What to do in Darwin on a rainy grey day? Going up in a Helicopter is perhaps not one's first choice. It is the rainy season here. With that said, perhaps it was optimistic to think I could do a scheduled Heli Pub Crawl. Yes this is what you think! Five remote pubs accessed via helicopter - spread out over 250 miles - lasting much of the day. Meeting locals, meeting characters and perhaps making some new friends. Oh and enjoying great beer. … [Read more...]
Cock-a-Doodle-Don’t, Cockfighting in the Philippines
John M. Edwards attends a horrific “cockfight” on Bantayan Island in the Philippines, only to end up wondering what exactly were the ingredients in the national dish of adobo. . . . The roosters swaggered around like Mick and Keith, with dangerously sharp spurs attached to their legs. While the apocalyptic poultry sussed each other out with malice, the excitement began to build. My two new Norwegian backpacker friends snapped photos with … [Read more...]
Brr-cold in Barbes-Rochechouart: Christmas in France
In Paris’s Muslim quarter, Barbés Rochechouart, John M. Edwards finds ho-hum Christmas cheer, but no champagne or beer. . . . Back when I lived in Paris, one of the most comically incongruous things I saw as a temporary expat was a pathetic Pere Noel with a guelle de bois (“face of wood” = hangover) peeing in the snow, with an excessively painful grin, on the legendary Boulevard St. Germain (namedropped ad infinitum in Hemingway’s elegy to the … [Read more...]
The Maltese Beercan
John M. Edwards takes a ferry boat, complete with a small steamer trunk and a traveler’s liquid pride “In Sicily, it’s fine, you can change money everywhere,” the lanky traveler lectured, popping the tab on his beercan, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. A white floppy sunhat, popularized by British sunbathers in Brighton, shaded his head from the fierce Mediterranean sun, though we were hidden in the subterranean hold of a ship … [Read more...]
A Foodie Walking Tour: Oakland
I've never been on a foodie walking tour so when I found out about Localite Tours in Oakland, I jumped at the chance to be a part of their tour on a gorgeous Sunday in November. The tour was starting at 2pm so I decided to start my day off with brunch near the Mariott where I was staying for the weekend, as part of my press visit to Oakland. My husband was the one who actually suggested we try nearby Cock-a-Doodle cafe on Washington st. in … [Read more...]
Lek and Rut Seafood, Bangkok – January 2014
A dining experience here is as pure and raw a street dining as you will find in Bangkok. This restaurant is located in the middle of Bangkok's Chinatown and is open daily from 6pm to 3am. On Friday or weekend nights this place is packed and people mill around just waiting to get a seat. It can stay totally full until at least 11pm when the crowds start thinning somewhat. This is not high society (hi so) dining - rather you sit on metal tables … [Read more...]
Should I stay or should I go? Bonaire
I mean you can’t beat hanging around a great Caribbean resort like Harbour Village Beach Club on the island of Bonaire. It’s got a great restaurant, stunning sunsets, a long puffy sliver of silky white sand for a beach, and tons of stuff to do, from diving to snorkeling to kayaking and more. There are also the super comfy ocean-facing rooms set amid tropical gardens, and an ever-gracious staff, never leaving you wanting for … [Read more...]
New in Sebastopol: The Barlow
Disclosure: I was invited out for an evening visit to The Barlow in Sebastopol. All opinions are my own. For those new to Sonoma County (Northern California, USA), one area that you may want to pay a visit to is none other than The Barlow in Sebastopol. The Barlow, opened in November of 2013, is a place that focuses on Local Food, Art, and Wine. The West Side of Sonoma County has amazing local producers, artisans, and small … [Read more...]
Full Moon Party on Ko Samet, Thailand
John M. Edwards survives a psychedelic breakdown--and hubris--on a backpacker’s hub off the coast of Thailand. . . . In Thailand, it is not necessary to have an actual full moon shining down on you in order to throw together a “Full Moon Party”—just loads and loads of magic mushrooms. The decidedly pagan, almost “Glastonberry,” Halloweeny atmosphere of the event, featuring a wild bunch of fragrant hippies—proud of their piercings, … [Read more...]
Turkey Day in Turkiye
John M. Edwards, a Mayflower descendant, becomes a pilgrim in Turkey Originally I was going to write about haggling with friendly, but aggressive, Turkish merchants over carpets and kilims, amidst endless rounds of little glasses of thé du menthe–until I realized everyone else had already exhausted this topic. The gist: you end up getting ripped off, but you like the carpet anyway. Then I thought I’d write about the wonders of Instanbul, … [Read more...]
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