When you wake up on a concrete floor with only a bamboo mat between you and the cold you might just wonder what the hell you were thinking the night before. This was my situation a few years back while I traveled the world for a year or so. Some days it felt longer and this was one of them. I lay there body sore, taught as a fisherman’s net soaked with salt, dried in the hot afternoon sun. Rubbing my eyes, I dared to take a day light look at my … [Read more...]
Umrah: A Pilgrimage of Peace
Florida to Saudi Arabia. A thirty-hour journey that was, to say the least, exhausting. But as soon as I stepped foot onto the bus that would be transporting our group, a fresh burst of energy and vigor swept over me. We were here, along with millions of other Muslims, to perform Umrah, one of the two pilgrimages that are essentially “pillars” of Islam. It is imperative that Muslims visit the two holy cities, Makkah and Madinah, and perform … [Read more...]
Gibraltar: the end and the beginning
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 Dry Tortugas Are Far Out, All Right—in So Many Ways
A conch, a parrot and a rooster walk into a bar. You don’t need a map to follow that joke: you know you’re in the Florida Keys. The Keys are one of the few places in the US where you might think, “What country am I in?” But wherever you are in the Keys, it’s all good—I’ve never been in an area that has more of a smiling “what the hell, why not?” attitude. It’s on a place’s edges where you see the more unusual sights, and for the southern … [Read more...]
Wonders of Nature in France
Have you watched Mary Poppins? As a child, during the holidays, I would watch this movie numerous times until the video tape broke. The best part of the musical was when the birds sang when one perched on Mary’s finger. I thought that was amazing and hoped that one day, I too would sing with a bird, or at least get a bird to come close to me enough to perch on my hand. Travelling is always a joy and full of unexpected surprises. On a sunny … [Read more...]
The land of the rolling hills
A city and corporate life makes me wither away hence the scent of any travel trail hits me head-on soaring my spirits. A recent tour of the land of the rolling hills - Cameron Highlands - nestled in Pahang, Malaysia brought me closer to nature much like a lovelorn lass. Tea gardens and trek have always lulled my senses. Back home the Himalayan foothills resonate the same aura as Cameron Highlands although the landscape of the former is more … [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...]
Australia Adventures: A Bed In Bondi Beach
Dreaming of Sydney. Very few of my friends can say that they have traveled across the globe to one of the happiest countries in the world, second only behind Iceland. I'm talking about Australia, and I would have to say that I agree, wholeheartedly with that statement. When I first flew into Sydney, I couldn't help but notice the picturesque view of the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge. It is such a romantic city, yet it's so far away … [Read more...]
Canada: The Road Less Traveled
The Canadian province of Saskatchewan is a hidden gem. Less well known than its neighbor Alberta, it boasts a population of approximately a little more than 1 million and has roots in Aboriginal history. The province is named after the Saskatchewan River, which the Cree named Kisiskatchewani Sip, meaning “swift-flowing river.” In fact Canada, in the language of the Huron is from Kanata, which means “settlement.” Saskatchewan is also a … [Read more...]
More to Augusta, Georgia off the course on The Masters Weekend
Whenever a host city focuses the spotlight on an internationally recognized event, it leaves in the shadows attractions and destinations that define the city every other day of the year. I challenged myself to discover what Augusta, Georgia had to offer off the course on Thursday morning of the Masters weekend. A cab from Augusta National Golf Club to downtown Augusta on Masters weekend meant standardized premium rates: $30 one-way for an … [Read more...]
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