Since Christmas is just around the corner I thought I’d remind everyone of some of the strange, and sometimes scary, holiday traditions that exist in other parts of the world. Just a side note: None of this is my original work, I’ve tried to give source credit whenever possible. Enjoy Krampus – The Christmas Devil…
On a recent trip to Kenya we were lucky enough to get to stay at Solio Ranch. Solio is a 17,500 acre privately owned conservancy that is geared towards the protection and conservation of African rhino. The initial reserve was started in 1970 when Courtland Parfet, the owner of Solio cattle ranch, fenced off a…
For all intents and purposes, Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee; the “magical fruit” was first cultivated sometime around the 11th century. It was believed to have medicinal properties and quickly spread across the Arabian Peninsula. Europeans got their first taste of coffee in 1615 when Venetian merchants, who had become acquainted with the drink in…
My main reason for going to Ethiopia was to see the churches of Lalibela — and they were fantastic. What I didn’t expect was the beauty of the surrounding countryside. Lalibela is located in the Amhara region of northern Ethiopia and is surrounded by majestic mountain ranges, lush valleys and colorful farming terraces. The population…
Seeing the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela has been on my “Must See” list for a very long time. I remember reading about the churches in high school when I stumbled across a book on unusual ancient architecture. Then, while watching an episode of Ancient Aliens, I was reintroduced to them and vowed to make a…
I love cemeteries! Whenever we travel I try to find the closest one possible. In Kyoto I was lucky enough to simply stumble upon several as I walked through the city. Death is one of the few truly universal constants and I’m fascinated by the way different cultures honor and venerate their dead. Unlike the…
Several months ago I got to spend a few days in Cannes. I’m not exactly sure what I was expecting… honestly, I think I was expecting something “newer”, something “flashier”, something “larger then life”. I grew up associating Cannes with luxury hotels, opulent boutiques, impressive yachts and movie stars. All these things exist in Cannes — but…
In the 16th century Islam became the prevailing religion on the island of Java (the geographic and economic center of Indonesia); today, Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world. With the continuing influx of Islam, the nation’s Hindus fell under increasing persecution and many fled to the island of Bali. Today, Bali has managed…
What happens when you combine a mongoose and coffee beans? Apparently you get the world’s best coffee. Mongoose eats (or should I say, “is force fed”) coffee beans Mongoose poops out coffee beans Humans collect, clean and process the coffee beans The result: animal cruelty and really expensive coffee. I love coffee, but I’ll pass…
Let me start by saying, “I LOVE MONKEYS!!!” There is a place in Ubud, Bali called Monkey Forest; it’s one of my favorite places in the world. Monkey Forest is actually a nature preserve and Hindu Temple complex turned tourist attraction. The Ubud Monkey Forest describes its mission as conservation of the area within its boundaries…
After an amazing stay at Nihiwatu we moved on to Bali. My first visit to Bali was almost 15 years ago and it was nice to be back. Bali is a magical place filled with the essence of all things exotic. I really can’t describe it… the first time I set foot there it felt…
Our stay on Sumba has been filled with amazing events; some humbling, some breathtaking, some absolutely out-of-this-world. On our first night we met a friendly guy named Sean Borland who is originally from Edinburgh. Turns out he works for the hotel and is also a world class magician. By “world class” I mean “world class” (not some…
As I said in my previous post, in the late 80’s Claude and Petra Graves arrived on the island, fell in love with it, and started making plans to build an eco-friendly resort. As a part of the plan the Graves’ started the Sumba Foundation; the foundation’s mission was to help improve the lives of the…
OK, so I just made a trip to paradise. Honestly. My husband wanted to visit a resort called Nihiwatu, on an island called Sumba — neither of which I’d ever heard of. The island of Sumba is located in Eastern Indonesia, a short plane flight from Bali (we’ll get to Bali in a later post). In…
I have a “thing” for fortune telling of any kind… especially in foreign countries. While wandering through a market in Kyoto I stumbled upon this cute dragon fortune telling machine. It made me very happy!
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