My original plan for the end of my Encircle Africa expedition was to return to Gibraltar’s southernmost point, Europa Point, where I began. I liked the idea of looking back at Africa with renewed eyes. But all my reserves of energy were spent, and it was consolation enough to know that all that separated me from Africa was nine miles of often still water, after having travelled a distance equivalent to circumnavigating the earth at the … [Read more...]
The Mauritian Chronicles: Paradise Lost and Found
John M. Edwards grabs his “Beachcombers Card” and does Divali (Festival of Lights) on delicious Mauritius, a paradisiacal Indian Ocean isle--once the roost of extinct dodos, now the boast of professional beachbums--which initially he can’t place on a map! “Incredible!” You are from New York?!” boomed Willy Van Damme, a friendly Belgian restaurateur and former soldier of fortune, in the sleepy resort town of Péreybere. “Very rare! We get almost … [Read more...]
Celebrating the Caribbean Experience in London
Looking for some additional “warmth” through the end of the year in London? Perhaps simply the sound of the word Caribbean will quickly make you start dreaming of the region's warmth - both in weather and hospitality. Or more, start you thinking about white sand beaches, island music, tropical rum and relaxation. If you cannot physically get to the Caribbean this year and you are in London, the Holiday Inn Kensington Forum hotel (located in … [Read more...]
Viet Yum – Close Encounters of the Turd Kind
Vietnam’s Traveler Cafes Offer Much More Than Just Joe WEASEL COFFEE: $300-$600 A POUND On the far shore of an artificial lake in Hanoi, Vietnam, I found a much-needed antidote to restaurant hell, with its reckless gastronomical woes on untranslatable menus (involving Indochinese delicacies like baked sparrows with the feathers still on, fried scorpions, sautéed snakes, roasted rats, and “No Cock, only Fanta Orange”). It was a coffee … [Read more...]
Dining on Vancouver Island
John M. Edwards, the only smoker ever allowed onto the premises of snooty “Sooke Harbour House,” visits Vancouver Island in the Pacific Northwest on his own terms. As a paying contributor to “The United Negroe College Fund,” for sage reasons of philanthropy as well as tax evasion, I was a little surprised to find in the maritime city of Vancouver, British Columbia, absolutely no black people—only Commonwealthy Europeans and Asians, plus a few … [Read more...]
Discovering Nova Scotia Food and Wine
From the land and the sea, Nova Scotia is a treasure chest of epicurean bounty. For me, that bounty included several first-time experiences and a few surprises. I didn't know very much about Nova Scotia food and wine prior to my visit which made the prospect of my culinary road trip all the more exciting. I was eager to broaden my horizons with new seafood experiences and discover the province’s quickly-growing wine industry. Since Nova … [Read more...]
England with the Family
England is a great destination for the whole family. The intricacies of English culture are many and the history of the British Isles in general date back past the Romans. For Americans or Canadians worried about traveling abroad with the family England provides just enough familiarity to feel safe, while having enough culture and history to feel completely new and leave the whole family curious and excited at every turn. England is a great … [Read more...]
Fiji: Still the Cannibal Isles
My strange fascination with cannibalism began while I was studying history in graduate school. In a book whose title I have since forgotten (which might indicate why I quit grad school altogether), I read that Nelson Rockefeller's son Michael Rockefeller disappeared when he was 23 years old and that he was possibly cannibalized in Melanesia. At the time, I didn't know which came as a bigger surprise: that the young Rockefeller was most likely … [Read more...]
Dispatch: Kentucky Fried Moa
Bumbling into a Big Bird better than Popeye’s in a primary rainforest on a remote New Zealand isle, John M. Edwards raves, “Don’t mess with dinner!” Part I In Auckland, New Zealand, I was roosting in the common room of this crap budget flophouse, perusing my guidebook and gearing up to fly to Fiji soon despite a recent military coup, when the heated roundtable discussion of the relative cleanliness and cheapness of Kiwi backpacker hostels … [Read more...]
How I Hung out with a Rock Icon by Going it Alone
For years I planned trips never taken. But since I had an American Express card and was registered with my favorite airline’s frequent flyer program, I found myself receiving enticing email travel bargains. Before the days of internet, I would scour the Los Angeles Times for ideas but it was the advent of email along with photos of destinations that really changed my life. One day, while extremely low on funds but desperate to get away, I eyed an … [Read more...]
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