Breakfast in Tel Aviv, Lunch in Athens and Dinner in Rome

What a day. I’m still exhausted even after a night’s sleep. Yesterday was probably the second most grueling day of my travels (the first being the 30 hours I went from the Solomon Islands, to Nauru, to Kiribati, to Fiji, to Hawaii). I got up at 3am in Tel Aviv and left for the airport …

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McDonald’s Noumea

The McDonald’s in Noumea wasn’t anything special. Nothing special on the menu. The only thing of note was how they organized their value meals. You picked a sandwich, you picked a side (salad or fries) and a drink. Each meal was the same price. They also had the Royal Cheese from Pulp Fiction fame. Not …

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Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal UNESCO World Heritage Site, India

From the World Heritage inscription: The Taj Mahal is located on the right bank of the Yamuna River in a vast Mughal garden that encompasses nearly 17 hectares, in the Agra District in Uttar Pradesh. It was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal with construction starting in 1632 …

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Fatehpur Sikri

Fatehpur Sikri UNESCO World Heritage Site

From the World Heritage inscription: Built during the second half of the 16th century by Emperor Akbar, Fatehpur Sikri (the City of Victory) was the capital of the Mughal Empire for only some 10 years. The complex of monuments and temples, all in a uniform architectural style, includes one of the largest mosques in India, …

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Questions and Answers: Volume 38

Questions and Answers: Volume 38

Podcast Transcript January is upon us, the month that honors the Roman god Janus, the god of two faces.  One face looked forward, and the other looked back. Janus was the god of beginning and ending wars. He was also the god of doors and bridges. …and while I have absolutely no proof of this …

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The History of Thanksgiving

The History of Thanksgiving

Transcript On the fourth Thursday in November every year, American’s celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving. It is a holiday that originated in the Americas but has subsequently spread to many countries around the world.  It is a holiday that is actually secular, but with some religious overtones, and has a unique set of traditions that …

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Pablo Picasso never got called an asshole

Last night, I had the pleasure of having what can only be described as the best meal of my life. Period. Hands down. No debate. No discussion. It also happened to be the most expensive meal I’ve ever had, so its a damn good thing it was the best. We had reservations at 6pm for …

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On Poverty

I have been meaning to write on this subject for many months now. The Blog Action Day (October 15) sort of gave me an excuse to go ahead and do it. Over the course of my trip, I’ve seen the most severe poverty I’ve seen in my life. From tin shacks in the Solomon Islands …

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Why Don’t American Travel More?

During the last decade as I’ve traveled around the world, I’ve noticed something, almost from the first week I was outside of the United States: American’s don’t travel much. That isn’t to say I never meet Americans, but given the size and wealth of the country, there seems to be a significant dearth of Americans …

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