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  • 15 years ago this month I wrapped up my first extended international trip. The destination? Australia. • • Some of the highlights—kangaroos, camels, canyoning, giant sand dunes and views like this. • • I bused it 6,000 kilometers through the less touristed parts of Western Australia and the Northern Territory. In the process I learned the rules of cricket (sort of), swam with crocodiles (freshies only!) and enjoyed months of the world’s most intoxicating accent, up close and personal. I also managed to shred my favorite shirt out west, necessitating a pop round a Target in Broome to replace my gear. • • Nothing quite like your first solo expedition...
  • This is one of the more architecturally interesting palaces I’ve ever seen. The outside looks typical—4 sides, flat front. But the interior is built around a two-level, circular, open courtyard. The palace is just a teaser for the grandiosity to be found on the rest of the Alhambra grounds...
  • I walked to the southwest corner of Angkor Thom so I could get a good view of the sun setting over the moat. I set out around 4pm for the 1.5km walk, ducking in and out of shady trees along the path. • • Turns out I wasn’t the only one with this idea. The corner structure wasn’t that busy—perhaps 10 people in all. But two local guys caught my eye. They kidded with one another, laughed it up and generally intruded on my expectations for a silent sunset. Assholes, I thought... • • Thirty minutes later the sun had set and everyone was making their way back along the path. About halfway back I heard a motorbike’s engine approaching from behind. I stepped aside and turned to watch as the bike drew near. The bike stopped beside me and the guy I labeled the A-hole asked if I would like a ride. I said no thank you, but he said it was getting dark and insisted. • • I rode the last kilometer through the woods on the back of this young man’s moto. I felt bad for judging these guys, but also touched by the kind gesture offered to a random foreigner.
  • This is a road! We’re on our way to the Holuhraun Lava Fields deep in the Highlands of Iceland. • • I’m a passenger in a specially modified Landcruiser and we’re zooming along with deflated tires and a custom chassis. We’ve already forded a bunch of rivers and hiked through a snow field to visit a volcanic caldera full of turquoise water. • • Also on today’s list—the training ground for NASA’s moon mission and the rather scenic Drekagil Canyon. • • Yeah, it’s been a good day out. • • Story link in my bio.
  • Art in the park, Soweto style
  • Victoria Peak is quintessential Hong Kong—beautiful views, surprising amounts of greenery and abundant fresh air (even if it may be a bit hazy). But also wall-to-wall shopping, commerce and food. • • The Peak Tram is the funicular which brings locals and tourists alike to the lookout point where this photo was taken. On the way everyone passes through a pair of miniature shopping galleries chock full of businesses and food stands. It’s Hong Kong in a nutshell.
  • “Come on, they’d be happy to dance with you...”. I figured what the hell? I’m in North Korea, may as well... • • A partner was procured and then began a traditional Korean dance. One local woman well versed in the art, perhaps (or most likely) forced to participate and one dopey American who couldn’t dance his way out of a paper bag. • • I felt welcomed pretty much everywhere I went in the land of Kim Jong-il. Locals in the park invited me to hang out and have a beer, guides were curious as to why I chose to visit an international pariah state. A bus driver even rocked out to my Elvis Presley soundtrack. • • But here, at the Monument to Party Founding? I got the distinct impression this entire scene was not one of unadulterated enjoyment. In fact I felt more than a bit uncomfortable. Who knows what’s actually going on beneath the surface in North Korea. I politely wrapped up my Korean dance, thanked my partner and headed off to enjoy dinner in Pyongyang.
  • Traveling is tiring business! • • I’m actually asleep here on the floor of an under-construction condo/hotel complex at the southern tip of Albania. The town is called Ksamil and it’s entirely unknown to anyone outside Europe. • • That morning I explored the fabulous Greek and Roman ruins up the road at Butrint. Beaches are the main draw on Albania’s Adriatic Coast, so I enjoyed some time in the sun while dining on more than my fair share of cheap veggie pizza. • • A friendly lady who spoke zero English ran the place and lived in one of the units. My companion and I seemed to be the only guests. Every time the lady saw us she would wave furiously from her balcony across the way. I felt awful on our final evening when I accidentally broke the flimsy shower head in the bathroom. I used google translate to write an apologetic note to the kind lady who probably didn’t have much cash to spare. I felt bad about the fixture, left a €10 bill on the table with my note and departed early the following morning to explore the rest of Albania.