A recent essay I published brought back to me how much and how quickly travel is changing. And how quickly history is forgotten. Unless you’re watching an old movie (wow! people went to baseball games in 3-piece suits?) or looking at old pictures, technology and time can sneak up on you–and you realize that fond memory of yours sounds like complete gibberish to someone of a younger generation. Continue reading “Travel – Then and Now” »
Twenty years ago I took three months away from college to take a ship around the world. Well, not me personally. I didn’t drive the thing, but I was on it. It left from Vancouver, British Columbia in September of 1992 headed for Japan, followed by Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, India, Egypt, Turkey, Ukraine, Spain, and Venezuela. It was only three months, but it changed my life forever. Continue reading “Ode to Semester at Sea” »
I was attending a conference last year, and one of the speakers, when asked by an owner of a deluxe hotel in the middle of the mountains of Mexico if there was any way he could get away with not providing access to the internet, gave this response: “Taking the internet away from people or not providing it is going to give them withdrawal. It’s no different than a hard drug, in terms of its effects on the brain.” Continue reading “Digital Detox” »
Food poisoning sucks. Seriously. It’s so unnecessary. It seriously seriously sucks to have it. I can’t recommend it at all. I would recommend that you don’t get it, actually.
However, it’s probably going to happen. I can remember a time, back in the old days, when I was a young gallivanting explorer, naive in the ways of food preparation, when I was visiting Luxor, Egypt. The restaurant we were supposed to eat lunch at was closed for no reason at all, which was quite common in those days. Continue reading “Food Poisoning: A Review” »
I had an epiphany today. I’m in Atlanta for family reasons. As cities go, Atlanta is, in my opinion, right up there in my affections with Silver City, Nevada and Paris, Texas – two places I’ve never been. Continue reading “Escape From All My Crap” »
Today I flew a brand new airplane operated by Delta. I paid the extra money to sit in what they are calling “Economy Comfort.” I’ve flown it once before on an overseas flight–but I had an exit row seat, so I couldn’t tell how much “extra” legroom they give you. Well, I can now say none. Continue reading “Rise of the Air Zombie” »
I managed to be driving along the Pacific Coast Highway, a beautiful stretch of road, when I came across the elephant seals in mating season. Elephant seals are, in my opinion, terrifically ugly. Hugely fat beasts with mutated looking heads. Sort of like the people you see at a buffet in downtown Vegas. The farts these things let loose made birds fly from trees. Continue reading “Elephant Seals in Heat” »
It’s that time of the year again. When corporations pour hundreds of millions of dollars into advertising trying to convince you to buy something that you will grow to loathe. Whatever it is, it will soon be outdated, or it will break, or it will “accidentally” emit toxic gas throughout the house and possibly kill all the pets in the neighborhood. Continue reading “Holiday Gift Idea #31B” »
I discovered Ajay’s Montana Bananas beef jerky at a market just outside of South Lake Tahoe. As you may know, I am despondent about what has transpired in the beef jerky industry of late. (fyi…there’s no way you would know this.) Continue reading “The Beef Jerky Report – Ajay’s Montana Bananas” »
Forget Megapixels. We’re talking Gigapixels; which is a term, I must admit, I’ve never heard of. This image of Machu Picchu was taken at a resolution of 15.9 gigapixels. Which means, I think, if you print it out, you could perhaps see earthworms burrowing through the Peruvian dirt. (I’m no scientist.) Continue reading “Machu Picchu As You’ve Never Seen It (Unless You’ve Seen It)” »