The highlight of today was a visit to Navala, a traditional Fijian village located in the beautiful highlands on the main island. As we climbed up from near sea level, soon we were surrounded by picturesque mountains; the countryside this time of year is a beautiful shade of green in all directions. Upon arriving at the village - we entered one of the thatch homes. The roof and sidewalls are made of local materials - with the roof lasting … [Read more...]
The National Road Transport Hall of Fame, Alice Springs Australia
So where do old semi's, trucks, road trains and other wheels of the road go to rest? If it is in Australia, most likely to the National Road Transportation Museum in Alice Springs - a small community located along the legendary Ghan train line about one half way between Adelaide in the South and Darwin in the North. When your focus is on large vehicles you need a significant amount of space! This privately owned museum is just outside of town … [Read more...]
Club Med: An Unpaid Advertorial Paradise Lost: A Travel Survivalist Kit
Crashing a Club Med in French Polynesia, nonpaying guest intruder John M. Edwards discovers life is no picnic. . . . I awoke on the rooftop of Tahiti’s international airport with a heavy jackboot nudging me in my ribs--! “Monsieur, Monsieur, allons-y!” All of the other sleeping backpackers, alerted by a piping yelp evocative of a vicious French poodle being savagely rogered insensate, rubbed the sleepy seeds from their eyes and gloomily … [Read more...]
The Amazingly Industrious Trishaw Driver from the Sultan’s Kraton
John M. Edwards rides around into infinity with an amazingly industrious trishaw driver skilled in perpetual motion for a mere pittance (a pocketful of rupiahs) at the Sultan’s Kraton in Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia. At the Sultan’s Kraton in Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia, I stood face to face with “The Great Man”--the Sultan himself! Since I was a known American “oil baron,” not a gas station attendant but part owner of a privately held oil and … [Read more...]
In Search of Dracula and Gothic Legends
At the foot of the mountain pass, tips of Gothic turrets and towers loom into sight above the stretch of dense evergreen which nestle between the Bucegi and Piatra Craiului Mountains. Having driven, (and survived!) through the Romanian winding roads since early dawn, the clouds now reveal a dramatic backdrop of ancient forests and mountain peaks. When the castle finally comes into view, distant memories of late-night films fill the impending … [Read more...]
London Announces Record Numbers of International Visitors as it Prepares for Blockbuster 2014 Cultural Season
LONDON (May 12, 2014) -- London announced today that it has welcomed over 16 million international visitors in one year for the first time in history, making the city one of the most popular vacation destinations in the world. Following the hugely successful London 2012 Olympic Games and Diamond Jubilee, the city has experienced a massive boom in visitors as 16.8 million people arrived in 2013, up 9 per cent compared to 2012, according to … [Read more...]
Exploring near Khao Yai National Park, Thailand
Our winemaker friend was in town, visiting from the Napa Valley in California. Immediately we thought of taking him to the Khao Yai Wine Trail - which features a number of wineries located near this National Park. Our destination was Granmonte Vineyards an established winery in Asoke Valley - about 3 hours from where we live. Along with the winery, they also run the Vincotto Restaurant (delicious Mediterranean cuisine) and a guesthouse. The … [Read more...]
Café Hopping in the Hot Spots of Indonesia
I went out to get a cup of java in Java and ended up on an infernal coffee odyssey through the Indonesian archipelago. Stretching out like a Komodo Dragon some 6,400 kilometers across the Ring of Fire, from the coffee plantations and wild orangutans of Sumatra to the primary rainforests and decorative penis gourds of Irian Jaya, Indonesia is the ideal launching pad to crash land into some of the most dramatic sights in Southeast Asia. … [Read more...]
BASQUE CASE: Separation Anxiety in the Pyrenees
“Before God was God and boulders were boulders, Basques were already Basques.” --Basque proverb A merry little trip to the Basque Country, an autonomous utopia containing a bit of both France and Spain is like trying to find the original site of the Garden of Eden, which Basques claim might be hidden in their unrecognized “country”: Euskadi! Inching along in your rented Renault time machine on the high mountain passes through the … [Read more...]
An Exceptional Tour with Nicholas, owner of Daintree Safaris Queensland
A day in the Daintree Rainforest with Nicholas Fox, proprietor of Daintree Safaris is an educational experience you will not soon forget. He has been guiding in this part of Northern Queensland for well over 20 years. Originally from the United Kingdom, but born in Madrid and schooled at a early age in Kenya he arrived in Queensland in his 20's during a trip around the world. He never left! Part character, part dry humorist and certainly a … [Read more...]
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