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The Guilty Pleasure of Watching Stupid People
Published on 2012-05-21 05:36:12
Thanks for following and reading Overland Travel Adventures from Go, See, WriteHow to Not Get Locked Up Abroad I have written about safety on the road before, but this is a slightly different topic. Instead of focusing on how to avoid being robbed or scammed, National Geographic wants me to give my tips for how to avoid getting arrested and imprisoned abroad. I have thought long [...]The Guilty Pleasure of Watching Stupid People is a post from: Go, See, Write - Overland Travel Adventure Tales th [..] > read more
Italy via Photography: A Small Photo Journey
Published on 2012-05-07 10:09:09
Thanks for following and reading Overland Travel Adventures from Go, See, WriteI have said for quite a long time that if I ever make any real money, I will live in Italy. I might be talked into Spain or Portugal also, especially if its near the water. And Croatia has a deep place in my wanderlusting heart. But I simply love everything about Italy. It helps [...]Italy via Photography: A Small Photo Journey is a post from: Go, See, Write - Overland Travel Adventure Tales this is Italy via Photogra [..] > read more
Interview with Andy Hayes, a.k.a. @andrewghayes: Lucky 13 Questions
Published on 2012-05-01 10:09:35
Thanks for following and reading Overland Travel Adventures from Go, See, WriteAndy Hayes is someone that I have be following for a while, but until I sat down and listened to him speak at TBU Innsbruck last summer, I didn’t know he would be one of my gurus. Andy is my newsletter guru. I had known for quite a while that I needed to set up [...]Interview with Andy Hayes, a.k.a. @andrewghayes: Lucky 13 Questions is a post from: Go, See, Write - Overland Travel Adventure Tales this is Intervi [..] > read more
Bette, Freddy, Madonna, Louie, Joe… a Show of a Lifetime
Published on 2012-04-30 09:09:44
Thanks for following and reading Overland Travel Adventures from Go, See, WriteAn celebrity impersonation show combines nostalgia, campiness and hilarity. They are a fun sing-along and also a gentle laugh-at, all for the price of one ticket. I am not sure I’ve ever been to a impersonation show. Wait, I take that back. I do remember stumbling into a transvestite drag show years ago in Key [...]Bette, Freddy, Madonna, Louie, Joe… a Show of a Lifetime is a post from: Go, See, Write - Ov [..] > read more
Jerusalem, the Most Historical City in the World?
Published on 2012-04-20 05:50:12
Thanks for following and reading Overland Travel Adventures from Go, See, WriteJerusalem simultaneously confounds and amazes. In the list of “Cities Unlike Any Place Else,” it has to be right up near the top. It has been a few months since I was there and I still really don’t know what to think. I spent two weeks there in Feburary and can only feel confident enough [...]Jerusalem, the Most Historical City in the World? is a post from: Go, See, Write - Overland Travel Adventure [..] > read more
Asking for a Little Help from You, My Loyal Readers
Published on 2012-04-16 07:34:03
Thanks for following and reading Overland Travel Adventures from Go, See, WriteI could use a little help — and will hopefully not only make it easy for you to do so, but also give you a nice incentive to do so. Its time for me to do another giveaway. I did one when I started my newsletter. It is time for another one… I am giving [...]Asking for a Little Help from You, My Loyal Readers is a post from: Go, See, Write - Overland Travel Adventure Tales this is Asking for a Little Help fr [..] > read more
My New Love of Great Vintage Travel Posters
Published on 2012-04-09 14:08:32
Thanks for following and reading Overland Travel Adventures from Go, See, WriteI have fallen down the rabbit hole that Pinterest has partly created for me. Most of us are visual people and I am full-on in that category. The interface for posting photos is simple (basically download an extension/add-on to your browser and right click on images you want to pin to one of your boards). [...]My New Love of Great Vintage Travel Posters is a post from: Go, See, Write - Overland Travel Adventure Tales t [..] > read more
Interview with Geraldine DeRuiter, a.k.a. @everywhereist: Lucky 13 Questions
Published on 2012-04-06 08:08:05
Thanks for following and reading Overland Travel Adventures from Go, See, WriteGeraldine is a Twitter friend. By Twitter friend I mean this: we’ve never met, we’ve never spoken on Skype or a regular phone, and until we exchanged emails for this interview, I don’t think we’ve really even emailed each other, at least not in any long, substantive form. Our friendship (so far) exists in 140 [...]Interview with Geraldine DeRuiter, a.k.a. @everywhereist: Lucky 13 Questions is a [..] > read more
The Short Tale of an Idiot
Published on 2012-04-03 12:44:02
Thanks for following and reading Overland Travel Adventures from Go, See, WriteThat idiot would be me, of course. Earlier this year, I was in Amman for about a month to prepare for and then conduct a social media training seminar for a group of people in the travel industry in Jordan. It was a great chance to work with two of my favorite bloggers and social [...]The Short Tale of an Idiot is a post from: Go, See, Write - Overland Travel Adventure Tales this is The Short Tale of an Idiot from Ove [..] > read more
Interview with Christy and Scott of @OrdinaryTraveler: Lucky 13 Questions
Published on 2012-03-31 09:08:51
Thanks for following and reading Overland Travel Adventures from Go, See, WriteI haven’t gotten to know Christy and Scott nearly as well as I would have liked to. I have been following their blog and their wonderful photography from afar for the past few months, but they are on the long list of people that I want to hoist a few pints of beer with — [...]Interview with Christy and Scott of @OrdinaryTraveler: Lucky 13 Questions is a post from: Go, See, Write - Overland Travel Adventure [..] > read more
Tribute to a Friend and Wondering Why
