Kathmandu, March 23 -- Opting for a tuk tuk to circumnavigate Sri Lanka, scooters through Myanmar, or trains and buses to cross the continent of Europe, I have long erred on the side of adventure when travelling. I have always yearned for gnarly experiences that provide secondary fun.

I've longed for the pleasure one has while not actually having it-those uncomfortable experiences that make for great stories, and those that result in exhausted elation.

In pursuit of these experiences, I've found myself in dubious situations: sleeping on the roof of a half-built Marrakech hotel with a sketchy host, searching for gas for my scooter in the heart of a roadless Myanmar countryside, and fleeing dodgy dive bars in eastern Europe. In Nepal, I d...