The Hamburger Syndrome
There’s nothing worse than hankering for a particular food or meal when on the road, finding a place that serves it, only to be disappointed when the plate arrives because it bears no resemblance or taste to the food fantasy you were entertaining in your mind for the past day, week, or even month! I call this ‘The Hamburger Syndrome’. When food expectations fail to meet reality and you...
Read MoreBack to School
Today I went back to school – and my head hurts. As part of my assimilation into Guatemala, my newly adopted country, I’m attending Spanish classes four hours a day, for four days a week. (The standard is five days, but I don’t think this wandering soul can’t sit still THAT long … and let’s not forget about my hurting head.) My goal is to give my pigeon Spanish broader wings and help...
Read MoreMy New Home: Antigua, Guatemala
Even a rolling stone needs to come to a stop at some point. After an incredibly rewarding year of travelling about – spontaneously shifting from Brazil, North America, Europe, and Central America – I am in need of a rest, regiment and some structure. I have set up camp in Antigua, Guatemala. Or at least I’m trying to in between varying bouts of anxiety & fear at having made the right...
Read MoreGallivanting Friends (that can’t be pinned down)
Friends made while travelling can be some of the best you’ll make, just don’t expect them to be home when you knock on their door. The flip-side of having a host of travelling friends is that catching them at home is harder than you might think. In fact I’d likely have more luck bumping into them on the road then pinning them down at home. I’m a lucky man in the sense that I have...
Read MoreThe Coffee Experiment
Not only am I a big believer in trying everything once – and going back for seconds if you like what you’ve tried! – I also believe in revisiting those things you think you don’t like. Why? Because tastes change, because your second opinion can be different from the first, and if you hadn’t guessed already, I like challenging myself and my perceptions so I don’t get stuck in...
Read MoreDining on a Bridge
For me, life is always sweetest when it unfolds to reveal a surprising treat that I hadn’t planned on but have the opportunity to savour. I’m always amazed how often these opportunities present themselves – sometimes it’s a case of stumbling across them, while other times it’s about seeing something in the distance/out of the corner of your eye and altering course to investigate...
Read MoreWhen the Band Plays (Go Marching In!)
I was at my mum’s on a Sunday afternoon late in the summer, when I could hear music from a live band wafting across the backyard. “What’s that?” I asked. “Oh, they have a live band giving free concerts every weekend throughout the summer. I’ve been meaning to go down and see it,” she said. “Maybe next weekend I’ll remember.” “What about now?” I countered. “When the band...
Read MoreFriend Bumping
“Am I dreaming or did you just rollerblade past my taxi in Rio de Janeiro?” So read the text message I received when I returned home from my regular morning rollerblade along Rio’s four beaches – Leblon, Ipanema, Copacabana and Leme. It was from a Parisian friend who didn’t know that I was living in Rio and just happened to spot me in the split second he looked up during a cab ride...
Read MoreWreck Beach: Hippie Haven
It was more than 15 years ago that I first experienced Wreck Beach – a long recognised, well-established nudist beach in Vancouver – there’s even a book chronically the beach’s history. A few months ago I returned for a second time to discover a more sophisticated beach – while still retaining its hippie heart – in it’s offerings of mixed drinks alongside...
Read MoreHoly Cow! Animal Attacks
A small story. A dusty memory that jumped into my consciousness the other day. (I’m not sure why.) Cows, of course, are venerated in India as part of the Hindu religion … I was walking through the narrow streets of Varanasi (an incredible must-see destination in India) having just visited the famous steps that lead down to the Ganges River when a white Brahman cow (complete with horns!)...
Read MoreThank You in Any Language
I’m often asked about my language skills and how I manage overseas. Sadly I don’t officially speak a second language but ever the Jack of All Trades (and Master of None), I have picked up a smattering of phrases over the years. I can say: “I am not a Russian” in Vietnamese. “Tôi không phải là Lien Xo” Because when I first visited Vietnam in 1990 there were no...
Read MorePart of the Fabric
Sometimes when travelling, seeing spectacular attractions is not as important as experiencing and appreciating normal everyday local life. I am currently in Italy, a country that holds a special place in my life. It was here, 21-years ago, that I jumped into the great unknown and visited my first non-English speaking country, cementing my road to The Experience Junkie and kick-starting my travel...
Read MorePhoto of the day
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