Published on 2012-03-27 18:39:06
Thanks for following and reading Overland Travel Adventures from Go, See, WriteI heard a few hours ago a friend of mine committed suicide. She apparently blew herself away with a gun — I didn’t get the full details. I’m not sure I really want to know. Her name was Deborah. I will not be able to go to her funeral later this week. I met her [...]Tribute to a Friend and Wondering Why is a post from: Go, See, Write - Overland Travel Adventure Tales this is Tribute to a Friend and W [..] > read more
My Comfortable Country
Published on 2012-03-26 09:08:27
Thanks for following and reading Overland Travel Adventures from Go, See, WriteI simply love the U.K. And just to be sure that I don’t offend my many friends from nearby, let me also say – I love Ireland as well. The set of islands in this area (and I hope to do some of the smaller ones, like the Channel Islands and Isle of Man, later [...]My Comfortable Country is a post from: Go, See, Write - Overland Travel Adventure Tales this is My Comfortable Country from Overland Travel Advent [..] > read more
Solo Travel and the Issue of Loneliness
Published on 2012-03-20 09:08:40
Thanks for following and reading Overland Travel Adventures from Go, See, WriteThere are a multitude of perils of long-term travel. Though I get more than my fair share of comments along the lines of “wow, your life must be great” when I tell people that I travel full-time, it has its ups and downs just like any life choice. Although I do hear that line a [...]Solo Travel and the Issue of Loneliness is a post from: Go, See, Write - Overland Travel Adventure Tales this is Solo Travel [..] > read more
Making Your Mouth Water from Jerusalem
Published on 2012-03-18 09:08:49
Thanks for following and reading Overland Travel Adventures from Go, See, WriteI don’t do much food photography. Photos of wonderful tasting dishes just don’t do much for me as a photographer. That isn’t to say there aren’t some amazing food photography out there for you to enjoy. Two of my closest friends are some of the best food photographers I know, Ayngelina of Bacon is Magic [...]Making Your Mouth Water from Jerusalem is a post from: Go, See, Write - Overland Travel [..] > read more
Interview with Kash, the @budgettraveller: Lucky 13 Questions
Published on 2012-03-15 09:08:54
Thanks for following and reading Overland Travel Adventures from Go, See, WriteThis is a perfect week to publish Kash’s Lucky 13 interview. You see, it was his birthday just a few days ago. There was a great group of travel bloggers that celebrated with him last Saturday night in Berlin and…. there is video. Kash is a man on the move. He is one of the [...]Interview with Kash, the @budgettraveller: Lucky 13 Questions is a post from: Go, See, Write - Overland Travel Adventure Tales th [..] > read more
Up, Up and Away: Israeli Security and Easy Jet Adventures
Published on 2012-03-13 16:36:51
Thanks for following and reading Overland Travel Adventures from Go, See, WriteAs most of you know by now, I don’t fly very often, especially for someone that travels over ten months annually. Ground travel is my preference, but sometimes one has no other choice but to take to the airways. Last month, I needed to get from Jerusalem to Berlin for ITB, which is the biggest [...]Up, Up and Away: Israeli Security and Easy Jet Adventures is a post from: Go, See, Write - Overland Travel Adventur [..] > read more
Interview with Andrew Evans (@wheresandrew) of National Geographic: Lucky 13 Questions
Published on 2012-02-29 08:08:46
Thanks for following and reading Overland Travel Adventures from Go, See, WriteAndrew is one of the icons of the travel writing community. He is currently a National Geographic Traveler contributing editor and came to my reading attention when he undertook a travel quest that was partly similar to my round-the-world without flying one — in 2010, he went from Washington, D.C. to Antarctica… by bus. Now [...]Interview with Andrew Evans (@wheresandrew) of National Geographic: Lucky 13 Q [..] > read more
7 Super Shots Photo Game with @Hostelbookers
Published on 2012-02-27 08:08:02
Thanks for following and reading Overland Travel Adventures from Go, See, WriteI normally don’t do these “tagging” posts, where someone starts up a thread, posts some series of things, then tags some people to do the same thing after them. For one thing, most of them just take up too much time and for another, I really don’t like blogging about what everyone else is blogging [...]7 Super Shots Photo Game with @Hostelbookers is a post from: Go, See, Write - Overland Travel [..] > read more
Interview with Pete and Dalene Heck of @hecktictravels — Lucky 13 Questions
Published on 2012-02-22 06:17:19
Thanks for following and reading Overland Travel Adventures from Go, See, WriteTime to meet two of my favorite people and favorite bloggers, Pete and Dalene (not Darlene, a mistake I made once… once) Heck of Hecktic Travels. Given the nature of travel blogging, it is a relatively rare time when I can say that I met the people I am interviewing, but in this case, I [...]Interview with Pete and Dalene Heck of @hecktictravels — Lucky 13 Questions is a post from: Go, See, Write - Overlan [..] > read more
Trip Advisor Is Better Than Your Guidebook
Published on 2012-02-16 07:50:27
Thanks for following and reading Overland Travel Adventures from Go, See, WriteI used to love guidebooks. On my round-the-world journey, I actually started the trip with three of them weighing down my backpack — the Lonely Planet backpacker guides for Central America, South America and Africa. This was in addition to six other paperbacks I starting off carrying. I have a slight book addiction. Although I [...]Trip Advisor Is Better Than Your Guidebook is a post from: Go, See, Write - Overl [..] > read more
Zagreb, Croatia — Unexpectedly Cool City
Published on 2012-02-10 14:08:01
