“CrabFest” as the festival has come to be known, has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Events in North America by the American Bus Association, and as one of the Top 10 Coastal Events by Coastal Living magazine. It was also featured in national food magazine Saveur. Port Angeles, Washington, August 1, 2014 - Each October foodies and fun-seekers from across the United States and as far away as Finland descend upon the scenic Olympic … [Read more...]
A Nicaraguan Pirate Story
Chapter I: The Introduction He filled the doorway and peered down at me with eyes the color of the deep blue sea. “You must be Louise” he said, “Come in”. The familiarity startled me a little. It had been one of those weeks where the city water was on for just a few hours a day. Bathing was barely an option. Doing laundry was not. Nothing was clean. Black board shorts and a matching tank top would have to do. The two bus, one van, and one … [Read more...]
Dispatch: Elysian Fields Forever
In Search of the Elusive Rare Blue Morpho Butterfly, Monte Verde Cloudforest - Costa Rica John M. Edwards compares Costa Rican ecotourism vs. narcissism I awake from a Magic Realism dream, evaporating. I am once again surrounded by evil anacondas in the charmed atmosphere of Costa Rica’s “Monteverde Cloud Forest,” breathing the bracing air of golden pre-Colombian pagan gods talking in exceedingly loud voices. I astounded myself by the … [Read more...]
22 “Slash” Bus or “Take the White Bus” or “Infopoint” –Bari to Dubrovnik!!
Bari, Italy is a sleepy, small seaside town, which seems only relevant to get ferry passengers to Greece, Croatia, or Albania. But that’s how it seems on paper and the Roma Termini train station. Really, it’s slightly more complicated than that. I suppose the wonder of travel and the fun of it begins when your expectations don’t quite meet the reality. And navigating through that actuality & confusion is the delight, even though it may not … [Read more...]
‘Someday’ – When Europe called
It was sometime in early 2011. I was having a chat with a couple of friends centered on a quote from the Tom Cruise starrer ‘Knight and Day’. Not exactly the kind of movie to throw up quotes worthy of discussion or much thought. But surprisingly, it did have one particularly special quote– moving, thought-provoking, enigmatic and slightly frightening if I may say so. “Someday. That's a dangerous word. It's really just a code for 'never'. … [Read more...]
VW Bus Bar, Naughty Squirrel & Riga Latvia
We first popped into Riga on a bus from Tallinn - the old town is a short few minute walk away but we didn't yet know this. After we located the word "old town" in Latvian on the Internet and showed a taxi driver our phone screen - he just laughed and pointed in the direction of where we needed to walk. Two minutes later we walked into the Riga Old Town Hostel & Backpackers Pub where we immediately spotted the reception; it was located inside … [Read more...]
Stepping off the path + A train ride to Hampi, India
"Chai chai chai!" "Pakora! Samosa! Pakora!" I'm on a train heading east from Goa to Hampi. Food hawkers jump on and off at every stop rushing through the cars shouting, selling refreshments. I want to taste everything that passes—samosas served from a worn cardboard box, crispy masala rice snacks in a giant plastic garbage bag, fresh mango lassis carried in a tattered milk crate. Yet I cringe as the vendors grab food with their bare hands, … [Read more...]
Helsinki, Finland – a Quick Introduction
With approximately 600,000 inhabitants Helsinki and the surroundings comprises about a fifth of the countries' entire population. It is an International destination yet not large enough of a city to feel overwhelming; it retains a feel of a much smaller community and is fairly easy to get around with a well developed system of tram cars. During a recent visit a mix of using the tram cars and exploring on foot was the perfect recipe for getting to … [Read more...]
Bohemian Rhapsody
John M. Edwards takes the waters in the Czech Republic’s so-called West Bohemian Spa Triangle in order to spy out the local talent and bathe in the buff. . . . “Give me a place to stand on, and I will have the earth.” --Archimedes In the “West Bohemian Spa Triangle,” consisting of the old spa towns Carlsbad, Marienbad, and Franzenbad, now all hiding behind Czech names, I thought to myself that it doesn’t get any better than this! In … [Read more...]
Exploring Kangaroo Island, South Australia
Kangaroo Island was originally uninhabited until an Englishman, Matthew Flinders "discovered" the island in 1802. Today about thirty percent of the island is preserved either as a National Park or wilderness area - and only about 4000 people live here. Most of the population is on the Eastern side of the Island. This is Australia's third largest island and is located about 3 hours from Adelaide - 2 hours by road and then 45 minutes on the primary … [Read more...]
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