Gary Swims With The Fishes (Big Fishes)

I saw some pretty cool things the last two days: sea snakes, sand sharks, humpback whales, and the grand whale shark. On Tuesday I did a dive on the navy pier. The pier is supposed to be one of the “Top 10 dives in the world”, a title which probably 100 different places on Earth …

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Bungle in the Jungle: Day 1

My trip to Rennell is certainly the biggest feather in my travel hat to date. Why? The number of non-Soloman Islanders who visit each year is around 10. You’ll probably understand why when you’re done reading this. The thing which made this my biggest adventure isn’t any one thing so much as the sum total …

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The Curious Case of the Solomon Islands Moon Rock

For those of you who don’t know me personally, let me explain something about myself. I’m a smart guy who is socially retarded. I can explain calculus to people who don’t know math. I own at trivia. I have a capacity to remember all sorts of stuff that most people, rightfully so, would never bother …

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McSamoa’s….or, Polynesians Got Back

I’m going to combine the Samoa and American Samoa McDonald’s entry because they aren’t interesting enough to do separately. As far as I can tell, there is only one restaurant in each county. The Samoa McDonald’s is right in town a block off Beach St. and the American Samoa restaurant is out near the airport. …

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December in Australia

I’m happy to report that I’ll be spending most of the month of December in Australia! Starting in early December I’ll be embarking on a 3-week long tour of Australia with G Adventures. This tour will be the 5th continent I will have traveled to with G Adventures and my longest trip with them to …

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Best Things to Do in Maui

Best Things to Do in Maui

Looking for a paradise that includes beaches, lush jungles, waterfalls, culture, and shopping? The Hawaiian Island, Maui is known to have it all and we can attest to that! Whether you love adventure or just want to relax by the beach, Maui makes for the perfect island to visit. While you might never want to …

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28 Unmissable Things to Do in New Zealand

28 Unmissable Things to Do in New Zealand

I was speaking to a total stranger about New Zealand recently. At a certain point in the conversation, he told me he’d never heard anybody say a bad word about the country. “Same for me,” I said. And it was true. Over the course of two separate New Zealand trips, and a total of 18 …

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Easter Island AKA Isle de Pascal AKA Ile de Paques AKA Rapa Nui

May 7, 2007, 12:30pm I’m on Easter Island! Let me repeat that. I’m on Easter Fricking Island!!! Easter Island is everything Tahiti is not. Few tourists. Few people. Reasonable humidity. Isolated. Cheap. Clean. I’m staying at a guesthouse called Chez Cecilia run by a woman named, you guessed it, Cecilia. The price is very reasonable …

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8 Interesting Facts About New Zealand

Maori dancer in New Zealand

Over my years on the road, several times I have found myself circling back to the Land of the Long White Cloud (a common nickname and translation for Aotearoa, the Maori name for the country). New Zealand is a country best known to some as Middle Earth (yet another fun fact and a nickname given …

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