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...]
Exploring Kangaroo Island, South Australia
Kangaroo Island was originally uninhabited until an Englishman, Matthew Flinders "discovered" the island in 1802. Today about thirty percent of the island is preserved either as a National Park or wilderness area - and only about 4000 people live here. Most of the population is on the Eastern side of the Island. This is Australia's third largest island and is located about 3 hours from Adelaide - 2 hours by road and then 45 minutes on the primary … [Read more...]
Huatulco, Mexico, More than an Exotic Name!
When one mentions vacationing in Mexico, perhaps a few of the more well-known destinations such as Cancun, Los Cabos, or Acapulco come to mind. Every place has its own unique charm, but I often find myself yearning for a more remote and undiscovered destination. So when I received the invitation to visit Huatulco in Mexico, I was excited to have the opportunity to familiarize myself with this unknown location. The mere fact that I had never heard … [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...]
Puerto Rico: The Real Fountain of Youth?
When Christopher Columbus made landfall in Puerto Rico during his second trans-Atlantic voyage, in 1493, a young Spanish nobleman, Ponce de León, some scholars believe, was on board. Rumors of hefty quantities of gold brought Ponce de Leon back, in 1508, where he found an islet with an excellent harbor he named Puerto Rico, or Rich Port. This would become the name of the island, while the town was renamed San Juan. He didn’t find gold, but was … [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...]
Jade Mountain, Saint Lucia Opens Interactive Chocolate Laboratory
Soufriere, Saint Lucia, May 24, 2014... Believe it or not, stays at Jade Mountain are becoming sweeter. Guests are invited to make their own chocolate in the brand-new chocolate laboratory. Jade Mountain is not only one of Saint Lucia’s most scenic resorts, it is also the island’s only "bean to bar" organic single estate boutique chocolate maker. There are over 1000 cocoa trees on the resort estates, including the organic farm Emerald’s in the … [Read more...]
Why fly when you can sail to Tassie?
Tasmania is an island found in Australia. It is among the largest islands in the world and hence the means of transport remains only two options that is flying and sailing. The highest percentage of the island has reserves and national parks among other adventurous features. This therefore becomes an attraction to visitors from all over the world. Many may opt to fly but this has some disadvantages for instance traveling all the way to the … [Read more...]
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