Brunei is a tiny Muslim nation on the island of Borneo, mostly surrounded by Malaysia. That puts it about halfway between Singapore and Manila.
Continue reading “Visiting Brunei as Coronavirus Fears Accelerate”
2019 was a great year, full of adventure. I met my goal of walking a long-distance hiking trail (two in fact), returned to one of my absolute favourite countries, and spent lots of time with family. I visited 11 countries, including 4 new ones. That brings me to a total of 54.
Continue reading “A Year In Review 2019”
What do you do when you have a 23-hour layover in Dubai? Maybe grab a bite to eat?
Dubai is often called “Las Vegas of the Middle East”, only bigger and better. That’s pretty accurate, I’d say. It’s big and flashy with opulent “7-star” hotels, massive water fountain displays, and exorbitant man-made islands. It’s also much less seedy than America’s Sin City. Continue reading “23 Hours in Dubai”
From the gold mining ruins of Macetown, we walked down to Arrowtown. Unlike Macetown, Arrowtown is a happening place, bustling with tourists. It has that somewhat tacky but fun feel of an old west gold town re-creation, not unlike Ballarat (Australia), Tombstone (Arizona), or Dawson City (Yukon).
2018 was a year full of travel, adventures, and some nice time back home. I made sure to keep things interesting by having a wide diversity of themes to each trip, probably more so than I’ve done in recent years. From cooking classes in Dubai, Hong Kong, and Kuala Lumpur to backpacking trips in Kyrgyzstan and the Grand Canyon, and cycling through Western Australia, it was a great year.
Continue reading “2018 in 12 Photos”
Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan, that region of China famous for its spicy food. Chillies are a vital ingredient in almost every dish but what’s not well known is that chili peppers originated in South America – not Asia – and have only been part of Sichuan cooking for around 300 years.
Continue reading “Chengdu – Home of Mouth-Numbing Sichuan Pepper”
I’m stopping over in Chengdu China on my way back from visiting the “Stans” of Central Asia. Chengdu is famous as the home of the endangered Giant Panda. The weather here is perfect for them – warm and wet – just what you want for growing lots of bamboo. I’m very lucky that it’s actually clear and sunny! A rare occurrence, especially in winter, and a great opportunity to capture some photos of people enjoying themselves outside.
Continue reading “Chengdu China – Home of the Giant Panda”
In a word, delicious!
One of my favourite things about travel is trying all the new unfamiliar foods that one encounters. Here are a few of the delights I discovered while traveling through Kyrgystan and Tajikistan. Continue reading “What does Central Asia taste like?”
I’ve just arrived in Malmö, Sweden’s third largest and most multicultural city. It was once controlled by Denmark and is actually a shorter train ride from the Copenhagen airport than is Copenhagen itself. Continue reading “Who says Scandinavian has to be expensive?”
September just might be the best time to visit Ladakh, a mountainous region in northern India sandwiched between Pakistan, Tibet, and Kashmir. Charles and I enjoyed the crisp mornings and cool nights and each time we returned to the bustling city of Leh, where we stored our luggage between treks, we were amazed at how quiet the streets were becoming. Continue reading “A Month in Ladakh”
Eating Snow Around the World 