Operation Street Food – Day 1 (Food Safety)

My first day of street food went surprisingly well. I focused on grilled meat products because….well…it was easy to order. Here is how the day broke down: Breakfast – 3 pieces of chicken satay. 15 baht (US$0.45) Lunch – 3 grilled chicken wings and chopped grilled pork. 40 baht ($1.21) Dinner – Chicken with rice, …

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Living Under A State of Emergency

I began writing this post last night but had to delete everything once the bullets starting flying around 6-8pm Bangkok time. After a month of redshirt protests in Bangkok, things have finally come to a head. The protests thus far had been peaceful and the government has seen no real need to negotiate seriously with …

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Announcing the Travel Photography Academy

I’m pleased to announce the launch of the Travel Photography Academy! The Travel Photography Academy is an online course I’ve been working on for the last 2 years. When I started traveling in 2007, I knew absolutely nothing about photography. I did what many people did and purchased an expensive camera on the assumption that …

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The Danakil Depression: The Most Hellish Place on Earth

The Danakil Depression in Ethiopia is one of the lowest, hottest places on Earth. Geographically, it is part of the African Rift which extends from the African rift lakes of Malawi and Tanganyika, up through the Red Sea and into the Dead Sea of Jordan and Israel. Politically, it is part of the Afar region, …

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Seven Tips For Visting An Art Museum

I am not an artist. In fact I am probably the farthest thing from an artist you can possibly be. I can’t draw, paint, sculpt or play a musical instrument. I’m also not a serious student of art history. I’ve never taken a course on the subject or studied it in a rigorous manner. I …

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Driving On The Left

Since I’ve started my trip, I’ve rented cars in Hawaii, Easter Island, Fiji, New Zealand, Japan and Australia. As an American, I am accustomed to driving on the right-hand side of the road. I haven’t driven on the right, however, since I was in Easter Island back in May 2007. In fact, save for my …

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UNESCO World Heritage Site #1: Volcanoes National Park

From the World Heritage inscription: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park contains Mauna Loa and Kilauea, two of the world’s most active and accessible volcanoes where ongoing geological processes are easily observed. This property serves as an excellent example of island building through volcanic processes. Through the process of shield-building volcanism, the park’s landscape is one of …

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Day 26-27, West Africa Cruise – At Sea, Off the coast of Mauritania

Latitude: 21° 05.20′ N Longitude: 17° 51.30′ W As the cruise is winding down, I thought it was worth it to take a moment to talk about the passengers on the ship. Prior to boarding the ship in Cape Town, I suspected that the other passengers would be well traveled people. West Africa isn’t the …

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Day 12, West Africa Cruise – Sao Tome

Latitude: 0° 20.9204’ N Longitude: 6° 45.7471’ E On day 12, the G Expedition pulled into the tiny island of Sao Tome. I’ve spoken previously about the poor conditions and lack of a tourist infrastructure we found in Angola and Congo. On paper, Sao Tome is poorer than either of those two countries (primarily because …

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