Visiting Wadi Rum

In my humble opinion, the greatest movie ever made is Lawrence of Arabia. Shot on location in Wadi Rum on 70mm film, a forerunner of IMAX, it is a fantastic story with amazing acting, directing, and cinematography. It tells the story of TE Lawrence and the Great Arab Revolt in WWI against the Turks. I’ve …

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Jerusalem Syndrome

There really is something called Jerusalem Syndrome. Wikipedia describes it as a: …mental phenomena involving the presence of either religiously themed obsessive ideas, delusions or other psychosis-like experiences that are triggered by, or lead to, a visit to the city of Jerusalem. It is not endemic to one single religion or denomination but has affected …

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Visiting the Killing Fields

One of the things which has made up a major part of my life has been academic debate. I was on the debate team in high school, in college and coached high school for three years after I graduated. During that time I read volumes about almost every subject you can imagine. In debate, you …

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Final Thoughts on the Philippines

I think I should finish up writing about the Philippines before I get too much farther in my trip. The farther I get away, the less fresh it is in my mind. From the moment I landed in Manila to the moment I left, there was something that just didn’t seem right with the Philippines. …

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Going Off the Rails on a Shinkansen

If you are going to travel through Japan, there is really only one way to properly travel between major cities: The Shinkansen, or as it is better known in the west, The Bullet Train. The Shinkansen is a high speed train that links up most of the major cities in Japan south of Hokkaido.  If …

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Visiting Baguio and Banaue

There are some cities in the world which can only be described as great cities. Cities where you can walk around all day and never cease finding good street food, restaurants, parks and shops. The people are nice and the streets are clean. Baguio is such a city. I probably spent too long in Manila. …

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Transportation in the Philippines

Perhaps the most unique thing about the Philippines is the transportation system. With the exception of a short light rail line in Manila, there is zero public transportation in the Philippines. Well, they call it public transportation, but the ‘public’ refers to who the service is aimed at not ownership like in the US. The …

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Palm Sunday in Jerusalem

I’m in Jerusalem now having spent three days near the Dead Sea. I was able to visit Masada and finally got my chance to float in the waters of the Dead Sea. Let me just say that a Dead Sea float is one of the most overrated things I’ve done on my trip. You float. …

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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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