We've already told you about five US Airports you'd like to get stranded in, but the Europeans can hold their own pretty well too. Here are five airports that may not have slot machines or solar panels, but they'll keep you from expiring of boredom if your flight's delayed. Heathrow Terminal 5, London (LHR) Heathrow gets a bad rap - and deservedly so. Terminal 1 is an under-chaired, overused hell on earth, and 2 and 3 aren't much … [Read more...]
Backpacking Amsterdam’s Music Side
The City's Three Alternative Summer Festivals Amsterdam may be known by backpackers for its cannabis-serving cafes and red light district but this notorious city is also home to three world-class music festivals every summer. They aren't all pop tunes and over-priced burgers like many of Europe's offerings - in keeping with Amsterdam's bohemian reputation, the festivals are based on culture, diversity and experiment. With cheap prices … [Read more...]
Chocolates, Beer, Bikes & Barges: Adventures for Singles, Belgium & Holland 2006
We arrived to cosmopolitan Brussels with 3 lost bags and 1 missing person. One suitcase went to Moscow but all caught up eventually. Janice and I are led a perfect size group of 39, not too big to get lost in or too small for comfort. Each July trip draws school teachers who have loyally followed me around the world and they do love Europe. We began with a light orientation tour in the historic heart of this capital, followed by a tour of the … [Read more...]
Amsterdam with an Attitude
Amsterdam - the name inspires thoughts of impressionists and culture. Rembrandt and Vermeer in Rijksmuseum and the disturbing paintings of Van Gogh. The historic downtown, the culture and the canals are one reason to visit this great capital. Of course, for others it's the spirit of 'tolerance' for things like soft drugs(pot smoking) and legal red light district which make it an interesting destination. As an observer at least. While Amsterdam … [Read more...]
Where can you find Islands the Shape of Palm Trees?
All my preconceived notions about the rigid cultural conservativism of countries in the Arab peninsula were thrown out the minute I entered Dubai, a sprawling and mushrooming megalopolis rising up between the fringes of the Arab deserts and the Persian Gulf. Saudi Arabia may still be the country of chokingly strict laws, but Dubai seems to be the total opposite. Actually it is one of two major cities in the United Arab Emirates, a country roughly … [Read more...]
Mt. Kilimanjaro Climb
9/1/2000 - Friday After traveling for three days and undergoing quite an ordeal getting from San Luis Obispo to Nairobi, Kenya, I finally arrive in the Nairobi airport at 7:50 pm. After going through Customs and gratefully retrieving my backpack and suitcase from the baggage claim area, I was overjoyed to see John Bragg there to greet me. We had some very long big hugs of relief to have made it to Nairobi safely and in time before the rest of … [Read more...]
Let your Vacation Bloom in Amsterdam!
Ah yes, Amsterdam - the city of tulips, the city of blooming festivals of color and fragrance in the springtime. However, when you travel to Amsterdam, you'll also find a teeming center of finance and culture, rivaling other European capitals. Begun as a tiny fishing village about 1200 AD, Amsterdam has grown into the capital of the Netherlands, the country that is still, today, called "Holland" by many tourists unfamiliar with the fact that … [Read more...]
Going Cal-ing in Ibiza
Every now and then, I'll combine English and Spanish words and come up with something that truly annoys my wife, who happens to be from Spain. These "Spanglish" concoctions are usually pretty cheesy, but I must say that I'm not the only one guilty of this. Spaniards themselves do it. For bungee jumping, for example, they've invented the word puenting combining the ing ending from English with the word "puente" (bridge) in Spanish to form a hybrid … [Read more...]
Anne Frank Museum, Amsterdam – January 2005
The Anne Frank Museum is a must see for anyone visiting Amsterdam. The house is located in the center of Amsterdam next to one of the main canals in this part of the city. Its merely a 20 minute walk from the Central Station. By visiting her house (now converted into a museum) you will see where she hid for several years and even her original diary. The house is a series of small rooms and narrow walkways. Photographs and other items are on … [Read more...]
Bangkok, Thailand – Museums
Bangkok is many things to many people, but it is not necessarily a museum town. A number of the museums are fairly dated and fail to provide a fun, educational, modern and engaging atmosphere. However with that said, there are still plenty of good museums to keep one occupied for at least a week if not longer including some rather intriguing, esoteric and hidden away ones. We have visited and reviewed the following 50+ museums in Bangkok. And … [Read more...]
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