April 6th, SFO–Osaka–Bangkok My flight at 1055 was to Osaka (KIX) with another flight continuing on to Bangkok (BKK). My flight is delayed by one hour. I arrive at the airport at 0955 but the check-in agent needs to see an onward ticket from BKK and does not know where Bhutan is - and has not heard about Druk Air either! It takes 30 min, even though there are few people in the check-in queue while he verifies Thailand entry requirements for … [Read more...]
Dreaming of Iceland
Iceland has long been on my list of countries to visit. I fly over this rugged looking country several times a year on my way to Europe - I glance down about mid flight depending on the time of year and gaze down upon its snow covered landscape. At other times I see rugged geography, a landscape devoid of people and large portions covered by glaciers. A friend who has family living there visits every once in a while and returns with stories of … [Read more...]
Outback Beyond: 6 Months in Australia
PART I: QUEENSLAND I landed with a thump on a Quantus long-haul flight, back when smoking was allowed and drinking encouraged, like a character out of a Bruce Chatwin novel. I was ineffably in error while reading my Lonely Planet guidebook on the plane--thinking that “Cairns” was pronounced with an “r” in it, when to local “Aussie” cobbers (not “Ozzies,” a common mistake both of Septic Tank Yanks [Americans] and Bloody Pomes [Britishs]), it … [Read more...]
The Flavors of Puebla, Mexico
Tacos and enchiladas are tastes as familiar to Americans as burgers and fries. While I share a hunger for these Anglicized palate-pleasers, nothing beats the authentic cuisine that lies south of the border. When I crave the unadulterated tastes of Mexico, I dream of the flavors that I have savored in Puebla. In a country loaded with gastronomic riches, Puebla is a culinary oasis. What to Eat in Puebla Puebla is a safe and vibrant city … [Read more...]
A Place to Unwind: The Ranch at Rock Creek, Montana
There are places in the world that are immediately inspirational based entirely on their natural beauty - I would count the wide open spaces of Montana as one of these inspirational destinations. I remember my trip to Montana a number of years ago, driving the open roads in the Northwest part of the State from Glacier National Park down to Missoula. I was impressed by the countryside, the jagged rocky faces of the mountains in Glacier National … [Read more...]
Living large at Sandals LaSource on Grenada
Who wants to be a millionaire? Well, most of us. But most of us aren’t. You can, however, vacation like one at the new Sandals LaSource all-inclusive resort in Grenada. Or so it says in the resort booklet. That’s not a stretch. The resort opened in April 2014 to rave reviews, a beauty of an all-inclusive resort, luxurious, well-appointed and ideally located close to Maurice Bishop International Airport on the island’s southwestern corner. I … [Read more...]
Planning a Sea, Sun and Sand Vacation in Panama City Beach
I have been fortunate to have visited Florida a number of times - sunshine, warm temperatures and the fact the state is ground zero for tropical fruit in the lower 48 has always appealed to me. My first Florida experience was perhaps not the norm - during college we transported a solar car we built in California to the East Coast for a race and then ultimately down to Florida. Camping in July in the middle of the Everglades surrounded by clouds … [Read more...]
Inspired By the World
Travel in itself is incredible: Visual stimulation makes us aware of a broader world; exploring a new environment deepens our olfactory senses; tasting local cuisine strengthens our taste buds. But what makes travel inspiring is not a superficial combing of a foreign space. To travel inspired is to engage in the local community. Learn about their customs, greet others in the local context, arise and sleep on their schedule. These interactions … [Read more...]
Gibraltar: the end and the beginning
My original plan for the end of my Encircle Africa expedition was to return to Gibraltar’s southernmost point, Europa Point, where I began. I liked the idea of looking back at Africa with renewed eyes. But all my reserves of energy were spent, and it was consolation enough to know that all that separated me from Africa was nine miles of often still water, after having travelled a distance equivalent to circumnavigating the earth at the … [Read more...]
The Mauritian Chronicles: Paradise Lost and Found
John M. Edwards grabs his “Beachcombers Card” and does Divali (Festival of Lights) on delicious Mauritius, a paradisiacal Indian Ocean isle--once the roost of extinct dodos, now the boast of professional beachbums--which initially he can’t place on a map! “Incredible!” You are from New York?!” boomed Willy Van Damme, a friendly Belgian restaurateur and former soldier of fortune, in the sleepy resort town of Péreybere. “Very rare! We get almost … [Read more...]
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