Thanks for following and reading Overland Travel Adventures from Go, See, WriteDuring my summer in Europe last year, I spent about two weeks in Zagreb on three different occasions. I was holed up in Croatia for about a month, because I was wanting on a passport expediting service back in the States to get my Russian, Chinese and Vietnamese visa. Expedited in this sense is a [...]Zagreb, Croatia — Unexpectedly Cool City is a post from: Go, See, Write - Overland Travel Adventure Tales this i [..] > read more
Santorini, Greece — Travel via Instagram
Published on 2012-02-06 12:11:22
Thanks for following and reading Overland Travel Adventures from Go, See, WriteA good friend of mine, Yvonne of JustTravelous, hit upon an idea just a few weeks ago that I really loved. She is a big Instagram fan, the iPhone app that allows you to take photos with your iPhone, or iPod Touch, and post them to friends following you on Instagram, as well as posting [...]Santorini, Greece — Travel via Instagram is a post from: Go, See, Write - Overland Travel Adventure Tales this is Santorini, [..] > read more
Interview with Natalie Taylor, a.k.a. @NearAfar: Lucky 13 Questions
Published on 2012-01-29 05:50:22
Thanks for following and reading Overland Travel Adventures from Go, See, WriteNatalie is a blogger and writer that has only recently been brought to my attention, by my amazing friend Ayngelina and I am quite happy she did. She has written for a variety of publications (see her writing page for more details), but what I particularly admire is that she manages to keep up an interesting and [...]Interview with Natalie Taylor, a.k.a. @NearAfar: Lucky 13 Questions is a post from: Go, See, Write - [..] > read more
Amazing Travel-ish Videos — the Space Episode
Published on 2012-01-26 06:59:24
Thanks for following and reading Overland Travel Adventures from Go, See, WriteAs a new part of my newsletter every month, I decided to add a section of links to various posts, stories, videos and other stuff that I have found on the internet in the last month that will hopefully be interesting to you. The feedback has been very positive about it and I realized this [...]Amazing Travel-ish Videos — the Space Episode is a post from: Go, See, Write - Overland Travel Adventure Tales this is A [..] > read more
Voice for Radio and a Face to Match
Published on 2012-01-25 07:18:30
Thanks for following and reading Overland Travel Adventures from Go, See, WriteRadio is one of my favorite media formats, both to listen to and also to appear on. In my past lives, both in politics and law, I have had plenty of opportunities to be interviewed by print, radio and television. Radio is simply just a lot of fun. As the saying goes… voice for radio… [...]Voice for Radio and a Face to Match is a post from: Go, See, Write - Overland Travel Adventure Tales this is Voice for [..] > read more
Jet Lag Hell
Published on 2012-01-18 07:08:33
Thanks for following and reading Overland Travel Adventures from Go, See, Write“This is why I travel overland. I am an overland traveler. I am an overland traveler.” Laying in bed, I repeat it over and over again, as if it will solve my current woe. There are plenty of reasons I prefer traveling overland as much as I can. In fact, I am in the midst [...]Jet Lag Hell is a post from: Go, See, Write - Overland Travel Adventure Tales this is Jet Lag Hell from Overland Travel Adventures f [..] > read more
Interview with Lisa Lubin, a.k.a. @LLworldtour: Lucky 13 Questions
Published on 2012-01-12 08:08:18
Thanks for following and reading Overland Travel Adventures from Go, See, WriteLisa is damn impressive. First things first, she has won three Emmy awards. That’s pretty cool, in and of itself. In her pre-travel life, she worked for fifteen years as a television writer/producer/editor. Obviously, as an award winning one. She’s gave up that career over three years ago for a life of travel, writing, blogging, and [...]Interview with Lisa Lubin, a.k.a. @LLworldtour: Lucky 13 Questions i [..] > read more
Vancouver in Video and Pictures: Stanley Cup Game 7 Night
Published on 2011-07-03 14:59:33
One thing that Canada does completely kick our American asses at is our respective national anthems, at least in my eyes. I am not a huge fan of the Star Spangled Banner -- O' Canada is so much better to my ears.Vancouver in Video and Pictures: Stanl > read more
Why We Decided To Travel Around 30 Countries In 90 Days By Train: Guest Post by As We Travel
Published on 2011-07-01 08:47:55
It might turn out terrible, you might wish you never wanted to do it - but at least you knew what it was like, and at least you've learnt something more about the world - and about yourself ... because to be honest isn't THAT what all this traveling > read more
Photo of the Day: Fishing in Byblos, Lebanon
Published on 2011-06-30 16:14:08
Byblos, Lebanon is a really nice little town on the shores of the Mediterranean. It isn’t too far north of Beirut, so you can make it up and back on an easy day trip via the many little mini-buses plying their way up and down the coasts. It doe > read more
Interview with Beth and Randy of Beers and Beans: Lucky 13
Published on 2011-06-29 19:21:26
Pretty much they had me hooked just with the name of their website, Beers and Beans, but then I got to know them a bit more online and learned they are not only incredibly talented, but also incredibly nice, helpful and thoughtful. We've been talking > read more
5 Things to Do in Grenada
Published on 2011-06-25 18:21:15
Grenada was actually discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1498 on his third voyage to the "New World," but is more famous to Americans as the site of a truly insignificant short war we had during the Reagan presidency in 1983. I think it lasted abou > read more
Amsterdam: A Quick Stop
Published on 2011-06-22 13:41:14
To start with the obvious, Amsterdam is beautiful. The canals wind their way throughout the downtown area and provide a peaceful visual uniqueness to the city. Many have classified it with Venice, solely based on the canals, but I don't think the two > read more
TBEX 2011 Review (Part II): The Content
Published on 2011-06-20 13:35:38
