Ireland: What You Need To Know

  The first thing you need to know if you’re driving around Ireland is that there are no traffic lights. That’s right, no traffic lights. Instead, there are 50 million roundabouts.   On arrival the ten or more roundabouts just to get out of Shannon airport caused us great anxiety…. Continue reading

Driving On The LEFT

  “Now why in God’s creation would you take yourself ever go to Ireland if yer didn’t havta? The weather is bloody miserable! For God’s sake, it rains all the frickin’ time. Are you daft man? And the wind’ll go right through ya… give yer head a wee shake.” T’s solidly Irish… Continue reading

S. E. Asia: “99% Of What We Worry About Never Happens”

  Malaria   As many of us have said before,   “99% of what we worry about never happens, and the other 1% we can handle.”   And so it was with our fears of Malaria, and fears of the side-effects of the drugs to prevent Malaria. It’s a well-known… Continue reading

Borneo: Stripped Naked By An Orangutan

  Sepilok Orangutan Nursery   We were still giddy from seeing the wild Orangutans that morning.  After returning to the gorgeous Sepilok Nature Resort, we had lunch and a short break before we headed to the Sepilok Orangutan Nursery and Rehabilitation Centre.   The Orangutan Nursery and Rehabilitation Centre houses… Continue reading

An Entire Exotic Island to Yourself in Tonga

  We had rented a cabin and were about to spend a week on an uninhabited island, Uoleva Island, in the Haap’ai Group of Tonga. It was an island we would have all to ourselves with absolutely breathtaking white powder beaches and crystal clear turquoise water (perfect for skinny dipping). There were no roads, no… Continue reading

Piranhaus, Pink Dolphins and Wild Parrots

  The Amazon Riverboat was a fantastic week, and it was definitely the highlight of our trip to Ecuador.      Piranhas We went on excursions in the long canoe every day, but we did not go swimming in the piranha lagoon! Everyone was invited to jump off the canoe and swim in… Continue reading

The Blue Mansion, 8 Wives and Buried Gold in Penang

  The Blue Mansion   We took the free shuttle, another nice touch from Le Dream Boutique Hotel, to the famed Blue Mansion.   The Blue Mansion was carefully planned and designed by the owner, Cheong Fatt Tze. Some of the original rickshaws and carriages were outside the building.  … Continue reading

Wild Africa: Best of Times & Worst of Times

    We were going to Africa – AFRICA, the trip of a lifetime. Exotic, wild, enticing, mysterious Africa, but it became both the best of times and the worst of times.     Rather than go to the most touristy parts of Africa, which are too much like North… Continue reading

Penang, Malaysia: What Is A Chew Jetty?

  Walking toward the Chew Jetty, we were excited. We had heard it was a fantastic sight, the highlight of Penang.     First of All, What is a Jetty?   It’s an odd name, but not odd for the Chinese in Malaysia. Jetty is the name of an actual… Continue reading

Getting a Ticket For Not Partying Hard Enough

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  We were trying to party hardy, really we were. Perhaps we are a little under-stated, but we were having fun, just like everyone else in New Orleans! The Ticket Officer wasn’t buying it. She gave T a ticket! A Ticket and a Scolding for not partying hard enough! Seriously. I… Continue reading

Craziest, Wildest, Lewdest Place We’ve Ever Been

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  This place is full of fantastic music, sexual innuendo, great food, riské parades, endless surprises, fantastic music (hint hint) and just wild crazy fun! Have you guessed where we’ve been? It’s more fun than a barrel of monkeys, a basket full of strange surprises, and a wagon load of… Continue reading

Children Hide Inside Tree in Sabah, Borneo, World War ll

  Borneo Jungle Walk   It was time for the Borneo Jungle Walk in Sabah, Borneo.   As we entered the jungle, the first thing to walk across was a swinging rope bridge, which David managed with ease.  I won’t say how T managed on the rope bridge, but  I… Continue reading

Best Off-The-Beaten-Path Beach and Town In The Yucatan, Mexico

Progresso It was exciting to see the sublime azure ocean come into view as you drive in to Progresso on the North coast of the Yucatan. We were here is 2008 and it was just a small fishing village with a beautiful miles-long sandy beach and clear aquamarine water. As we drove… Continue reading

Lol Tun Cave, Yucatan: An Underground Castle

  Grottoes Loltún, Lol Tun Cave, Yucatan: An Underground Castle Take a walk into Lol Tun (Grottoes Loltún) Cave, and it feels like you are walking into a grandiose cathedral or castle. It is a bit of a rough walk down and into the cave but it is well worth… Continue reading

Disney World For Adults

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New Orléans: Disney World For Adults   Mardi Gras is an event which must be experienced in order to be understood. It is a mixture of traditions and high-tech. It is a Disney World for Adults!   New Orléans has experienced disaster after disaster. Hurricanes, yellow fever, floods, wars, and just plain… Continue reading

Mr. BIG Moneyyy on Caye Caulker, Belize

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  Ok, so maybe Belize wasn’t so bad after all. One of the few times in Belize that we saw that inimitable Caribbean turquoise water was when we were on the ferry heading toward Caye Caulker from the rather ugly Belize City.   It was thrilling to see the true… Continue reading

Of Accidental Heroes

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  One never knows when an opportunity may come along to be a hero. It is never planned, and probably the last thing on your mind at that moment.   My friend, G, loves to snorkel and spent many an afternoon at the far end of the lagoon at the… Continue reading

Mississippi, Alabama and Florida

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  To get from New Orléans, Louisiana, to Destin, Florida, you need to go through the states of Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, over the Gulf of Mexico, and known as the Florida Panhandle. All the clichés about the South and blacks and prejudice were undeniable, but there was some surprisingly… Continue reading

How Many Countries Do You Know?

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  Do you know the countries of the world? Can you tell which country is marked on this world map? Are you able to recognize countries like the USA, Australia, France, Saudi Arabia, Germany and Mexico?    Go to: How Many Countries Do You Know Quiz    We were only able… Continue reading

Dine And Dash At Hemmingway’s Hideout In Old Havana

Dine and Dash at Hemmingway’s Hideout   The very first day we were in Cuba, we were wandering around Old Havana. We stopped for drinks at Ernest Hemingway’s favourite hangout the Hotel Ambos Mundos in Old Havana. Remember? He wrote The Old Man and the Sea, and For Whom the… Continue reading