-go-the-gili-islands</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/travel/@landof1000smiles/indonesia-where-no-motors-go-the-gili-islands</guid><category><![CDATA[travel]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[landof1000smiles]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 13 Apr 2018 13:21:18 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/HNWT6DgoBc18GVREvvsnAjfLwLF5qHHFduNHKinqAogZgoLE3o2SXikZywJnWJKiNWbuYQP8HKxxSKEUKJXu9cRt5yg5RpPWRfSL8JtqmHhMY22V8YjsqWTfuZg?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item></channel></rss>