Would love to hear your comments on the content of the 2011 TBEX conference (sorry I didn't do more of that here) and your thoughts for TBEX 2012, though many of those ideas from you were on the last thread also. I think the organizers are listening. > read more
Father’s Day: What I Learned from Baseball
Published on 2011-06-19 18:40:33
My love of baseball was one of the things that I definitely picked up from my Dad as I was growing up. He played from his youth, all the way through high school and to college on a baseball scholarship, his possible career ending in a bad motorcycle > read more
TBEX 2011 Review (Part One): In Need of Some Professionalism and Basic Organization
Published on 2011-06-15 08:07:39
TBEX is delivering a half-assed product when it actually comes to the conference itself. Getting to meet all the travel bloggers was great, but this conference was a stunning disappointment to me. I am in awe of the talent of the travel blogging comm > read more
Interview with Diana of DTravelsRound: Lucky 13 Questions
Published on 2011-06-07 13:08:52
Which are all adjectives you could use to describe her website and her attitude on Twitter. She's done a good bit of exploring in traveling in some places I have yet to hit, like the Balkans, and she brings a completely unique perspective (and some w > read more
Oaxaca, Mexico: Night of the Radishes
Published on 2011-06-05 13:29:10
Mexico is one of the countries that I really want to get back to and spend some more time in at some point in the not-so-distant future. On my trip around the world, I went straight to Mexico City to meet up with friends there, so I missed more t > read more
Madaba Mosaic Map
Published on 2011-06-03 12:57:50
The map is not complete, as the town was destroyed by earthquake in 746 and largely abandoned. The current church was rebuilt on the site in 1894, when the mosaic was rediscovered. It is a truly inspiring site and should be on your list, when you go > read more
Worst Movie of All-Time??
Published on 2011-05-30 03:57:54
In a variety of places in the Third World (plus China and some others), you can buy pirated DVDs for amazingly cheap prices. In Kenya, I found some DVDs of the Boston Legal TV series, where the covers made me chuckle. I was walking through a market i > read more
Men Traveling with Teddy Bears
Published on 2011-05-26 02:57:59
Fast forward a little bit and I am on an overnight bus in Colombia. Actually, you don't have to fast forward too far, this was only two weeks after hearing this amazing teddy bear news. I look across the aisle of the bus as the day turned to night an > read more
Amazing Petra: a Photo Journal
Published on 2011-05-25 08:48:03
I have to admit that there is something I don't like about Petra... going through all my photos after visiting to try to find the best ten or so. Petra is one of the true Wonders of the World and one of the must-see sights in Jordan, but it is almost > read more
Interview with Lara Dunston of Grandtourismo:Lucky 13 Questions
Published on 2011-05-24 08:48:23
Globetrotting travel writer Lara Dunston has authored, contributed to and updated some 50+ guidebooks for Lonely Planet, Rough Guides, and…. a lot more… as well as published travel articles in magazines, newspapers and websites around t > read more
The First Annual Dahab Festival
Published on 2011-05-23 08:25:36
Why do I highlight that one? Because it was being hosted by Rea Sea Relax Diving, where I did my rescue diving class and assorted other diving for the last month or so and they wanted me to enter. Let's be very clear about this -- the competition w > read more
Volunteering Made Simple
Published on 2011-05-21 07:18:57
Volunteering is a selfless way to give your time to work with people who are less fortunate than you are. It is an opportunity to utilize your skills as well as experiencing a country first hand.Volunteering Made Simple is a post from: Go, See, Write > read more
Baalbek, Lebanon: a Photo Journal
Published on 2011-05-19 09:28:52
Baalbek, know as Heliopolis during the Roman period, was one of the most important cities in the region. During the reign of Augustus (1st century BCE), the three temples that make up the impressive complex were built to honor Jupiter, Venus, and Bac > read more
Interview with Lauren Juliff of Never Ending Footsteps: Lucky 13 Questions
Published on 2011-05-18 09:50:49
Lauren Juliff is about to embark on her big round-the-world (RTW) trip in a few weeks, after finishing up her Masters in Physics at Royal Holloway. Yep, finishing up her Masters in Physics — beautiful, talented, and crazy smart. Like last weeks > read more
A Little Slice of Relaxation Heaven in Jordan
Published on 2011-05-16 08:59:47
Perfectly themed, colored and decorated to blend into the surrounding environment -- I only wished I had more than one night to enjoy resting in the lap of luxury. A Little Slice of Relaxation Heaven in Jordan is a post from: Go, See, Write - Overla > read more
So Bad It’s Good: Eurovision Song Contest
Published on 2011-05-15 09:43:28
I had no idea what the Eurovision Song Contest was until around dinner time last night, here in Dahab. I was doing a little work on the computer at a little restaurant right on the water and noticed everyone intently watching some show on television. > read more
What I DON’T Admire about the Dalai Lama
Published on 2011-05-11 13:20:44
What do all those practitioners of have in common that is in direct opposition to what the Dalai Lama has done?? They didn't leave.What I DON’T Admire about the Dalai Lama is a post from: Go, See, Write - Overland Adventure Travel > read more
Interview with Lindsay Hogg of The Traveler:Lucky 13 Questions
Published on 2011-05-10 09:37:52
Easily winning the award for the most intentionally "in your face" interview yet in the Lucky 13 series, come meet the incredibly reserved, demure and standoffishly polite Lindsay Hogg. Lindsay and I have had more than a few insult war exchanges on T > read more
What Happens When It Rains in the Desert?
