I’m leaving Jakarta today. I”ll be taking a short flight to Yogyakarta later in the afternoon. I consider myself a pretty knowledgeable guy. I certainly have become very knowledgeable about the places I’ve visited, and before my trip I considered myself pretty up to date on what was going on in the world. I have …
You cannot discuss Brunei without talking about the Sultan of Brunei. Not talking about the Sultan is like not talking about an elephant in the middle of the room. Brunei is the Sultan and the Sultan is Brunei. It is a form of government unlike anything in the world today. The Sultan is one of …
I don’t usually talk about the mechanics of running a travel blog while on the road. Most of the people who visit here are more interested in seeing photos and hearing stories of the the places I visit. Nonetheless, it is occasionally necessary to delve into the dirty underside of the business of running this …
It was one year ago today that I closed on my house and turned over the keys. The days leading up to closing on my house were hectic. I had a giant U-Haul full of crap I had to move to Wisconsin, I had more boxes of books and National Geographic Magazines (have I a …
I visited Prague in 2011 as part of a trip I took through Central Europe. Having been spared much of the worst of WWII and put in a state of arrested development during the Cold War, Prague has one of the best preserved old cities in all of Europe. It has served as the backdrop …
Ethiopia is a wonderful country with pleasant temperatures and friendly people. I enjoyed the food, the people, and the sites I visited on my recent trip there. I’ll certainly be returning at some point in the future. However, every rule has an exception. The Danakil Depression, which is in the northeastern corner of the country …
The year was 1945. The United States and the rest of the world had been at war for years, and the casualties were mounting. After defeating Germany, all eyes turned to the Pacific theater. America was making headway in the hopscotch war for tiny islands, and the top brass was beginning plans for an invasion …
Any car can drive on any road, as long as the driver is determined enough. Travel has taught me this lesson time and time again, and the drive to the sapphire lakes of Band-e Amir, Afghanistan’s first national park, is yet more proof. The road begins innocently enough. Fresh black asphalt cuts through the sparse …
In February 2013 I was invited to be part of the media pool which covered the Yukon Quest sled dog race which starts in Whitehose, Yukon and finishes in Fairbanks, Alaska by way of Dawson City. I knew next to nothing about dog sledding before my visit, but left fascinated by this little known sport. …