Growing up in Europe, we had all these ideas about America. You know the usual stereotypes: burgers, cowboy hats, endless opportunities and extreme violence fed by a complete lack of gun regulation. This last bit about the violence was no doubt fed by the hours and hours we’d spent watching cop shows such as Kojak, [...]
If buying two Iphones isn’t a sign of us being back in the 21st century, I don’t know what is. The other day, Jaime flew up to San Francisco for a bit of business and came back with not one, but two of these bad boys. Needless to say we’ve had our noses pointed [...]
It’s been almost a year since we visited Ladakh. Now, news out of Leh is that flash floods have killed hundreds of people in the region. Both locals and foreigners remain unaccounted for, and the whole area is cut off from the rest of the world. Normally it never rains in Ladakh. As the above [...]
We found the above game at a San Diego yard sale. In retrospect I’m shocked I didn’t buy it – after all, who wouldn’t want to play a game of shame? (Note that the phrase ‘The game that WILL make you laugh’ belongs to another board game and is probably copyrighted by Walt Disney). We’re [...]
I’ve had the privilege of watching the World Cup from a number of different locations. The most memorable one was in a backpacker hostel in Broome, Australia. The place was packed with people from all over the world, and a whole bunch of us decided that it would be a good idea to hole up [...]
Since no one else is stepping up to the plate, Bacon asked if he could put a post together for the betterment of this blog. Unfortunately, his paws are not fit to type on a keyboard, so I’ve volunteered to help the little oinker out. First of all, Bacon thinks we’re doing a lousy job [...]
The Forum Romanum, Trafalgar Square and the National Mall in Washington, DC. These are all big stacks of monuments, gathered together to impress visitors to each capital. The white marble monuments speak of warlike efforts, of heroism in the face of danger and of the self-glorification of the ruling people. What makes the Mall stand [...]
I think food is half the journey. I love trying new things, experiencing new flavors and making mental notes on how I’ll enrich my cooking once I come home. There’s also that element of fear involved: will my stomach be able to handle this stuff? Are deep-fried bamboo worms really safe to eat? Coming back, [...]
One thing we’ve been missing throughout most of our trip is regular work-outs. The muscle groups used in long-term backpacking are surprisingly few: mostly a bit of shoulder work (for carrying those 80 lb backpacks) and some stamina-enhancing rushes between connecting buses. Throw in the odd 8 oz arm curl (aka beer drinking) and you [...]
There are very few buildings and architectural monuments that manage to move me emotionally. Istanbul’s ancient Hagia Sofia is a clear exception: a place where history, architecture and religion have clashed over and over again. It is a defining building for this part of the world, and a beautiful one at that. The current Hagia [...]
Sometimes, a picture says more than a thousand words. At other times, it may be necessary to use video to convey our messages. Check out this video below: it’s a walk around the upper gallery of the Hagia Sofia in Istanbul. This video is from the ground floor of the same building.
The key to happy traveling is to enjoy a variety of different activities. After seeing the architectural and commercial (and seriously tourist-infested) Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia and the Grand Bazaar, it was time to mix in something completely different. Luck had it that we stumbled upon a newly opened wine and cheese tasting room in [...]
Eastern Turkey is a lot of things. What it’s not is a beer lover’s paradise. Licensed restaurants are far in between, and not all towns have a store that sells it. In the name of reader service we did however sample the local brews that we could find. They were all of the same brand: [...]
We all know that traveling isn’t what it used to be five, ten or fifty years ago. A lot of things have changed, some for the better, and some things are perhaps not the great improvements we once thought they’d be. Good things such as Skype (no more hyper expensive collect calls) and internet research [...]
This is what qualifies as a light meal in Georgia: ten thousand calories of carbs, fat and pure deliciousness. The crust is actually a rich cheese pie that has been molded into a boat. Then, an egg is left to set gently inside the boat. A generous helping of real butter is then added to [...]
You know the saying, “to fly by the seat of your pants?” Well, that's been our philosophy for most of our adult lives – before and after meeting, falling in love and marrying. We're now taking that idea on an extended round-the-world trip. Follow us as we share the good, the bad and the downright nasty of life on the road.