Published on 2011-05-06 10:30:30
Wadi Rum itself was what I'd be anticipating for days. The color of the sandstone walls seems at places as if slowly melting into the floor of the desert beneath them. When the jeep stopped and I got out to take photos, the complete silence engulfs y > read more
Why Come to Dahab, Egypt… Right Now?
Published on 2011-05-05 11:36:33
I am writing this quick post from the wonderful little beach town of Dahab, Egypt on the Red Sea. The question I got most often before my little jaunt over here to the Middle East from everyone back home was twofold, "why the Middle East and why now? > read more
Interview with Ant Stone of TrailofAnts.com: Lucky 13 Questions
Published on 2011-05-03 09:05:58
Aside from having the most interesting name in the travel blogging world, Ant Stone has one of the more interesting blogs itself. He’s been blogging since 2007 and has had more than his fair shares of adventure in that time. Recently, he’ > read more
Domaine des Tourelles: Lebanon does Wine?? Why yes it does – and quite well.
Published on 2011-05-02 11:49:13
As a wine lover, I try to take every opportunity to try local wines anywhere I travel. I bicycled around some wine districts in New Zealand sampling some of their excellent wines. I partook in Chile and Argentina. I ran through Europe quickly… > read more
The Oddity of German Kitchens
Published on 2011-05-01 01:48:37
When you buy or rent a home in Germany, you should have no expectation that a kitchen is included. There is a room that you could use as a kitchen. That room may have a few old cabinets and a sink, but mostly, it will be a completely empty room wit > read more
Ruins, ruins, ruins!! Spectacular Jerash
Published on 2011-04-28 08:49:32
Jerash has some of the most well preserved Roman ruins anywhere in the world. In those days, the city was known as Gerasa. It has been occupied since the Bronze Age and achieved notoriety when Emperor Hadrian visited Jerash in AD 129-130 -- ergo the > read more
Interview with Jodi Ettenberg of Legal Nomads: Lucky 13 Questions
Published on 2011-04-26 06:48:46
From such beginnings, a mostly (though unfortunately) long-distance friendship was struck and now I talk to her pretty much every week. She is one of the most popular travel bloggers out there - it is literally amazing how many people comment on her > read more
Night Video of the Damascus Souk
Published on 2011-04-25 09:48:15
On my last night in Damascus, I finally remembered that I could take video with my little point and shoot camera. These aren't exactly the best videos in the world, but will help you get a feel for the size and atmosphere of the area.Night Video of > read more
A Wonderful and Unexpected Surprise
Published on 2011-04-23 09:48:41
Before I headed to the Middle East, I tweeted that I was going during a few of the travel talk conversations I have there during the week. In typical Twitter-blogger fashion, someone replied immediately with an unsolicited offer of assistance. I̵ > read more
Interview with Kirsty and Poi of NoPlaceToBe: Lucky 13 Questions
Published on 2011-04-19 08:33:36
Kirsty and Poi are a couple that I admire quite a lot. Well, frankly I envy them even more than that. They are traveling the world in their early 20s and doing it as a couple, with a great sense of humor as a bonus. I wish I'd taken their path way ba > read more
Friday is the new Saturday.
Published on 2011-04-17 10:39:12
The Friday mid-day prayer is compulsory (for all men over the age of 10) and must be done at the mosque. Which leads to another interesting component of Fridays here in the Middle East -- at least here while things are a bit unsettled politically.Fri > read more
Writing on the Beach: My Current Plan
Published on 2011-04-13 00:51:21
First, an update on the recent weeks. I got to Lebanon about a month ago and spent two great weeks there. Then a quick week in Syria and now I am a wonderful week-long guided tour of Jordan, sponsored by the Jordan Tourism Board. The problem? Hardly > read more
Interview with Erica and Shaun of Over Yonderlust: Lucky 13 Questions
Published on 2011-04-12 10:14:17
I got to meet Erica in Austin a few months ago, when I was down there visiting some friend, but didn't get a chance to meet Shaun, since he was working. She was fun, sassy and interesting and given Shaun's answers to these Lucky 13 questions, she has > read more
Photo of the Day: Kids on the Road
Published on 2011-04-10 01:27:17
OK, currently I am on a one week tour sponsored and provided through the amazing generosity of the Jordan Tourism Board. It is fabulous, educational and will provide the fodder for a half dozen posts. The only down side is that they have me doing so > read more
Interview with Rick Griffin of Midlife Road Trip: Lucky 13 Questions
Published on 2011-04-05 10:49:58
He and his wife are doing the Mongol Rally this summer with Sherry Ott of Ottsworld and Dave and Deb of thePlanetD, they have created the very popular #NUTS chat on Twitter every Tuesday afternoon, they blog, they do videos... pretty much I just want > read more
My Favorite Spam Comments (Part II)
Published on 2011-04-04 10:49:42
Part One of my attempt to troll through my spam box for some funny and ill-timed comments seemed to be met with some modicum of approval and there was a recent discussion on the Travel Bloggers Group on Facebook where some folks asked for more, so he > read more
Photo of the Day: Drinks on the Mediterranean
Published on 2011-04-03 10:49:57
Now that I have managed to make it over to Damascus, Syria (and yes, everything is fine here, at least where I am), I am starting to do up some of my posts on my two weeks in Lebanon. This shot was from a place where I stopped at the end of a day of > read more
Photo of the Day: Sunset Fishing
Published on 2011-04-01 15:11:14
These guys were fishing off one of the rocky outcroppings just outside the ancient harbor of Byblos — one of the oldest occupied cities of the world. The coastal areas of Lebanon have a variety of treasures and this little town is certainly o > read more
The Taxi Cab Guide: What You Need to Know
Published on 2011-03-30 08:50:21
Never get in without agreeing on a fare – Period. The merits of a number of these suggetions might be argued over by some (and I assume they will be down below), but number one on the list is the most important hard-and-fast rule in my book.The Tax > read more
Interview with Ken Kaminesky of KenKaminesky.com: Lucky 13 Questions
Published on 2011-03-29 10:24:10
Given how much I love his photography, perhaps that is just karma working in his favor. If you haven't checked out his photos (including the one that made the cover of National Geographic recently), you are missing out on one of the best out there.In > read more
My Kenya/Tanzania Wish List
Published on 2011-03-26 03:02:44
After four and a half months of traveling overland from Cape Town to Cairo in the summer of 2009, I was so ready to get out of Africa and get to someplace where things worked. I was fed up, frustrated, exhausted and just sick of it all. I can’t > read more
The Hostel Owners’ Guide: The How-to’s… Please!
