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El Salvador: My Trip Write Up and Tips
Travel to El Salvador: It’s a place where grimy surfers voluntarily disappear barefoot on black sand beaches for cheap. It’s the type of place that’s getting harder and harder to find. You can order spicy chicken or fish under a thatched roof beach shack. The cook might chase your yard-bird or a fisherman might wrestle in pacific treasures into the boat that morning. It’s bubbling turquoise foam at your feet while the black sand sticks to you like Oreo cookie crumbs. If palm trees, quiet colorful towns, and ungodly amounts of papusas sound enticing, then El Salvador is for you. Mind Open to the New This is an up and…
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Philae Temple: Egypt Files Part 2
EGYPT– The place that has inspired writers and travelers for centuries– ON A SLEEPER TRAIN. I had sand on my skin, caked with sweat. The brim of an adventure hat had shielded me from the inescapable sun that had now set. I pulled the hat from my head, revealing a sticky nest of hair underneath. I ruminated how an age-old adventure could seem brand new, like I was the first to experience it out of all mankind. But I knew I wasn’t. I was on an epic adventure to Aswan and the Temple of Philae. 1854– the British instituted the original tracks from Cairo to Aswan in this year, which…
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Tarangire: Bathing With Elephants + Hunting With Lions, Tanzania
Tarangire National Park was one of my favorite places in Tanzania because of the number of wild elephants. Stepping off the plane at Kilimanjaro, we met our safari team. They had everything perfectly preplanned and ready to go. There was the company owner, who had recruited me online who I’d spoken to for a few months. He introduced himself as White. Several days later, after getting to know him a bit, I would chuckle when I read “Wilson” on his business card. White suited him. “We call him White because he is lighter skinned than us”, the driver Hamisi said. White had a beautiful caramel complexion and was from a…
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Birding Uganda’s Lake Victoria
We barreled down a red dirt road in the western countryside of Entebbe. In Uganda, the roadside was an active area where women balanced baskets on the crowns of their head wearing vibrantly patterned wraps. I closed my eyes, jostled, with each large bump, trying not to miss any of the rural farming sights, where middle aged children went to fetch water in the typical yellow jugs which seemed more fitting to hold gasoline than water. Children as young as three held hoes to help in the family gardens. The termination of the road led to a cove where a group of men gathered around empty boats. They’d been out…
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The Egypt Files: Part 1 The Pyramids of Giza, From Dust We Have Risen, and to Dust We Will Return
From dust we have risen and to dust we will return. My recent travel to Egypt is sparking an interest and passion for the past that I never knew I had. Travel with me to Egypt—the land that has inspired writers and travelers for centuries with its cultural legacy. Arriving in Cairo in the middle of the night, I was shocked at how everything was different. I immediately felt that sense of euphoria that I am constantly seeking. The streets were lively. The dress was different. The buildings were different. I looked into the cafes as men in white robes smoked shisha hookahs and sipped coffee. The sense of nervousness…
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Philae Temple: Egypt Files Part 2
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Lake Bled: Angry Fairies & The Best Souvenir That I Never Wanted
Very rarely do places actually live up to their expectation that I have in my head. That’s what I reminded myself as the car door muffled shut. I climbed up a grassy embankment to the main road, and back down the other side. Lake Bled lay before me. Immediately I was hypnotized by the tall white steeple of the Pilgrimage Church. The church sat on the island in the middle of the lake. Visitors rode Pletna boats out to the island and rang the church bells for wishes. The ringing reverently reverberated over the glass-like surface tension up to the peaks above. My imagination was immediately captivated by legends of…
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Ljubljana: Europe’s most Romantic Best Kept Secret
Caption (above): I’ ll start with a love story, or lack thereof. The Prešeren statue stands in the center square of Slovenia’s capital. The square, has the same name as the nations most famous poet. The muse of inspiration stands above him holding a laurel. Across the square there is a relief of his lifelong love, Julija Primic, who he met at church. The tormented man became infatuated with her, but the feelings were not mutual. Many barriers separated the two, including his economic status and age. Julija lived next to the house that she’s now on. Prešeren lived a sad life of many affairs, he later found some solace at…
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The 9 Top Beaches in Antigua+ My Secret Spot
What drew me to Antigua was the turquoise water on it’s 365+ beaches. That’s a lot of beaches for an island that is only 14 miles long and 11 miles wide. Believe it or not, most of the beaches on the island are inaccessible either because they are covered by miles of thorny unruly brush or are blocked by gated communities and resorts. Luckily, locals in Antigua will tell you that all beaches on the island are public. However, I did find that there are some security guards who will turn you away at gated communities because they don’t play by those rules. With the world shut down due to…
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Neuschwanstein Castle: When travel Disappoints You
I may have spent more time in Germany than any other foreign country. It’s an easy transport place and there’s so much to see there. I really admire the people there, the strong economy, and the language. I spent some time years ago digging into family history connected to Charlemagne in the North of the Country, took a look at the Berlin Wall and ex-Nazi relics in Berlin ( I’m back in my Nazi fighting Indiana Jones adventure hat!) In the early days of my travels, I drove the Autobahn in the Rhine River Valley. Now driving on the Autobahn at high speed just feels normal. But in all of…
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Ich Liebe Dich: I Love You SWITZERLAND!
I’d just rolled into Switzerland as the sun shared it’s last rays over the most prominent wall of mountains and the greenest valley I’ve ever seen. There’s a reason I saved Switzerland for last in the region. But I figured, with a one night stand, surely a one night love affair in Europe’s most expensive country couldn’t be too expensive. (Disclaimer, Iceland, and Norway also lay claims for being the most expensive). Well, my one night quickly turned into more… because I just loved the Swiss Alps so much! It totally killed my backpacking budget. Fast forward to some of the Alps most amazing passes, which are best done by…
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Grossglockner: Europe’s Most Scenic Drive
Austria wasn’t a new country count for my collection, but with the limited travel these days (Corona Virus 2020) I decided to take the scenic route on a roundabout around the world summer backpacking tour. The decision didn’t make sense logistically as I tried to make my way East. Meeting border closures and dead ends, I detoured and backtracked back West. And man, am I glad I did! Here you’ll find 13 alpine photos of Austria’s most scenic drive: Großglockner Hochalpenstrasse! The park is named after Austria’s largest mountain, Grossglockner, which translates directly to big bell ringer. After taking a look, you’ll definitely want to visit this national park! Insert…
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Getting In the Backdoor: How I Legally Got into the EU during the Corona Virus Lock down
American passport– I’ll preface this article by saying that I know I will get lots of hate mail after publishing. Let me just squash all of the “You’re so irresponsible” comments now. Take a look at the photo below for a look at what European Social Distancing looks like as of June 18, 2020. Please note, my trip has been spent mostly in lonely alleyways, country roads, and wilderness trails. I mean you no germy threat by traveling. Now, I do have a conscience. So PROMISE me that if you use this information, that you will be 98.8% positive that you do NOT have this plague that could kill people.…
