Yes, long time and no posts… Okay I went on an around the world scavenger hunt — www.globalscavengerhunt.com. While I didn’t win, I did see some amazing places and met many people.

Our trip took us from Seattle -> Taipei, Taiwan -> Phenom Phen, Cambodia -> Siam Reap, Cambodia -> Bangkok, Thailand -> Delhi, India -> Agra, India -> Istanbul, Turkey -> Tunis, Tunisia -> Frankfurt -> Hamburg, Germany -> Copenhagen, Denmark -> Reykjavik, Iceland -> Boston, MA!

Phew it was a heck of a trip over three weeks… And no it wasn’t the Amazing Race, but a scavenger hunt / fundraising event!

While the world is in a contraction, food shortages are more common, and jobs are continually being lost many places didn’t seem in such dire straights. Perhaps we are in a wave of many in which the initial impact has yet to be completely felt.

Cambodia and India are impoverished and I fear for primarily Cambodia due to the decrease in tourism. Siam Reap is experiencing a near 40% collapse in tourism. Bars were nearly empty, while many, yet few roamed the streets.

As I resume my routine I’ve been sifting through my email and came across a somewhat frightening article. Ships are treading water as exports collapse due to the unsustainable expansion experienced over the last couple decades.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see a different picture if I were to visit these countries again in 6-12 months. However, the reality may have been quite different had I stayed in these countries longer to get a real sense of how the people are being affected by the global downturn.