Street Food in Penang: How Adventurous Are You?

  What’s more fun than sampling hundreds of different new foods? We can’t think of anything that appeals so consistently to everyone – young and old, every person, from every country in the world. It is simply a universal pleasure to enjoy good food.   And we’ll try most any… 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

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

Ghost Plants, Stink Bugs & A Magical Lake in the Borneo Rainforest

The Lake   It was the most mesmerizing lake we had ever seen. Set in the Borneo rain forest like a jewel of peace among wild thorns.  (Double-click on any photo to see it full size)   Reflections so perfect and so still, you’d swear there were two lakes.   … 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

What You See Walking the Streets of Old Havana

  Walking around Old Havana is like being in a toy shop. The sounds, the colours, the smells whirl around you in every direction. There are things tinkling, and rumbling, and whizzing. Brilliant colours fly past, beside, and in front of you. Along with the luscious smells of food, there… Continue reading

A Mosquito In Your Wine… Is Better Than A Bee In Your Beer

  While I screamed and hollered and swore at my computer with the new hard drive that would not load emails from the external drive back-up, T went merrily off to the Merida Zoo. He has been into long walks lately, so he walked. It was a long walk on… Continue reading

4-Legged Beach Bums in the Yucatan

  When we moved from Merida to the beach near Telchac Puerto, we had no idea we would have so many visitors, especially these kind.   First challenge though, was finding the tiny sand road turnoff to our beach house. It was a bit of a challenge, even in daylight,… Continue reading

What’s So Great About The Panama Canal?

Panama

  Of course we had to go see the magnificent Panama Canal while we were in Panama. Maybe I expected too much or maybe I didn’t really understand its purpose or maybe, dare I say it – it’s something more appreciated by men, but for me it was quite plain… 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 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

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

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

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

Belize, A Bit Of A Disappointment

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  Belize is a tiny Central American country on the Caribbean side, so that usually means amazing turquoise waters, white sand beaches, and Spanish-speaking people. Because I have wanted to go to Belize for about 10 years, I could hardly wait, but to be honest, it was a tremendous disappointment.  … Continue reading

Panama: Crossing The Most Dangerous Bridge In The World

Bridge With Boards Missing Or Rotten 3

  Our helpful Panamanian friends in Tonosi had recommended that the best way to get to the paradise San Blas Islands of Bocas Del Toro on the Caribbean side of Panama, was to take the new highway across the mountains of the Palo Seco Reserve.    Lucky To Be Alive  … Continue reading

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.  [spacer height=”20px”] On arrival the ten or more roundabouts just to get out of Shannon airport caused us great… 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