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When it comes to travel (and often life), there are secret gems and over-looked gems. A secret gem is that place that no one knows about except you – someplace you stumbled upon and maybe want to keep all to yourself. An over-looked gem is a place that you might find in your guide book, […]

“The person who never climbs Mt. Fuji is a fool, and the person who climbs it twice is a bigger fool.” – Japanese Proverb My college buddy, Tim, and I are feeling exceedingly foolish as we start our final ascent of Mt. Fuji. “We should’ve trained for this Tim.” “You think?” “I’m wiped. You?” “The […]

Traveling isn’t just about seeing; it’s also about doing. That’s why I like to take cooking classes when I’m on the road. It’s a great way to roll up your sleeves and taste the culture of the country you’re visiting. This is particularly true in Japan, where the culture can seem so dense and impenetrable. […]

There’s a scene in the third Indiana Jones film, The Last Crusade, when Indy is asked to step off a cliff and take a literal “leap of faith.” I always thought that was kind of crazy. Okay sure, his dad is dying and there’s no time to lose. (You don’t say no to Sean Connery!) […]

“The road to success is always under construction.” – Lily Tomlin Where is the worst road you’ve ever traveled on? I would contend the lousiest road in the world is between the Thai border and Siem Reap in Cambodia. This is a terrible road! I mean, it’s really, really awful. The ruts and holes could […]

“If you’re never able to tolerate a little bit of pain and discomfort, you’ll never get better.” –Angela Duckworth It’s a rainy day in Okayama, Japan. My buddy, Adam, and I had been planning to visit the art island of Naoshima (Wow Place #61) that day, but who wants to tour an outdoor art installation […]

“Always do what you are afraid to do.” Ralph Waldo Emerson For most of my childhood, I was afraid to dive. Oh, I could swim just fine. But throwing myself head-first into a pool was absolutely beyond me. For years, I avoided diving, not so much because I was afraid to belly-flop, but more because […]

There are almost 100 ghats in Varanasi – wide sets of stairs leading down to the river Ganges. Some feature hotels, some feature markets, some are for bathing, and a couple are designated specifically for cremations. Finding a quiet ghat in Varanasi is a challenge, but I think at last I’ve found one. As I […]

Me: “This plate of sashimi is really beautiful. What is it? Mr. Inoue: “It is fugu. Japanese blowfish. Very expensive.” Me: “Wait, isn’t that poisonous?” Mr. Inoue: “Sometimes. But perhaps today we are lucky.” When it comes to food, I’m not really into Russian roulette. But that’s exactly the experience you sign up for when […]

Let’s get something clear: I don’t like oceans. Oh, I LOVE looking at them. I’m perfectly okay splashing in the surf on a secluded tropical beach. I just don’t feel very comfortable swimming in deep ocean water. Maybe it stems from the time I stepped on a sea urchin in Bali (Wow Place #26). You […]