Blogger Josh Lew

Introducing Gadling’s newest blogger, Josh Lew.

Where was this photo taken? Ayutthaya, Thailand. I’m the guy in the embarrassing shirt standing next to the elephant.

Where do you live now? I spend most of the year in Minneapolis. It’s one of the world’s most underrated cities.

Scariest Airline ever flown? That would have to be Vietnam Airlines. They employ too many hotshot pilots and the odds you end up traveling by prop plane are better than 50% if you are on a domestic flight.

What’s your favorite city or country? Hong Kong. The energy is insane and the food is second only to Penang.

Most remote corner of the globe visited? I’ve felt the most removed from civilization in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York.

What’s your favorite guidebook series? I don’t always like to admit it, but Lonely Planet has all the answers.

Who’s your favorite travel writer? Pico Iyer. Yes, sometimes reading his stuff gives your brain a workout, but his insights are quite relevant for modern travelers.

Where do you hide your emergency cash? In a zip-lock bag, duct-taped to the inside of the toilet tank. But, I guess I’ve just ruined the secret so now I’ll have to come up with someplace new.

Leeches or mosquitoes? Leeches, hands down. They are annoying, but you never hear words like “malaria,” “dengue,” or “West Nile” in the same sentence as the word “leech.”

What was your first culture shock experience? When I rode in a taxi from Don Maung Airport in The Land of Smiles and tried desperately to find the seat-belt while the driver took the highway like he was racing in Formula 1. Later, I found out that most drivers remove the seat-belts because they are considered a nuisance.