Los Angeles, CA (October 20, 2009) - The Global Scavenger Hunt is EXACTLY what it says it is: A treasure hunt that takes you around the world! The one catch is, you have no idea where you are going until you get there! But when you are done, you will have circumnavigated the globe and done more than in a lifetime of vacations. The media has compared The Global Scavenger Hunt to The Amazing Race. The big difference between The Global Scavenger … [Read more...]
Dhaka, Bangladesh
If you are looking for a country that often many westerner's cannot even identify its location on a map, a place where foreigners are generally treated with care and respect, a country that has not been polluted with tourism, the "land of smiles" and a country where you will rarely see foreign tourists, then consider a trip to Bangladesh. However note that tourism can be difficult for independent travelers. Airfare is generally fairly … [Read more...]
A Journey In The Gold Coast:In Ghana
It was breezy late afternoon as I descended boarding EK 781 in the fertile soil of Ghana, a country in Western Africa. Indeed, it was my first visit to an entirely Black African nation with hospitable people. The uniqueness of humidity caught my attention next as we steered through traffic. Accompanied by my Ghanaian lawyer from the airport going to the place I was to stay. Ghana has a typical tropical climate: two rainy seasons in the … [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...]
Falling for Africa
"Only two of us have had malaria so far," said Heidi as I joined the group of seasoned overlanders in their fifth week on a truck safari from Nairobi to Cape Town. "Weren't you taking malaria stuff?" I asked naively. "Yeah, but it doesn't always work," was her heart-stopping response. I added 'contracting permanently-relapsing malaria' to my list of African hazards to watch out for - something I thought I'd taken care of with a quick trip to … [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...]
Los Angeles, CA – Restaurants
There are literally thousands of restaurants in Los Angeles and compared to some large cities, overall the food here is generally quite good. Unlike in some cities, excellent restaurants are not always the most expensive or 'polished' - rather often some of LA's best food is found in unassuming strip malls. Pick any type of food you can think of. Los Angeles will have it. Any type of food. Chances are you will find a number of restaurants serving … [Read more...]
Under the Cobalt
Africa greets you with immediate attention. You just barely exit the boat ramp before many men, who we kindly call hustlers, but who call themselves "guides," greet you, offering you their local expertise for a price. I ignored all eyes and comments as a way to say I was uninterested, but it was more difficult than that. We managed to make our way to the more honest taxi stands and request a ride to the bus station. We had decided to go directly … [Read more...]
Snow & Ice Sculpture Festival – January 2003
The snow and ice sculpture festival is one of the largest of its kind held every year. This is an amazing event with tons of snow and ice used in the process. Every year an international team of professional ice sculptors descend upon the city of Hasselt, Belgium (formerly in Bruges). This event is held in a huge building with outdoor attractions also available. The temperature is maintained inside at a constant degree of 10C or 14F. The … [Read more...]
Europe – Transportation
Finding one's way around a foreign city in the time of pre-Internet was a challenging situation at best taking significant time to avoid getting lost (which invariably happened anyway). One had printed maps that one had to determine their location on before being able to route a course to a desired destination. Not always easy without a digital blue dot to guide you. And road signs were often missing further causing complications. Later some … [Read more...]