When Spain made claim to a small corner of North Africa and christened it Río de Oro – River of Gold – the country’s colonial ambitions for what amounted to a patch of sand in the western extreme of the Sahara Desert were clear. With the third glass of mint tea broiling my insides as I looked across the same area of sand, I considered that perhaps my own intentions in Africa were equally unrealistic. I was a week into seeking as much cold lager – … [Read more...]
Chena Hot Springs, Crazy Squirrel and Plenty of Sunshine!
Since visiting Chena Hot Springs (pronounced Cheena) several years ago, I've recently had the urge to revisit this neat little part of Alaska - merely a 90 minute drive from Fairbanks. And sunlight nearly all night in these northern latitudes was also appealing. It is almost 11pm as I type this outdoors, swatting nats and the occasional mosquito and there is bright light still! Sunset is around 1am and sunrise around 3am but it never really gets … [Read more...]
The Mauritian Chronicles: Paradise Lost and Found
John M. Edwards grabs his “Beachcombers Card” and does Divali (Festival of Lights) on delicious Mauritius, a paradisiacal Indian Ocean isle--once the roost of extinct dodos, now the boast of professional beachbums--which initially he can’t place on a map! “Incredible!” You are from New York?!” boomed Willy Van Damme, a friendly Belgian restaurateur and former soldier of fortune, in the sleepy resort town of Péreybere. “Very rare! We get almost … [Read more...]
Into Africa: Can BushCats Save the Beasts?
“There is an elephant holocaust going on in Africa today,” says Paul Maritz, the last gentleman adventurer. “Up to this point elephant counts have been done by error-prone Mark 1 Eyeballs, and nobody believes the numbers. You really can’t motivate people to take needed drastic actions unless they are convinced you have the facts. And so we need to get the facts.” Rhodesia born Paul and his brother David have created a flying machine they … [Read more...]
Nightless nights in the Land of the Midnight Sun
Summer is finally here and there’s nowhere better to make the most of the warmer weather and longer days than in Finland – the Land of the Midnight Sun. The most iconic of Finnish phenomena, also known as the nightless night or polar day, the Midnight Sun sets Finland apart from any other summer holiday destination, where almost endless summer days mean that there’s twice as much fun to be had in the open air. When nights are almost as light … [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...]
Dungeness Crab & Seafood Festival – Home of the Dungeness Crab, Port Angeles, WA
“CrabFest” as the festival has come to be known, has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Events in North America by the American Bus Association, and as one of the Top 10 Coastal Events by Coastal Living magazine. It was also featured in national food magazine Saveur. Port Angeles, Washington, August 1, 2014 - Each October foodies and fun-seekers from across the United States and as far away as Finland descend upon the scenic Olympic … [Read more...]
A Nicaraguan Pirate Story
Chapter I: The Introduction He filled the doorway and peered down at me with eyes the color of the deep blue sea. “You must be Louise” he said, “Come in”. The familiarity startled me a little. It had been one of those weeks where the city water was on for just a few hours a day. Bathing was barely an option. Doing laundry was not. Nothing was clean. Black board shorts and a matching tank top would have to do. The two bus, one van, and one … [Read more...]
The Fabled Montropolis is Found: Jackson Hole
In the evolution of a place there is sometimes a waymark between free-spirited childhood and the discreet somberness of maturity. But what if the in-between actually signifies the third point of a classic Hegelian dialectical triangle? A rough and rowdy cowboy town at one point, an overly-wrought sophisticated metropolis at the other, and the third being some subtly unstated “third way” that draws on the contradictory nature of the first two … [Read more...]
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