Published on 2011-03-24 09:48:27
If you've got the rules, damn it, enforce them. Perhaps kicking out the habitually drunk idiot(s) that stumble in and wake everyone up every night at 3 a.m. might, might give them a clue to slightly modify their behavior. At a minimum, its going to m > read more
Arrival in Beirut, Lebanon
Published on 2011-03-23 08:49:34
Considering my long-ago regular flying mishaps, these flights came off without a hitch. As is now pretty much par for me, I’d done almost no research about my destination. One part lazy, mixed with one part guidebook avoidance, mixed with one part > read more
Interview with Rolf Potts of Vagabonding: Lucky 13 Questions
Published on 2011-03-22 06:36:00
Rolf Potts is a bit of a young travel writing/blogging legend. Author of Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel and Marco Polo Didn't Go There: Stories and Revelations From One Decade as a Postmodern Travel Writer and als > read more
Best of New Zealand
Published on 2011-03-21 08:05:07
As if the people aren't enough reason to go visit New Zealand, the scenery is so spectacular that you'd want to go, even if the islands were uninhabited. Milford Sound is rightly world famous as one of the most scenic fjords in the world, but for my > read more
I am in Love… with my Passport
Published on 2011-03-17 10:48:16
Recently, I had to mail her off to the Syrian Embassy to get a visa for my upcoming trip there. While she was gone, I paced the floor constantly. Would she get lost in the mail? Would the Syrian Embassy somehow screw something up and lose her behind > read more
Photo of the Day: Happy Island
Published on 2011-03-16 10:49:06
I had the opportunity a few months back to head over to the island of Grenada to hang out with a friend of mine there that works for a sailboat charter company. As part of that month or so I spent living on a sailboat, we ended up sailing up to a fe > read more
Interview with the Banff Squirrel: Lucky 13 Questions
Published on 2011-03-15 10:49:21
The Banff Squirrel came to my attention via Twitter and Thursday's travel talk with the #TNI hashtag. He has more followers than me. According to all ranking systems, he is more influential than me. He's often times funnier than me. And all the women > read more
Photo of the Day: Whiskeria Zorba
Published on 2011-03-14 12:37:11
I really love Colombia, as everyone knows, and Cartagena is one of the many cities and towns that I love there. This is even though I might have had one of my worst nights ever in a hostel (but got my revenge). The photographic opportunities in C > read more
Photo of the Day: St. Petersburg Skyline
Published on 2011-03-10 12:00:32
St. Petersburg is the only city in Russia that I liked… and I loved it. Amazing buildings and museums. The people weren’t any friendlier there than the rest of Russia, but the scenery was great. Photo of the Day: St. Petersburg Skyline is > read more
Interview with Christine Amorose of C’est Christine: Lucky 13 Questions
Published on 2011-03-08 09:19:29
Christine gave up a great career in the high tech industry to move to France and bartend and work on her fabulous tan.... didn't get the travel bug fully out of her and is headed to Australia to work, write and have more fun.Interview with Christine > read more
Top 10 Months to Travel
Published on 2011-03-07 08:48:25
I thought it was important to pick a topic that would appeal to almost everyone. I didn't want to be too specific, like a Top 10 Beaches in Australia, or a Top 10 Things to Eat in Thailand, so while pondering this out for a bit, I think I came up a > read more
Photo of the Day: Dresden Statute
Published on 2011-03-03 09:40:36
There is so much that is photo worthy in Dresden, Germany. I spend two or three summer days there and could have spend two or three weeks. It is a beautiful city bisected by the River Elbe. A must see city in central Europe, in my opinion. Here are > read more
Interview with Earl Baron of Wandering Earl: Lucky 13 Questions
Published on 2011-03-01 09:09:48
Earl is my idol. On December 25th, 1999, he left the USA for a three-month, post-graduation trip to Southeast Asia. He’s basically been traveling ever since. Amazing. As you can imagine from someone that has been on the road, and writing, fo > read more
My Favorite Travel Books (Part One)
Published on 2011-02-28 09:48:32
For me, part and parcel with trying to become a better writer is reading. A lot. While I'd like to think that my writing it fairly good and hopefully deserving at some point of being published somewhere, I am under no misconceptions that I can hold a > read more
Photo of the Day: Dragonfly
Published on 2011-02-24 10:33:57
I haven’t tried much macro photography, but probably need to give it more of a try. This one isn’t great — the focus isn’t perfect — but I figured it is good enough to display. Hope you like. Photo of the Day: Dragon > read more
Interview with Sherry Ott of Ottsworld: Lucky 13 Questions
Published on 2011-02-22 08:48:55
I owe Sherry a great debt. When I originally came up with the idea for the Ultimate Train Challenge it was merely going to be me going on my own. I was Skyping with her about the concept and she said, “you need to invite other travel blogge > read more
Top 10 Lists Suck. A lot.
