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Asia 2013 Crazy Road Trips Malaysia

Crazy Bus Adventures in Malaysia (or, Why You Should Always Trust Local Advice)

When you’re in a foreign country, it’s always a good idea to listen a local’s advice, isn’t it? I subscribe to that philosophy, and that’s why I really love CouchSurfing, as it easily connects you with local people for just that purpose (and a free place to sleep!). But sometimes, I’m not so good at […]

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Asia 2013 Indonesia Travel Stories

“Crashing” A Sacrificial Funeral in Tana Toraja

Please note that this story contains graphic images and descriptions about the slaughter of animals, a tradition that is very important to the Torajan people. “There! Rambusolo!,” my new Indonesian friend said as he pointed to a crowd of people gathered amongst the rice paddies. We’d been riding this motorbike all day trying to find […]

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Crazy Road Trips Iraq Middle East 2012 Photos

Road Trip Iraq: Kurdistan’s GORGEOUS Hamilton Road!

Picture this. You’ve rented a car and you’re going for a little joyride in northern Iraq. You pass the turn off for Saladin’s Fortress, which, these days, finds itself surrounded by land mines. And then you turn onto one of Iraqi Kurdistan‘s premiere sights…the Hamilton Road. Right about now you’re probably thinking…I drove all this way for a road? But […]

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Airlines Asia 2013 Travel Stories

Travel on a Whim: Help Me Plan an Impromptu Adventure!

What would you do if you could wake up tomorrow and literally go anywhere? What would it feel like to do something like that on a whim? To open a map and point to a place and say, “I’m going to go there!” And then, in the next few days, actually make it there? Travel […]

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NYC Photos Travel Stories USA Videos

Hurricane Sandy: Exploring the Darkness in Manhattan (VIDEO)

You know, when I moved to New York City five years ago, I never expected to encounter a hurricane. “Oh, that’s the stuff of the Gulf [of Mexico] Coast,” I thought, site of such horrific storms as Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans back in 2005. But if someone had told me that I’d be […]

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Crazy Road Trips Egypt Israel Jordan Middle East 2011/12 Travel Stories

Leaving Egypt: The Day I Thought I Might Get Kidnapped

“Where you go? Nuweiba?,” the man asked. “No, Taba,” I replied from the back of the jeep that had ferried me from my beachside hotel to the bus station. “Taba, 250 pounds,” he said. I balked. “Okay, 180 pounds.” I balked again. “I go to Nuweiba anyway and I take you there for 50 Egyptian […]

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Crazy Road Trips Egypt Middle East 2011/12 Travel Stories

Scammed at the Pyramids of Giza: How You Can Avoid Being Bamboozled!

Cairo traffic is surreal. It seems to be the one place in Egypt where the maniacal drivers that roam the roads of this fine country grind to a screeching halt, as the traffic creeps along at snail’s pace. It was with this knowledge that I, and my band of North American misfits that I had […]

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Holidays Israel Middle East 2011/12 Palestinian Territory Travel Stories

The Travesty That Was Christmas Eve in Bethlehem: Part II (A Very Wet Night)

Rain sure does have a way of putting a damper on your plans, doesn’t it? As a hardened traveler, I’m a pretty firm believer in making the most out of any situation. After all, rain can bring some pretty wild experiences (see: collapsed bridges in Laos…). But this wasn’t just any experience. This was Christmas […]