"Placed on this planet since yesterday, and only for a day, we can only hope to glimpse the knowledge that we will probably never attain." -Horace-Bénédict de Saussure, 1796 Dateline: Mount Pilates, Switzerland I've penned a few books that have been placed in the category of "wilderness travel." But perhaps the first to stock this shelf was the eighteenth-century mountaineer Horace-Bénédict de Saussure, who wrote in his opus, Voyages … [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...]
An Afternoon in Brooklyn’s Park Slope
I recently spent a Sunday afternoon in Brooklyn’s Park Slope. There were a handful of places I wanted to visit to make the nearly 30 minute trip from Washington Square Park worthwhile. I played U2’s The Joshua Tree on my new iPhone 6S and boarded the D train to the Atlantic Av-Pacific St. From there, I intended to transfer to the 2-3 line, but there was a delay, so I boarded the Q train and took it one stop to 7 Av instead. This area was new … [Read more...]
Street Foods Of Cuba
What’s one of my favorite parts about traveling? Street food. It's one of the best ways to deliciously see what locals eat in their daily lives (plus it's always best budget option). Like most countries, street food is available all over Cuba, sold from stands, windows, wheelbarrows and carts. Now, before I arrived in Cuba, I already had my doubts on the food because of what other travelers have said in the past. So I didn't arrive with high … [Read more...]
Unwind & Dine on the Shores of Anguilla, A Experiential & Culinary Guide to the Island
The tiny island of Anguilla is approximately 16 miles in length (26km) by about 3 miles (5km) wide. You come here to unwind, to relax and to enjoy a slower pace of life. The island is not overbuilt and does not feature massive resorts - rather there is a diversity of lodging from affordable three star properties to luxurious 5-star properties. Because of it's size, the island is easily explored - with little traffic, generally very flat roads … [Read more...]
A Tale of Blue Gold
You might not wonder how clothes or other fabrics get their color, but textile dyes have been around for centuries affecting much more than just the world of fabric. With the introduction of exotic and stunning hues that came from dyes, the world was made a canvas upon which our ancestors painted their history. Dyes were often considered a luxury and a symbol of wealth. Of the many dyes, indigo is the oldest, and its origins are based in … [Read more...]
The Pottery Village in the Mountains of Japan
In the final months of my last year at university, I took a trip to Hogsback, a small village in the Eastern Cape, to meet a potter named Anton. He agreed to be the subject of a soundslide I was producing for my portfolio and was kind enough to let me shadow him for a day. Tucked away in the forests of the Amatole Mountains, his studio overlooked a carpet of tree tops and was filled with the chirping of the forest’s louder residents. There … [Read more...]
Exploring Duga: Chernobyl Exclusion Zone in Ukraine
The Russian Woodpecker was so powerful it globally disrupted TV and radio broadcasts, commercial aviation communications, and even utility transmissions. The Woodpecker’s official name is Duga, it is a humongous, over-the-horizon radar that the Soviets utilized to detect nuclear ballistic launches in the US. This power-hungry Duga was located in the shadow of the doomed Chernobyl nuclear power plant in present day Ukraine. During the Soviet … [Read more...]
Exploring the Quaint and Colorful Colonial Town of El Quelite
El Quelite, a quaint town 25 miles northeast of Mazatlán is the perfect day trip for anyone interested in exploring an authentic Mexico experience. The small town sits on the bank of the river El Quelite and is known locally for practicing the pre-Hispanic game Ulama, which has important ritual aspects for the town and its native population. The main street in the village is lined with buildings of Spanish classical influence with red … [Read more...]
Three Reasons to Visit Bandung, Indonesia
In anticipation of my trip to Indonesia, I was told by the trip organizers that I wouldn’t be able to visit Borneo during my visit. Subsequently, I was disappointed - my first thoughts were purely selfish. I had long nurtured a dream of going to this 'ultimate jungle' to view orangutans in their native habitats. But then I started feeling a different level of sorrow: Borneo is burning! The forest is being destroyed, the animals are dying, … [Read more...]
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