“Excuse me, you’re going where??!” she gasps while simultaneously taking an irritated stride back, crossing her arms and dishing out that look that husbands the world over dread. “Um. Haiti,” I whimper back. And how can I blame her surprise? Just think of the things that come to mind when you hear the name Haiti: crime, armed violence, political instability, UN soldiers, endemic corruption, hurricanes, earthquakes, Zika virus, poverty, famine, … [Read more...]
Visit San Marino – August 2016
San Marino is entirely land locked surrounded by the Italian borders. It is only 10 km from the Adriatic sea - the country is so small that it does not have its own International airport, but Rimini about 30 minutes away has both an airport and a train station. There are no border formalities - if you want a tourist visa placed in your passport, simply stop by the Tourist Information Office (small fee applies). The country is divided into what … [Read more...]
Knoxville, TN: Holding on to the Stories
“When an old person dies, it’s like a small library burning.” -- Alex Haley, author of Roots, spoken to his friend John Rice Irwin, founder of the Museum of Appalachia[i] Until I went to Knoxville, Tennessee, I hadn’t experienced a place with such a strong sense of preserving the past. Not just the events or places of the past – I work as a tour guide in Philadelphia and we have that here – but the importance of each individual life gone by, … [Read more...]
5 Unexpected Discoveries in Torrance
I’ll admit I was a little skeptical when I was initially invited to join the Taste of Torrance tour hosted by Discover Torrance, a non-profit organization funded by local hotels to help promote the city, but there can be no great discovery or adventure without an open mind, so off I went. I was fortunate to be staying at the Doubletree Torrance, whose General Manager had not only been there for the past 19 years, but was also the head of the … [Read more...]
Bugs for Breakfast? Will Bugs Ever Be a Sustainable Food Source in the United States?
I was recently in Fort Lauderdale and of all places in a very touristy part of town I stumbled into a bar with multiple screens playing American Football and was surprised to find Chapulines (certain type of grasshopper) on the menu among a variety of 'normal' American foods. I've been thinking about the general lack of demand for edible insects in this country and seeing this on the menu made me think even further. Of course I ordered the … [Read more...]
Lariam Dreams: Malaria or Madness?
John M. Edwards wonders whether taking the world’s strongest antimalarial drug might be worse than getting the dread eldritch disease itself? “I dared to dream with my eyes wide open. . . .” --T.E. Lawrence, The Seven Pillars of Wisdom In Nairobi, Kenya, a man from Philadelphia loses it and leaps from a hotel’s second-story window. . . . He is now a paraplegic. At a Waldenbooks store, an ex Peace Corps worker goes … [Read more...]
Great Barrier Reef Capsizing & Rescue Story
I have been to Queensland several times over the years but each time I've never had the chance to visit the Great Barrier Reef. It has been on my "bucket list" for a very long time. During my latest trip earlier this year I was fortunate to finally be able to visit this reef, certainly one of the planet's most inspiring underwater and above water destinations. During my time exploring the reef I met an engaging individual, Nick Lynch. I've … [Read more...]
Unusual, Odd, Uncomfortable or Unique Stays
Recently I spent a miserable night on the island of Trinidad in a hot vehicle parked in the rainforest with the windows cracked to get some air while fighting a random assortment of biting flying bugs. This caused me to think about other interesting nights I have spent including one night next to a partially rotting deer (don't ask) and a frigid night in Spain grossly under dressed for the weather in March sleeping in a dirt field covered in … [Read more...]
Gotham
John M. Edwards, alias ”Tom James, Zagat Reviewer,” wonders if a bon vivant who can’t cook but can criticize, could possibly win a James Beard prize for “gourmandism.” “I’m sorry but we are fully committed!” The dumbed-down dame maitr’d, a dead ringer for “Jewel,” flashed an ultra ambiguous vampyr smile. Inside, it did indeed slightly resemble a lunatic asylum. Horsey-faced tourists yammered loudly, throwing back their heads with … [Read more...]
Encountering the COTONOU fetish tradition
As a young school boy growing up in the cosmopolitan city of Lagos, the thought of visiting neighboring Benin Republic fiercely fascinated me. In our history class during my secondary school days, we'd been taught about the great Dahomey kingdom which, at its loftiest height, extended to parts of Badagry which is now located in present-day Lagos, Nigeria. Now an Anthropologist whose core research interests lie in cultural evolutions, I was quite … [Read more...]
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