A Pig Butchering in Pico

Pigs

  As people kept referring to farms in the Azores – often right in the centre of towns and villages, we would look around expecting to see an expanse of field, and never find it! All we could see were houses, and trying to be polite (and not wanting to… Continue reading

In The Pink

  Birds are not a big attraction for us, but we were a little curious about the Yucatan flamingos. We thought $100 was a little steep for the Flamingo Boat Tour out of Celestun, so we declined several offers from local tour operators.     Since there was a large… Continue reading

The Wizard Animator at Elephant’s Walk, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

The Elephant’s Walk Art Centre Just a short walk back of the N1 Hotel, the Elephant’s Walk Art Centre has high quality African local art set in a tropical garden. It’s also a quiet place where you won’t be bothered by hawkers. The Animator at the Elephant’s Walk Art Centre… Continue reading

Wild Monkeys Jumping On Our Boat

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  At Orange Walk, in Belize, we stayed at the Orchid Palm Inn, a lovely inn filled with  – you’ll never guess – orchid plants. Reasonable rates and very nice rooms: Orchid Palm Inn.   The owners of the Orchid Palm told us about the Lamanai Jungle River Boat, so the… Continue reading

Ring 1: Beara Peninsula’s Remarkable Scenery

  The Beara Peninsula is untouched and has very few tourists. It has some of the most remarkable and unusual scenery.     Starting at Glengarriff, and driving around the entire peninsula to Kenmare, we saw some astounding terrain. This is a photo journal.   School children in Beara Peninsula`s… Continue reading

The Secret, Cheap, Hauntingly Beautiful Mangrove Tour

  It was only by accident that we heard about the Mangrove Tour. We were swimming in a cenote at some Mayan Ruins in the Yucatan, Mexico, when a woman was telling other people about this amazing tour that no one knows about because it originates in a little village… Continue reading

Tonga: “But I’m Not a Pilot!”

Tonga Islands Aerial View

 [spacer height=”20px”]   Tonga: Going to Ouleva Island   We were flying from the Vava’u Group in Tonga to the Haap’ai Group, where we had arrangements to take a boat to an uninhabited island, Ouleva.   At the airport, as we walked out to our small 8-seater plane, I noticed the pilot was… Continue reading

Full Moon Over Beijing

  The Chinese people were warm and sweet, smiling beguilingly at Westerners, offering quick assistance, showing deep respect, bowing slightly, and always using “you first” gestures.   A Chinese acquaintance told me that the government is very strict that the people make Westerners feel welcome, but I sensed, especially outside… Continue reading

Africa: Luxury Tent Safari

Is a Safari Worth the Money? Our safari in Botswana was beyond special. When reading about safari’s, one wonders if the reports of their life-changing experiences are really authentic. We’re here to say yes, yes they are, they truly are! In fact, nothing compares to the awe-inspiring experience of seeing… Continue reading

Louisiana: Cajun Country, Crawdaddies & the Canada Connection

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  Louisiana and the Canada Connection   Louisiana: there is a strong connection between Louisiana and Canada. A good number of people in the Louisiana area came from Canada! We recalled learning this in history at school, but had completely forgotten about it, or at least I did.   French-speakers… Continue reading

Paraguay: Pride of the Guarani

[mapsmarker marker=”1″] We left Iguazu Falls on a high of blustering waterfalls surrounding us in a circle of thundering water, but we forgot to tell you about our excursion to Paraguay.   We booked a catamaran boat excursion down the Iguazu and Parana Rivers into Paraguay.   The Iguazu and… Continue reading

House Sit: Cleaning The Chicken Coop

Today we cleaned out the chicken coop at our house sit in Clairac, France. Yup! Easy Peasy.  Only problem was that fat Old Momma Chicken would not move. She’s nesting again! So we had to work around “Ms. Precious”.   The other 3 chickens had already been let out in… Continue reading

The End of That Little Road

I wonder what is at the end of that little road?! That question lead us to find some amazing places that tourists seldom get to see.  All the way through New Zealand, we slid off the main highway to see what was at the end of “that little road”.  … Continue reading

With My Eyes Closed

  “Want to go to Argentina?” I said to my friend D. “What? Argentina? Hmm… I don’t know… how long?” “Just a month. There is a great price out of LA.” “A month! I can’t get that much time off work.” “Are you sure? Have you asked?” “No. Ok, I’ll… Continue reading

Falling Down the Castle Stairs in Ireland

 [spacer height=”20px”] What a thrill it was going to be to actually stay in a real castle! We were excited. [spacer height=”20px”] [spacer height=”20px”] After spending a few days in Limerick and driving out to see the Cliffs of Moher, we were on our way to our first castle –… Continue reading

CUBA: Let’s Do The Time Warp Again… It’s A Jump To The Left…

  If you have ever wanted to go back to the 1950’s, you can easily do it in Havana, or anywhere in Cuba (with the exception of the tourist resorts).   It’s fun to actually feel the Cuba time warp. For us, it was like going back to our childhoods…. Continue reading

Searching For Crocodiles By Flashlight In The Amazon

  Well, I have done some crazy things in the past, but this one about tops them all.   On a pitch-black night, in the middle of the Amazon Jungle, in Ecuador, we canoed on a swamp searching for crocodiles by flashlight, with a 12-year-old native Quechua Indian navigating.   We… Continue reading

History Is Boring

History Repeats Itself. Which May Explain Why It's So Boring.

  Some people find history fascinating; others find it completely boring. I used to be the latter, finding all those dates absolutely meaningless (stop scowling). Random dates and events seemed like completely useless knowledge. I wanted to know what was happening today! Not 500 years ago.     In high… Continue reading

I Wish You Would Write About…

Small Questions Question Marks

  Recently, someone said to us, “I wish you would write about….”, and it occurred to us that we have never actually asked our loyal readers exactly what travel information they wish we would write about!    So this is your opportunity to say what you are thinking.   Don’t… Continue reading

A People Study in Aix (or Classic French Style)

  Aix is an elegant city with extremely well-dressed people, cobblestone streets, book stores, parks, gardens, and it has the beautiful Fountain la Rotunde at the end of the Cours Mirabeau, often compared to the Champs-Elysees street in Paris. There is a cultural air in Aix, and a hint of snobbishness.  … Continue reading