Surprisingly enough, I never met one person in Kashmir who knew the song. Led Zeppelin Poster Art Led Zeppelin’s 1973 rock ballad was written by a band who had never visited Kashmir and the lyrics were inspired by a drive through southern Morocco. Robert Plant wanted to capture the desolation of the area in verse and Kashmir seemed like a better name than south...
Looking for travel answers? I’m available (although possibly in another time zone somewhere on the Earth) and happy to answer questions about where to go, where not to go, what food to try, what country has the best places to visit and all that. I’ve been to all the continents, the 7 wonders of the world and 211 countries. I’m not finished by any...
I’m now putting together cheap flights and travel suggestions for my clients. Here’s my latest post for my friend Joy…. September temperatures are 75-86 degrees in Okinawa, October about 5 degrees less, so either month is a good time to travel. The prices change constantly, so below are the lowest sample prices: GETTING THERE: The least expensive...
It’s the worlds largest island that’s not a continent and the least populated country by size in the world. There’s hardly any roads and most of the country is a giant ice cap. So, why go there? Good question. You might have heard the story that Greenland was given its name by Erik the Red (Leif Erikson’s dad) to attract more people, but...
I’m a bucket list traveler. At the moment I have a list of 26 things on the note app of my phone that all seemed to make sense when I added them; places I plan to go, people I hope to meet and lofty goals like visiting every country in the world. If it wasn’t for my “lists”, I’d never get anything done. I’m not sure how “Meet...
Many Americans might be able to name most of the countries in South America, but in the northeast corner of the continent, there’s three nations that are often forgotten; “the Guianas”. In the 16th century, much of Europe had heard about a mystical place known as “the city of gold”. The resulting scramble led to colonialism, and the area...
Who hasn’t seen the Instagram photos of the ivory white and cobalt blue Cyclade homes spilling over a cliff? Santorini has a personality unlike any other place in the universe and just about anyone who’s ever seen a photo of this magical European island has dreamed of going there someday. Church at Oia Photo: Bill Wiatrak You could book it today. Maybe...
As I’ve creeping slowly towards my goal of visiting every country in the world, I’ve hit a few snags. First, there’s the nearly impossible countries. North Korea is the biggest challenge that most think of, but politically, it’s the only country that US passport holders aren’t allowed to visit. US relations with Libya, Syria, Venezuela and Afghanistan...
What’s the Deal With Houston’s New Zoo? Times have changed. As the world has shifted to accommodate our obsession with social media, entertainment for many of us has become less about just observing, and more about selfies, hands on and interaction.. We can watch practically anything we want instantly and virtually on YouTube, so why visit a zoo or museum full of...
The last time I visited the Belizean island of Caye Caulker was in the 80s. Back then it was a laid back backpacker Mecca with crystal blue waters and cheap lobster. I decided it was high time I went back. I wasn’t sure how tourism might have impacted this pristine island and how it might have changed decades later when I revisited, but the truth is, it really...