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Whether the action movie is Indiana Jones, Jumanji or Lord of the Rings, there’s always a precarious rope bridge for the heroes to cross, isn’t there? Needless to say, the movie bad guys will inevitably cut the ropes, forcing our heroes to hang onto the bridge for dear life. Fun stuff! But would you want […]

Me: “You ask him, Chris.” Chris: “No, you ask him, Dave.” Me: “Fine! (sigh). Excuse me, Monsieur, may I have a pizza?” Pizza guy: “I do not speak English! Speak French!” Me: “Okay. Puis-je avoir un pizza?” Pizza guy: “C’est UNE pizza! Au revoir!” Not all Parisians are rude. For the most part, if you’re […]

“Dave, we’re not riding these bikes to the Tiger Temple without helmets.” “Oh, come on, Donica. No one wears bike helmets in Thailand!” “Well, we do!” Although I haven’t known my sweetie, Donica, for long at this point in our relationship, I’ve come to understand that No most definitely means No when it comes to […]

“When twins are separated, their spirits steal away to find the other.” – Jandy Nelson There’s a tale that everyone who visits Unpenji Temple, in Shikoku, Japan, can find a look-alike statue. I don’t know about that. I walked up and down that temple, peering closely at the 500 extremely-expressive Arhat (statues of Buddh’as disciples), […]

Have you ever opted out of a peak travel experience because it was just too much money? I certainly have, especially during my 20s when I was backpacking around the world on a very-tight shoestring. Entering the Topkapi Palace museum in Istanbul? That’s $12, too much! Enjoying high tea at Harrod’s in London? $75/person. Not […]

Me: How much to the airport?” Taxi driver: “700 baht” Me: “That’s $20. Come on man!” Taxi driver: “The airport is very far.” “Me: “Forget it, we’ll walk.” And so began one of those stupid travel mornings when you just don’t feel like getting “ripped off,” so you stubbornly spurn the local vendor and declare, […]

No visitor to Japan should miss the Great Buddha of Kamakura, only an hour outside of Tokyo. The first time I saw it, 35 years ago, I could swear it was about to reach out and grab me, that’s how graceful and life-like it is. Depicting Amitabha, the Buddha of Eternal Life, the statue is […]

I’m staying in a little hotel in Goreme, Turkey, at the center of the Cappadocia region, enjoying a little lunch in the café, when an old gentleman in the corner asks, “Do you play backgammon?” “Well, I know how the game works.” “Let’s play!” How could I say no? This is exactly why you travel […]

“I’m going to tell you a lot of stories today. None of them are true.” If your guide told you that before a walking tour, how would you react? Nine times out of ten, you’d run in the opposite reaction. I mean, how can you trust a guide who is blatantly, unrepentantly lying to you? […]

What’s the opposite of a green thumb? A black thumb, perhaps? Red? Puce? Whatever it is, I’ve got one. Although I can’t garden to save my life (or my plants), I do appreciate a good garden. And I really appreciate a great garden, like Ritsurin Koen, in Takamatsu, Japan. Originally created in the Edo period […]