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

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

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

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

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

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

  What a thrill it was going to be to actually stay in a real castle! We were excited. 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 – Ballynahinch Castle.    We drove… 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

Borneo River Safari: Gigantic Butterflies and Tree-Climbing Crocodiles

  Gigantic Butterfly   Relaxing on the deck before our Borneo River Safari, something moved beside my chair. I looked, and made a small gasp. There was a huge creature fluttering on our patio window a foot away from me! I stood up, stepped back… and took a closer look…. 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

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.   On arrival the ten or more roundabouts just to get out of Shannon airport caused us great anxiety…. 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

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

Gyor, Hungary

  I was so excited to return to my favourite small town in Hungary: Gyor.   Near the border of Slovakia and only an hour and a half to continue to Vienna, it’s a pleasant two hour drive from Budapest to Gyor…   Gyor (pronounced “Dyur”) is packed with charm,… Continue reading

SIDULI HIDE, ZIMBABWE: A HIDDEN GEM

Our last post focussed on the so-so falls at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, but this post will show you another activity in Victoria Falls town that is understated, yet a far superior experience than the actual Falls: Siduli Hide. Siduli Hide Even though it is not widely advertised, the Siduli Hide… Continue reading