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Tiwai island, Sierra Leone

There’s three reasons that people end up in Sierra Leone. You were born here, you work here or you’re a jaded traveler looking for a challenging adventure in a country you’ve never visited. So here I am, crossing Siloan (as it’s affectionately called) and looking for the places that give me the most interesting perspective. Everything I had heard about Tiwai...

What to Pack and Where to Put It.

A few years ago, I made a life changing decision. In truth, it was more of a sock changing decision. Rather than run around like a crazy person the day before I leave on a trip, I decided to just leave my bag “mostly” packed. Many travelers find the decision process of what to take with them the most difficult part of the trip. Take that out of the equation and...

A Bad Night in Guinea

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...

Hoboken-“My Kind Of Town”

“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...

How to go to NYC, Morocco, and Mexico/Belize for Free (on the way to Africa).

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...

Bethlehem’s “Other” Tourist Spot

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...

From Clown To traveling Wizard- Podcast

Getting Set-up for the PodcastWarren Spiwak’s podcast with The Traveling Wizard during the pandemic 2020Click here for the full podcastpodcast #podcasts #podcasting #podcaster #podcastlife #podcastersofinstagram #podcasters #podcastshow #applepodcasts #newpodcast #podcastlove #blackpodcast #podcastaddict #applepodcast #podcastinglife #podcasthost #comedypodcast...

Things Not To Do in an Irish Pub

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...

Chilling at the Snow Hotel

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 WiatrakThe Northern...

Getting into The Kingdom

Visiting Saudi ArabiaFour 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...