John M. Edwards finds a six-month circumnavigation of Australia offers much more than empty Outback vistas of red dust and rock formations. but what better way to end you stay than plopping down at a hostel in Perth where everybody knows your name, one-legged pub crawls are the game, and where the Yanks take home the "Americas's Cup" trophy once again! Writing about New Year's Eve the day after is an annual letdown, unpublishable, an egregious … [Read more...]
The Abominable Sumatran
"Get your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty apes!" A shaggy American with a Yankees cap and soul patch spat out the words haltingly, photographing a rust-colored simpering simian with a winsome pout who looked vaguely human. Unfortunately, the American was me. It was a fair imitation of Charlton Heston in Planet of the Apes. Except we weren't extras in a futuristic flick where evolution goes awry. (As you'll remember, in the film, … [Read more...]
“Two Tickets to Paradise”, Palau
“I’ve got two tickets to paradise. Pack your bags and leave tonight” – Eddie Money In the evening we arrived to the Airai Hotel located conveniently near Palau’s international airport. The Airai hotel staff was welcoming and our hotel room that overlooked the coastline from a distance and the hotel waterpark below us was a spacious and comfortable midrange option. At the restaurant we sampled tasty white snapper pesto served over a bed of … [Read more...]
A Week at the Beach on Isla Mujeres
Can we all just agree that Cancun isn’t really all that great? After all, it’s a man-made vacation destination bogged down by mammoth, cheap all-inclusive resorts with lots of drunk tourists. Having said that, the weather there is great, the beaches are stunning and it’s super easy to get to. With a little extra planning and venturing beyond the main Hotel Zone, a perfect week at the beach in Mexico is absolutely possible! It’s not far by … [Read more...]
2 Awesome Places I Got To Tick Off My Bucket List
I’ve had an overseas bucket list since I was 18 years of age and I’m still nowhere close to completing the list, though I figure If I get to have 15 countries under my belt I’d be a very happy guy. So far I have visited 8 countries (Peru, Mexico, Philippines, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Mongolia, UAE and Brazil)…my highlights of those trips were: Trekking the Inca Trail in Peru Staying in a Yurt in Mongolia Sand dune boarding in … [Read more...]
Tips for Visitors to Majorca
The largest of the Balearic Islands, Majorca is the perfect holiday destination for millions of tourists a year. There is absolutely nothing not to like about Majorca where bustling coastal resorts give way to tiny villages and all within easy travelling distance of some of the most glorious stretches of white sand you will find anywhere. The beaches are a massive draw but the interior also has much to offer, especially in autumn and winter after … [Read more...]
Praying for Rain on Patmos
John M. Edwards plans to tour the cave where St. John wrote the Bible’s “Book of Revelations” on an idyllic Greek island called Patmos. . . . On the little-known island of “Arki” near Patmos, Greece, four travelers stared at the boat docking under a cliff-shrouded curl of surf and sand resembling a sneer. “Smugglers!” my new friend Leo, an Argentine of Italian descent and owner of a “finca” in Welsh Patagonia, exclaimed. All of us … [Read more...]
Visiting Trinidad in the West Indies: Short Notes
Flights to the Island arrive at POS (not the most politically correct airport code in the world) but it stands for Port of Spain. On a good day (without traffic) it takes about 30 minutes from the airport to downtown. There are a number of car rental companies at the airport (economy car pricing runs from about $40 to $60 US dollar). Car rental companies are also available in downtown Port of Spain and other towns on the island. A few things I … [Read more...]
Should I stay or should I go? Bonaire
I mean you can’t beat hanging around a great Caribbean resort like Harbour Village Beach Club on the island of Bonaire. It’s got a great restaurant, stunning sunsets, a long puffy sliver of silky white sand for a beach, and tons of stuff to do, from diving to snorkeling to kayaking and more. There are also the super comfy ocean-facing rooms set amid tropical gardens, and an ever-gracious staff, never leaving you wanting for … [Read more...]
Bradenton Area: Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing
Oh, the places they stole. Four times this year I’ve been to the canals of Venice, without ever setting foot in Italy. In Vegas, Macau, Qatar and where I live, Venice, California, there are facsimiles of the famous waterways, only cleaner, shinier, and without the creases of deep history. Theme parks, made-made-islands, cruise ships, old quarter facades, entire cities fashioned to appear as someplace else. It’s hard, these days, to … [Read more...]
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