Narita Airport is a major hub airport for both Japan and all of the Asian Pacific rim. Hundreds of flights arrive and depart daily. We have flown here a number of times and on long layovers enjoy visiting both nearby Narita and the Tokyo metropolitan region. The airport itself has two major terminals (1 and 2) and a bus provides transportation between each one. The airport is modern, has free WiFi in a number of selected WiFi stations and for … [Read more...]
Peach Cigarettes in Tokyo
The first time I ever smoked a peach cigarette, I was wearing a dinosaur suit and sitting on my friend's balcony in a Tokyo suburb. My friend had a dinosaur suit because he'd gone to a fancy dress party the week before, and I was wearing it because I was cold and it was made of fleece. I'd never been much of a smoker, but the vending machine sold dozens of different flavours and what was the point of traveling halfway around the world if I wasn't … [Read more...]
Fishing Time
Every year around this time the villagers drain one of the local ponds into an adjoining rice field. This takes all night - a couple guys stay up all night with the pump. Then in the very early morning about 15 people gather at the banks for a mud infused assault on the fish. This is not clean work - they jump into the mud, sinking up to their waists and crawl around with small nets and buckets collecting all the fish. By mid morning its … [Read more...]
Tourism in the Pacific by David Stanley
Tourism is the world's largest and fastest-growing industry, accounting for 10 percent of world economic activity and one in 15 jobs worldwide. Some 750 million people a year currently travel abroad compared to only 25 million in 1950, and each year over 100 million first-world tourists visit developing countries, transferring billions of dollars from North to South. Tourism is the only industry that allows a net flow of wealth from richer to … [Read more...]
Village Life, Eastern Thailand
Back in the village in Eastern Thailand - 90 minutes from Poipet on the Cambodia border - nice to have some pleasant weather - two days ago hot with fans needed at night - now blankets needed! Village is only 2 homes (used to be about 6 homes) but population swelled dramatically the past few days when friends moved in along with all their tents! Enjoying home made coconut ice cream along with lots of fried insets we are catching with the blue … [Read more...]
Rattler
You plan on some things, and others just happen. Usually you don't plan on getting bitten by a rattlesnake for example. It's just one of those things when you're out in desolate country; alone, weather beaten and emotionally off guard. Of course you could argue that inserting yourself into desolate and dangerous country is, in a way, inviting an encounter with an ill-tempered reptile. True I didn't know when setting out on my two-month canoe trip … [Read more...]
Walter “Yukon” Yates: Adventurer & Entrepreneur
Walter Yates has lived a full life built on adventures, risk and unique projects. We recently had a chance to ask him to reflect on his life experiences at age 87. Note: Walter passed away on March 2, 2015 at age 90. Q. Tell us about the focus of your new book, "Breakaway". Focus: We are still the same people that started this country - for my own satisfaction, I set out in the harsh conditions of wilderness Alaska just to … [Read more...]
Budapest: City of Change
There is a lilting quality to Budapest that changes to crashing crescendos as one visits different parts of this medieval city. Budapest has been prey to many conquerors...the Mongols, the Turks and more recently - the Germans and then the Russians. Now it has been restored to its own people, the Hungarians who arrived to create their first settlement early in the 9th century. This beautiful city straddling the Danube has much to offer to … [Read more...]
Enjoying downtown Napa
We spent the evening enjoying two fine Napa restaurants. Usually I'm perfectly satisfied with one meal but on this one evening we opted for two full course dinners at two different restaurants! First we popped into the new restaurant Charlie Palmer Steak at the Archer hotel but didn't eat anything. We then hit up Eiko's on 1st Street, downtown Napa. This is a restaurant that specializes in authentic Japanese cuisine including seasonal dishes … [Read more...]
Portuguese Christmas Traditions
Portugal is not a place that people associate with Christmas right away. The mild temperatures make a white winter wonderland for the holidays nearly impossible and for some it is hard to imagine Christmas without snow. And though the holiday traditions vary across countries, we have a certain Americanized image in mind of traditional Christmas festivities that the media promotes. But the idea of 10°C and sun during the wintertime is not … [Read more...]
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