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...]
Halifax Highlights: Old, New and Deja Vu
Lush greenery and countless bodies of water dominated the serene view I saw as my flight descended into Halifax Stanfield International Airport, providing evident contrasts to the dryness of my drought-ridden state of California and the bustle of making a connection in Detroit. I was excited about my upcoming road trip through part of Nova Scotia, but first would be a day in this Maritime province’s capital city of Halifax -- a return to a place … [Read more...]
Visit Detroit Today: Summer in The D
Explore Detroit this summer and submerge yourself in the traditions that articulate America’s great comeback city. Detroit offers plenty of summer activities combining cars, culture, gaming, music and sports. Watch as hydroplane boats race down the Detroit River at speeds over 200 mph to compete for the oldest trophy in the history of motor sports, the American Power Boat Association (APBA) Gold Cup. Vintage race boats, a hot rod show, live … [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...]
Constant Motion: Ghana, West Africa
Part One: The Edge I walk out the gates that creak in the colour orange. I don’t know if its the rust binding the brackets or if its the ever present sand that causes the creak, or causes the colour I hear it in. My sandals land over the rocks that have emerged from the worn down path. It’s not the sun, but the air, that causes me to sweat. Drips instantly begin to build along my shoulder blades, and the nape of my neck. Soon, my hair will … [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...]
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...]
The Expat Reality: Adapting to Life Away From Home Soil
Each year, a huge number of people pack their bags and head for foreign shores in search of fulfilling a lifelong dream to move abroad. Whether you're seeking the vibrancy of a foreign city, retreating to the tranquil wiles of the Italian countryside, or fleeing the grey skies in search of a beach to call home, moving abroad can be a real adventure. Settling into life in a new place isn't always a quick transition. With different customs and … [Read more...]
Exploring Historic Tallinn, Estonia
Prior to our most recent trip to Finland and the Baltic States - I was expecting frigid temperatures combined with grey days and rain. Watching the weather several months before this trip we noticed brutally cold temperatures continuing week after week. Therefore we have been pleasantly surprised the past week - to have received a "weather bonus" if you will. It was 29.5 in Helsinki (33 is their all time record) and 31 in Tallinn several days … [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...]
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