More used to Grand Prix cars than dog sleighs, Monaco's Prince Albert's forthcoming trek to the North Pole has been greeted with surprise by many. But the Prince is fairly accustomed to the cold, in contrast to the Mediterranean warmth of Monaco where he became ruler last July following the passing of his father Prince Rainier, who had ruled the tax haven for over 50 years. Albert represented Monaco at the last five Winter Olympic Games in … [Read more...]
Palms Thai Restaurant, Hollywood, CA – March 2006
Palms Restaurant Hollywood CA - The Palms Thai Restaurant without a doubt is one of the top Thai restaurants in the entire state of California. This is a bold statement, but I feel qualified to say this after having eaten at at least a hundred Thai restaurants in Thailand, many Thai restaurants in other countries around the world, and over 50 Thai restaurants in the state of California alone. The food here for both lunch and dinner is very … [Read more...]
Bicycling Baja California
La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico January 06, 2003 Baja 1000 and more Finally!! The Tropic of Cancer (23.5 degrees north latitude, the start of the tropics) is almost upon us after a twelve hundred mile chase down the spine of Baja California, Mexico. From Orange County, California I joined my German pal Bernhard Koch, whom I had met while cycling in Alaska in 2001, to ride our bicycles down the 'Carreterra Transpeninsular', the Mexican … [Read more...]
Backpackers and Billionaires
It used to be that backpacking trips to Fiji involved a bus ride from Nadi to Suva, then a ferry to somewhere like Ovalau, Savusavu, Taveuni or Kadavu. No more. These days young budget travelers are lining up to go to the Yasawa Islands, a chain of 16 large volcanic islands and dozens of smaller ones roughly 35 km off the west coast of Viti Levu. The dazzling white beaches, clear warm waters, colorful coral reefs, and sunny dry climate make … [Read more...]
Samoa, Heart of Polynesia
The islands of Samoa are emerging as an exciting new South Pacific travel destination between Hawaii and New Zealand. This "Heart of Polynesia" is politically split into two distinct entities 80 miles apart. The country Samoa is a former German colony, captured by New Zealand in 1914 and granted independence in 1962. In 1997 the name was changed from Western Samoa to Samoa. American Samoa is the only U.S. territory south of the equator. … [Read more...]
Visit Pasadena
No one thinks about the city of Pasadena, California, unless it is Rose Bowl or Rose Parade time, except for Los Angeles County residents and people who hear the song "Little Old Lady From Pasadena". When tourists think about visiting California they most often think about going to Disneyland or cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco or beach cities like Long Beach, Monterey, Newport Beach, San Diego, Santa Monica, etc.. Very few of them … [Read more...]
A Thai Wedding Story
Sawasdee kha friends! Part I I find myself writing this email several hours after my brother's village Thai wedding, while sitting in the comfortably air-conditioned "business center" of our hotel. It's not often on my travels that I am left without words to describe my experiences, but for once I feel that this email can never fully articulate the feel of the last 24 hours. When we left Bangkok yesterday I was eager to return to the … [Read more...]
Death Valley, CA – Accomodation
CAMPING Death Valley National Park features a variety of campgrounds, some quite large like the 1000+ Sunset campground near Furnace creek (only open in the winter months), to just a few camp spaces. Many campgrounds close for the summer season - approximately mid April through mid October. For the campgrounds that do stay open in the summer months, often the prices will be cheaper. We have often found campgrounds closed in the park due to … [Read more...]
Angkor Wat, Cambodia – Restaurants
Overall I found the Cambodian food in Siem Reap to be a little greasy and not very flavorful, and certainly not spicy like some Thai food. There are many many cheap places to eat in Siem Reap - a good number of them serving both Khmer food and western style food - you will find the Khmer food is usually cheaper than the Western food. Prices often range from $1/meal to several dollars. Many of the tourist restaurants are located around the old … [Read more...]
Bangkok, Thailand – Bars & Nightlife
Bangkok is a great place to party - with its mix of bars, night clubs and both locals and expats staying up until the wee hours. With weather that is warm in the evenings rooftop bars have finally become a 'thing' in Bangkok - delivering great views over the city skyline paired with a variety of cocktails, wines and beer and usually small bites. So grab a friend, choose a bar and head out for a fun evening of conversation, drinks and … [Read more...]