My flight arrived at 2:00 in the morning with the kind craziness and chaos only west Africa can claim. Hundreds of passengers with health papers scrawling their names and trying to ram their baskets through impossible passageways. Welcome to Guinea. I readied myself for the barrage of taxi drivers that I knew would be waiting to pounce on me as soon as I...
“Give me whatever Frank used to drink” I told the bartender at a cocktail joint Sinatra was known to frequent. With no hesitation he filled a highball glass with ice and then poured Jack Daniel’s to the rim. “This is Frank’s drink” he replied as he placed the drink on a napkin with Sinatra’s photo emblazoned on the top. He recounted a story of Frank punching a...
It stands to reason that the more unusual the destination, the more expensive and difficult it is to get there. Gone are the days of looking for cheap flights on the back page of the Sunday newspaper and talking to a travel agent. We’ve come to trust computers so much, that we fail to realize that they aren’t really computing the best trip they can for us. Expedia...
A long time ago in Bethlehem… Actually it was 1999, which is technically a long time ago when you consider that Israel has only been in existence since 1948. That was the year I first set foot in the Holy Land. For those not familiar with Israel/Palestinian history and considering a Bible tour to Israel, you’re going to be in for a shocker. You might want to sit down...
Getting Set-up for the Podcast Warren Spiwak’s podcast with The Traveling Wizard during the pandemic 2020 Click here for the full podcast podcast #podcasts #podcasting #podcaster #podcastlife #podcastersofinstagram #podcasters #podcastshow #applepodcasts #newpodcast #podcastlove #blackpodcast #podcastaddict #applepodcast #podcastinglife #podcasthost...
One thing about Irish Pubs; they kinda look the same no matter where you go. However, in Ireland, they don’t FEEL the same. There’s a different commitment to the drink than you’ll find in their doppelgängers elsewhere. Where else are you going find a bar that has a basement below the tap so the beer keg is the shortest possible distance from it? Outside Temple...
As i looked upward, the clouds slowly parted. An iridescent green ribbon suddenly appeared in the night sky and danced above my snow covered cabin. Its’s my last night at the Snow Hotel Kirkenes and Mother Nature put on the ultimate finale send off, a vivid display of the Aurora Borealis. A Themed Room at the Snow Hotel Kirkenes Photo: Bill Wiatrak The Northern...
Visiting Saudi Arabia Four years ago it was nearly impossible to get a tourist visa to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). However, with sweeping new changes from the new king, women are now allowed to drive (woohoo!) and tourist visas can be had online in less than 15 minutes. The floodgates are now officially open. The two most visited cities, Jeddah and...
HOUSTON’S MOST UNIQUE AIRBNB Airbnb has changed the world. There’s no doubt about that. All the things your mom told you not to do: Don’t get into a stranger’s car (Uber), don’t go to people’s houses you don’t know (AIRBNB) and don’t chew gum with your mouth open (okay, she was right about that) turned out to be wrong...
A Stop in Sao Tome and Principe The chocolate Islands; Who doesn’t love the sound of that? The official name, São Tomé and Principe sounds more like a vacation destination in the Caribbean rather than two islands thousands of miles away in west Africa; This former Portuguese colony is a jungle paradise full of cacao plantations, as well as a hub for coffee...