Published on 2011-02-21 08:48:26
"I hate top 10 lists. I will never do a top 10 list. I will never re-tweet or otherwise positively review a top 10 list in any forum. I will cast the appropriate amount of scorn and derision upon them, because I realize Top 10 lists are a tool of > read more
Traveling and Dying — the Real Risks in Life
Published on 2011-02-18 12:05:15
Last night I had a brief Twitter conversation with a few friends as a result of one of them posting this article, Abalone diver taken by great white sharks in Australia. My friend, Stewart of Travelfish.org, is deathly afraid of sharks and there was > read more
Worst Water I’ve Ever Drank (Sudan Desert)
Published on 2011-02-17 12:19:36
I was drinking a nice, cold glass of water last night with Lawrence of Arabia on the TV and thought back to these days in the Sudanese desert. It was incredibly beautiful. I cannot wait to go back and do some more desert travel (in fact, I have a t > read more
Interview with Marcello Arrambide, the Wandering Trader: Lucky 13 Questions
Published on 2011-02-15 08:48:21
Marcello Arrambide is a really interesting guy that I recently started reading and don't know that well. What I do know is that he's incredibly smart, well traveled, a good writer with a good eye, and his photos are excellent. In my book, that make > read more
The Ultimate Train Challenge — Welcome to the Adventure
Published on 2011-02-14 08:38:40
As of today, Chris and I have got the Ultimate Train Challenge website up and running. It is a bit of a skeleton right now, but we'll be adding more content and explanation soon. There are forums there, where we'd like people to participate in the > read more
Photo of the Day: Dresden Summer Day
Published on 2011-02-10 12:58:41
I am snowed in here in Northwest Arkansas, so I thought I’d post a photo I took on a lovely summer day in Dresden, Germany. Incredibly beautiful city that was almost completely destroyed in World War II, but is well worth a visit if you are in > read more
My Love of Bocce
Published on 2011-02-09 08:38:42
I had no idea what bocce was, but have never needed an excuse to go to Napa, so I hoped on the plane. It was the best weekend I have ever spent out there, which is a tough list to be on top of. > read more
Interview with Wes Nations of Johnny Vagabond: Lucky 13 Questions
Published on 2011-02-08 08:48:08
Wes is one of my favorite travel bloggers out there on the road right now. No one seems to get into more unusual and entertaining situations than him. Go read his post on getting into a poker scam in Vietnam for example. His photography is also b > read more
5 Things You Must Do in Austin, Texas
Published on 2011-02-07 08:38:37
Yes, I will be the first to admit that I am one of those annoying Texans that are proud of their culture and where they live. If you lived in Austin, Texas too, you would feel the same way. There are a few must-dos when you come into town and I make > read more
Photo of the Day: Maine Rowboat
Published on 2011-02-06 09:39:19
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…. well…. in Maine, I took this shot. But it was a long time ago. Pre-digital photography. From a great road trip. Another one of my Maine photographs. > read more
Photo of the Day: Lighthouse at the End of the World
Published on 2011-02-04 08:38:22
At the bottom of Patagonia lies the southernmost city in the world, Ushuaia, Argentina. As the signs and postcards will tell you, when you are there are you "Fin de Mundo" -- at the end of the world. It is wonderful down there. > read more
Interview with Kirsten Alana of Kirsten Alana Travels: Lucky 13 Questions
Published on 2011-02-03 08:38:05
I better move on to Kirsten's work, which is somehow even more beautiful than her. While she makes a living as a wedding photographer, her photography talents are far from limited to that area. Go check out her various photo essays on Kirsten Alana > read more
Photo of the Day: Devil’s Marbles, Australia
Published on 2011-02-02 11:47:23
On my long, incredibly long, road trip from Brisbane to the Alice Springs/Uluru, I turned off the main toad to see the Devil’s Marbles, which are a few hundred miles north of Alice Springs (but right off the main highway, so not difficult to > read more
Interview with Amar Hussain of GapYearEscape.com: Lucky 13 Questions
Published on 2011-02-01 08:38:52
Amar and GapYearEscape came a bit late to my attention. It was only within the last couple months that I started following him in Twitter and reading his stuff, and I have really enjoyed catching up. His website, Gap Year Escape, is a very comprehe > read more
Basic, beginner travel blogging tips and advice
Published on 2011-01-31 08:38:48
Recently, I have been asked by a good number of very new travel bloggers some basic questions that I thought I might be able to help with, especially just because I am not a big tech person. So with that being said, the following are some of my blog > read more
Photo of the Day: Jousting in Maine
Published on 2011-01-30 12:35:01
Years back, when I was on one of my many drives around the United States, I drove from Boston to Maine and back down from there to Washington, D.C. to catch the 4th of July fireworks. It was my first, and so far only, trip to Maine and I loved it. > read more
Photo of the Day: Joshua Tree, California
Published on 2011-01-29 07:08:43
I previously wrote a bit about driving through Joshua Tree National Park on my way home from the Los Angeles area to Arkansas. This was another shot I took while I was there. In this one, I was using a wide angle lens and got very, very close to th > read more
Worst hotel I have ever stayed in??
