musings

The World’s Top Pyramids — I’ve Seen 50+ (But the Largest One is Hidden)

A grassy hill with a church on top, hiding the largest pyramid on Earth. After four decades visiting pyramids around the world, this is the one that stopped me cold.

Michael Robert Powell in old Sanaa Yemen 2005

Michael Robert Powell – Travel Interview: 8 Big Questions

This mesmerizing travel journal is maintained by Michael Robert Powell from New Zealand, who has been on the road for 38 years and lives a permanently nomadic lifestyle in some of the world’s most exotic destinations.

happy 4th July - Art by Michael Robert Powell

Social Surreal Art

Toying with social themes and digital art (months before Midjourney AI was released then I played with that) while locked-down in China during the pandemic.

One Month Without Alcohol in Iran

I backpacked one month without alcohol in Iran, but now in Armenia, I drink red wine and contemplate life with and without alcohol.

Future Tourism

A social commentary piece about mass tourism from my New Zealand 2006 Art Exhibition: Journeys Across the Planet; Travels Inside My Head.

Impact of Taliban Rule on Afghanistan

Afghan perspectives on the impact of Taliban rule from a month of backpacking around Afghanistan in 2024.

Travels in Lebanon – as Israel Bombs

"Last week, a guest was kidnapped," said the hotel receptionist ... Impressions of travels in Lebanon during the Gaza War (2024).

Komodo Island – I Dare You to Play With Dragons (and Survive)

Don't follow your David Attenborough urges on Komodo Island... or else. Also, travel advice to Komodo Island in 2023.

Journeys of Life (Towards Death)

Journeys of life: Adventures into the world of surreal Ai art - inspired by my global travels.

killing fields skulls in sky cambodia 1994

The Killing Fields Are Inside Me – Cambodia (1994)

The stacked skulls at the killing fields and the torture cells of S-21 and the raging Khmer Rouge insurgency, the city noise, and sweet mary jane all conspire to kill me.

Life in East Timor with the United Nations

A letter home from my time in Ainaro in the mountains of East Timor, living with a local family and working for the United Nations in 2000.

Carnage Amid the Happy Night – Laos

Encountering a traffic accident in Laos gets me thinking about death and near accidents in West Africa.

Fuckin’ Tourists!

SUBSCRIBE TO READ: Some days on the road travel turns bloody nauseous. This rant hits dumb tourists and mass tourism in Cusco, Peru in 2002.

Scenic Yunnan — Traveling China During the Pandemic

The freedom, the beauty and the irony of van-traveling the mountains of Yunnan in China as the world stays locked-down with the coronavirus. But there's still a few issues ...

mining diamonds by hand kono sierra leone

Seeking the Blood Diamonds of Sierra Leone

Traveling to the open-pit diamond mines of northern Sierra Leone, once land of civil war, brutal warlords, and "Blood Diamonds".

Sarong – Tropical Chillin’ in the Midst of Uncertainty

A voyage to Sarong in West Papua starts a search for my girlfriend's lost father — not seen in 30 years. But much uncertainty lies ahead ...

Meso-America Collapse

Impressions of crazy love amid a surreal past - MesoAmerican ruins of the Maya and others.

Burnt Dream Reality

A burning dream last night hits reality next morning in the streets of Kontum in the highlands of Vietnam.

jaded traveler blues crazy travel stories

Jaded Traveler Blues in Cairo – Egypt

Sometimes travel is not always that great. Musings at the end of a trip, broke and confused, amid the woes of an awful hostel dorm.

unconcerned by society art by michael robert powell

10 Indications You’re a Freedom Junkie

To help people decide whether they're a comfortable drone, a freak in the system or a burden to society, I've made a cheeky check-list So now, you can learn if you're a Freedom Junkie.

Luxor - Egypt The Modern Beast Amid an Ancient Beauty

Luxor – Egypt: Modern Beast Amid An Ancient Beauty

Luxor can be painful beyond the ancient beauty - hawkers, gigolos, and inflated prices. Read my crazy stories laced with cool travel tips to minimize the hassles.

Is ‘the Land of Smiles’ Beginning to Sour?

As I returned to Bangkok’s Khao San Road tourist district, I asked myself: Was this a freak day or is “the land of smiles” turning sour?

Piggy Goes to Market in Laos

Video: From the window of the bus, I watch three guys thrust a shrieking pig into the cargo hold. Is Piggy going to market — as meat?

I Fed a Crazed Street Guy Because it Felt Right

Video: In Koh Kong on coastal Cambodia, there's this homeless - probably crazy - guy sitting on the pavement alone, so I buy him a meal.

Journeys Across the Planet – Art Exhibition

Art Exhibition: 'Journeys across the planet - travels inside my head' by Michael Robert Powell.

Modeling for Gun Money – The Mursi Tribe of Ethiopia

Modeling for Gun Money – Mursi Tribe of Ethiopia

Women with lip plates and killer warriors - yeah these Mursi tribe traditions still exist in Ethiopia. But today, the Mursi also pose for tourist dollars.