For me, Tanzania is a tainted country. If you can believe it, we were kidnapped and robbed within 24 hours of arriving into the country. So... let’s begin the tale. The night before the ‘incident’ took place, one of my best mates and I touched down into Dar es Salaam (the biggest city in Tanzania). As soon as we arrived we did what any proper backpacker would. We rushed from the airport to our hotel, check in as fast as humanly … [Read more...]
The Enemy
My yearning for unhurried solitude brought me to a strip of sand beneath a canopy of wind blown tress at Emma Woods Beach Park in Ventura, Ca. While lying belly down on the warm sand listening to the rhythm of the rolling waves, I spied a homeless man curled up on a nearby dune. I hoped that he could actually sleep there, nestled in the ice plant. He lifted his head from his knapsack and looked at me with blood- rimmed eyes. Not wanting to … [Read more...]
How Cuba Changed my Perception of Humanity and Restored Hope
I’ve taken a number of great vacations in my lifetime. Each vacation I’ve taken has left me with fond memories, valuable lessons, new friends, new-found knowledge and a new outlook on my surroundings and the world at large but one recent vacation, in particular, left me with more than I could ever imagine gaining from a week-long trip. I didn’t have to travel very far to this destination. In fact, I technically didn’t even have to leave the … [Read more...]
Cockpit Confidential by Patrick Smith
This book should be required reading for anyone who fly's regularly, those who occasionally take to the skies and for those even thinking about flying. In short - everyone! Captain Smith tackles common misconceptions both about flying and highlights the behind the scenes of those who work in the industry. At times humorous, at times serious - this is an exceptional and rare look into the inner workings of this global industry. Good places to … [Read more...]
Down The Colorado River, Through The Grandest Of Canyons
Hiking out of the Grand Canyon — 8 miles, 5,000 feet — felt like re-emerging from a quiet haven inside the earth to stand again atop the soil of civilization. Back up here it's a hot and crowded mess. Everything feels excessive. Everyone seems oblivious. The chaos is distinct after having been so deeply peaceful and disconnected. It feels like I’ve been gone for months, yet it's only been seven days. We saw so much in those 90 miles rafting … [Read more...]
Onward And Upward To Machu Pichu – Part 1
My heart kept beating like a tom-tom drum feverishly signaling an imminent enemy attack. It kept racing, and thudding, and pounding – not allowing me to get a wink of sleep. I recognized the symptoms. I knew what was happening. I had tried to prepare myself for it. It was oxygen deprivation, and it could lead to altitude sickness. Although I wasn’t in any immediate danger of becoming stricken with the illness, I knew that I was … [Read more...]
Onward & Upward To Machu Pichu – Part 2
The morning sun had ascended to its throne in the brilliant sky. The mist had excused itself for the day. Before us lay the grandeur of Machu Pichu swathed in golden sunlight. Everyone whipped out their cameras and started taking photos of the venerable gift that history had unwrapped for us. One by one, we captured the sight that we’d seen only in books. Angle by angle, frame by frame, we sought to imprint the majestic vista into the … [Read more...]
To the Lighthouse (Ila Al-Manara)
You can't understand the sense of triumph I felt as I crossed the street unless you've been to Beirut, a city in which I had been in and out over a two year span. My latest stint was nearing its end and I felt reflective and nostalgic and disappointed that the world has decided where you are allowed to live and work based on the coincidence of your birth. I had resolved to take advantage of a hole in the stormy sky and wander the streets of what … [Read more...]
Fiji Islands, Hot Weather and Warm Hearts
The humid, sugar cane sweetened air hit me with force as I moved from the airplane and into the small airport in Nadi. It made me smile with anticipation. This was my third trip to Fiji and I was determined not to let the almost suffocating weather be an obstacle this time. My previous visits had taught me to forget wearing make-up or styling my hair. Neither would last more than 20 minutes in the wet, high humidity air. In my travel journal I … [Read more...]
Hanging out in Belini Village
Taking survey of our trekking injuries so far, we decided to spend a rest day around Beleni Village. Still recovering from falling against some sharp rocks in Australia a week ago, open sores from hiking, a nasty sunburn, a piece of a thorn stuck in the finger, flu like symptoms including a fever and back spasms from riding the sides of the PMV for three hours on a brutally bumpy road. As we've experienced before, its hard to decide on … [Read more...]
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