Published on 2011-01-28 07:08:03
I ended up at this particularly lovely hotel because the ticket taker on my bus there, who is invariably the person in charge, took a special interest in me. As is generally par for the course, I was the only white person on the bus. He spoke som > read more
Interview with Liz Borod Wright of Travelogged.com:Lucky 13 Questions
Published on 2011-01-27 07:08:35
Liz, though she certainly does not look to be anywhere near old enough to merit this phrase, is a travel industry veteran and someone whose brain I want to start picking soon for business ideas and concepts. She started Travelogged.com in January of > read more
Photo Journal: Bogota, Colombia Graffiti Art (Part II)
Published on 2011-01-26 07:08:27
My post a week or so back, Part One of Bogota Street Art Photography, was well received, so I thought I'd knock out the other pictures I liked from my afternoon of wandering around looking at Bogota graffiti. With no further introduction, here you g > read more
Interview with Sally, the unbravegirl: Lucky 13 Questions
Published on 2011-01-25 08:08:14
Why is fun guaranteed? Because Sally is hilarious. She is one of my blogging idols because she never fails to make me laugh.... well that, plus she is the only other blogger I know that writes 2,000+ word posts regularly. She and I are the foundin > read more
Photo of the Day: Boot Heaven
Published on 2011-01-21 10:47:12
Wandering around Istanbul was one of the many highlights of the trip. One the bonuses was that I was in Istanbul during the Ramadan festival, which was just a wonderful reminder of just how much people of the world are more alike than dissimilar. > read more
Interview with Caz and Craig of yTravelBlog: Lucky 13 Questions
Published on 2011-01-20 07:48:09
Caz and Craig are lifelong travelers that have been married for eight years. They have traveled together through more than 35 countries on a variety of continents and not have another bundle to bring along with them on the road, their incredibly cut > read more
Photo Journal: Bogota, Colombia Graffiti Art (Part I)
Published on 2011-01-19 07:08:03
I remembered her walking off one day and talking a bunch of photos of the graffiti street art and on my second second trip back, I decided to pull my camera out and see if I could equal her excellent results. I am not sure I succeeded, but here are > read more
Interview with Mike Sowden of Fevered Mutterings: Lucky 13 Questions
Published on 2011-01-18 07:48:42
In addition to his excellent writing, good sense of humor and all around English pasty white niceness, he's been an unbelievably helpful internet friend to me and many other travel bloggers. I don't want to somehow get him inundated with requests fo > read more
Interview with Kelsey Freeman of Drifting Focus: Lucky 13 Questions
Published on 2011-01-14 07:48:30
Kelsey is a wonderful voice on the web and also through her photography -- and she is never, never shy about expressing her opinion. I have gotten a chance to get to know her a bit through some exchanges we have had on topics and issues of the day a > read more
2011 Travel Plans for… me
Published on 2011-01-12 07:48:59
I need to come up with a source of income this year. I feel confident I can make it through the rest of this year fairly easily (especially abroad) with the savings that I still have, but the time is neigh to me having to come up with some plan to s > read more
Interview with Andi Perullo of My Beautiful Adventures: Lucky 13 Questions
Published on 2011-01-11 07:48:21
Here are some of Andi's thoughts on her website: "I believe that you can drink champagne any time of the day. I believe that humans should be able to breathe underwater. I believe that peace is the only way to peace. I believe that chocolate fixes > read more
Interview with Dave and Deb of ThePlanetD: Lucky 13 Questions
Published on 2011-01-06 07:48:49
I think I learned more about Dave and Deb than anyone else yet in this interview series. This was one of those interviews I read when I got it back and thought to myself, "I never would have known this and that about them." And in this case, I have > read more
Photo of the Day: Joshua Tree National Park
Published on 2011-01-05 07:48:17
I have been staying with my good friend Lori and her husband for the last week or so in Palm Springs and have been working on a project that I am really excited about. Took an afternoon off today and drove through nearby > read more
Interview with Cailin O’Neil of Cailin Travels: Lucky 13 Questions
Published on 2011-01-04 07:08:05
Cailin was one of the first people I started following once I joined Twitter. Frankly, I don't remember why, but I do know that I picked one of my earliest Twitter friends well. She remains someone that I look forward to hearing from, following, read > read more
Photo of the Day: Patagonia Sunrise
Published on 2011-01-03 10:33:24
I have written a few times about sunsets verses sunrises. As a big fan of Patagonia and the whole South American coastal areas (there are a lot of them), I can say that this part of the world was a total amazement to me. I never expected to see wha > read more
Don’t like spam? Check these comments out and think again.
Published on 2010-12-31 07:08:00
I know this is weird, but I love spam comments on my blog. Every couple of days, I go through my spam filter on my website to make sure that a real comment hasn’t been caught up in there, which has happened on about… > read more
Interview with Adam Groffman of Travels of Adam: Lucky 13 Questions
Published on 2010-12-30 07:08:12
I got to know Adam a little bit when he was spending four months in Israel on an internship for the Geneva Initiative and doing some really interesting posting from there. It was an interesting time of interesting combinations on his blog, world pol > read more
Middlin’ to Average Moments in 2010
Published on 2010-12-29 07:08:33
In all the hullabaloo about everyone's best things of the year, I think we lose focus on what is truly important. The best things are great, but by definition they are rare and almost unattainable. Well, apparently they aren't that unattainable, si > read more
Interview with Amanda Williams of Dangerous Business: Lucky 13 Questions
Published on 2010-12-28 07:08:27
Amanda is one of the new generation of travel bloggers out there, similar to Brendan. Like me, she has only had a self-hosted blog for the last few months. In fact, she only started her blog in February of this year -- and her immediate success is > read more