“Get over the [lack of] smiles, the harsh tones of voice, the unemotional stares.” Well maybe I shouldn’t put this in quotes – it’s only been a recurring thought in my head walking around Kiev, …
September 21, 2014
Go Abroad!
Finding friendly Ukraine
Berlin in 7 Days or Less
I knew Berlin was a big city, but I never knew how big until I explored it on foot. I had seven days to see the major and not-so-major sites. Since the fall of its …
September 4, 2014
Marseille: stay for the soup
Bouillabaisse [bu.ja.bɛːs]. For first timers, getting the correct pronunciation is hard. And it’s even harder to spell it. For first timers, it’s also easier to have a bowl of soup in Shanghai, Japan or even …
August 28, 2014
Why Ukraine: a salo session in Kiev
I’ve eaten sushi, Italian food, and fruit since I've been here in Kiev so far. In the midst of what I'd characterize as an uneasy peace (mostly) here, I’ve been fiending to figure out what …
August 11, 2014
Halong Bay’s Emerald City
After an hour of downhill and uphill hiking immersed in semi-darkness, we finally emerge out of the bowels of Sung Sot Grotto, or Surprise Cave, into the sunlight, greeted by a sensational surprise: an eye-popping …
The Maasai: East Africa's ambassadors
There are some images so iconic, they're forever associated with a particular place. Certainly among the foremost would be the Maasai and East Africa. More than any other tribal culture, the Maasai embody both the …
Diving at Big Corn Island, Nicaragua
A vertical sign written out in white seashells stated we had reached the dive shop destination. It was with some reluctance that I shuffled up to the two-story weatherbeaten building. My last resort dive had …
July 25, 2014
Why Ukraine: nighttime Kiev and protests
June 6, 2014 - Ok, so my first 12 hours here in Kiev were, umm... interesting. I remember looking up at a sign in the airport reading “Red Zone” and thinking it was a USSR …
July 15, 2014
Modern times in one of the world's hot spots: Israel
I was in Israel when three teenagers in yeshiva – Jewish seminary – had just been kidnapped. As I left the country, they were discovered to have been killed, which touched off a firestorm between …
July 12, 2014
General Atomics opens big mine with big losses
The Four Mile uranium mine in South Australia officially opened last month. According to Australia media, the uranium will cost $40 a pound to produce while the market price is $28 a pound. The mine …
July 11, 2014
Sabah: a Malaysian Eden
In Tuaran, hidden amidst the nature reserve, half an hour north of Sabah’s capital, Kota Kinabalu, there's a little slice of paradise. “Be careful!” warned the Kadazan gardener, gripping a long wooden stick, his outstretched …
Why Ukraine?
Before we start, let’s stop: it’s not THE Ukraine, it’s Ukraine. Obama apparently learned this last year. Admittedly I didn’t know this until recently, but I'm not the Prez. And oh yeah, the capital (Kiev) …
June 21, 2014
Southeast Asia: it's a hostel world
“What do you want to do when you come visit?” “I don’t know! You plan it.” Well, let’s just see how this goes: I'm traveling on a shoestring budget through Southeast Asia with my mom. …
June 17, 2014
Kafka's Prague: surreal moments in Old Europe
Prague is a strikingly beautiful baroque city and the prime gateway for Americans into Eastern Europe. The city has intrigued me ever since I became enamored with Franz Kafka’s books as a teenager. An Old …
June 8, 2014
Macchu Picchu, in style
It’s a well-worn theme, that of the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu. But bear with me: this time – my fifth – we did it in luxury, an experience so alien to me as a …
May 31, 2014