John M. Edwards, a future inductee into The Napoleon Society, storms Martinique in search of his own Josephine. A huge fan of Napoleon Bonaparte, the hero of post-Revolutionary France, I left the U.K. Crown Colony of Montserrat in the days before their volcano blew up for the fatal shores of Martinique via a scary Island Air prop plane. Landing with a jarring whump, my galpal and I, along with the burdensome baggage of my Sistah Sah, then … [Read more...]
The Old House in Silay
For many generations the same families have owned and preserved ancestral houses in the Philippines as part of their culture. Several houses of prominent families have become points of interest or museums in their communities because of their historical, cultural or architectural worth. Some of these houses, too, have become endangered because of negligent businesses that have no interests in preserving them. I find “preservation” of these homes … [Read more...]
How to Make Sense out of Scoring “Sense” in the Caribbean
Greetings from General Montgomery! ON a vacation island retreat, a young John M. Edwards rollies with a real live Rastafarian - and lives to regret it. “BOY! BOY!” I looked over at the sculpted resort hedge, shivering in the breeze like a wet Chia Pet and illuminated by a Tikki torch, and stepped uncertainly off the porch. I felt like a young adult waking up from a Frank W. Dixon Hardy Boys mystery. “Boy! Boy! Come here!” I walked … [Read more...]
Catalina Express is your Ticket to Summer in Paradise
Events, Festivals, Free Concerts, Exhibits and Picnics on the Beach Beckon Travelers Near and Far Craving an Island Experience LONG BEACH, Calif. (June 12, 2014) – Catalina Island, increasingly popping up on lists of “best” little known islands to visit, including Sunset Magazine, USA Today, Jaunted.com and CBS Early Show, will not disappoint new and returning visitors this summer. Now through December 31, 2014, Catalina Express gives … [Read more...]
Discover Chile’s Animal Kingdom
Explore the wonderful wildlife found in one of the world's most pristine places, and be captivated by it. Let your imagination wonder to a country where you'll come face to face with adventure. Open your senses to these incredible images and connect with Chile's wild side in its maximum expression. The video is a short film named Wild Expectations, the main idea is highlight the different most excited areas around Chile: Desert, Cold … [Read more...]
Sheiks on the Plane, International Airspace
John M. Edwards flies into the wild blue yonder from London Heathrow to New York JFK, wedged in between two suspicious-looking suspected terrorists supposedly from the United Arab Emirates. . “Goddammit, there are snakes on the plane!” I couldn’t help but laugh at the drunken comment attributed to Samuel Jackson several aisles behind, followed by the lame “Don’t call me Shirley” from Airplane. While my two outlandishly dressed seatmates … [Read more...]
Dispatch: Atom Ant Japanese Houseguest
John M. Edwards receives a strange visitor from the Nipponese “Land of the Rising Sun,” who is, of course, despite a strong yen, ultimately a freeloader. In Westfield, New Jersey, United States, North American Continent, at my apt upstairs from the now-long-gone Tullio’s Hair Salon (which daily pumped up the odoriferous air of Free Heat, Aqua Velva, and Brill Cream), I received a visitor from not another planet exactly but instead from a way … [Read more...]
Top #epicOZ experiences
Australia is a country that begs to be explored - not quickly but slowly over a number of months. In the absence of such time, shorter trips are fine but focusing on a specific part of the country rather than trying to see to much. The distances are great and the experiences diverse. So to is the culture, the weather and the natural landscape. After a number of trips to the country I've spent some time coming up with some of my most epic … [Read more...]
A Day of Diversity Exploring Los Angeles
Here is an example of a single day microcosm of the diversity of Los Angeles. In the morning we visited the oldest McDonald's still in operation on the planet (out of some 20,000 McDonald's worldwide!), located in Downey. It was built in 1953. The original McDonald's was founded in San Bernardino California in 1948 and was a barbecue restaurant serving over 100 different barbecue recipes. This particular restaurant was the third ever and has … [Read more...]
Postcard: Gilli Islands Hopping – Peepholes in Paradise
John M. Edwards visits the Indonesian Gilli Islands, a tripartite chain of paradise islets, ending up on Gilli Trawangan, where locals Gilligans follow us around and spy on us like flypaper paparazzi. “I see India everywhere but I do not recognize any of it.” --Rabindranath Tagore, Indian poet Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale. . . . “Hello, John!” the curiously canny kid said, eyes wide with the practiced veneer of a … [Read more...]
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