Sofia and I hadn’t taken a father-daughter trip, just the two of us, in several years. That had to be remedied! So we booked budget flights and headed to Málaga for sun, sand, sea, flamenco, Picasso, and tapas! This was actually my third time to Málaga, but Sofia’s first to Spain in general, so she […]
Read More Malaga (Spain), and 74-km MarchFine dining, fine views, and hefty fines — this is Singapore! Keep your gum at home, and properly dispose of your litter. Singapore (a city-state) is definitely worth a visit for a few days. English is spoken well, there’s lots to see and do, and it’s memorable and even a bit strange. It’s full of […]
Read More Singapore, a fine cityI know many readers have been to Australia and/or New Zealand, and they are both rich in natural beauty and variety, unique animals, and engaging history. My visit to these remote locales was certainly too short, and I would very much like to return to each, preferably spending weeks there to be able to explore […]
Read More G’day from AustraliaOn a day trip from Hong Kong, Ben and I traveled by ferry to Macau, another special administrative region of China, and a former Portuguese colony and territory, turned back over to China in 1999. It is the most densely-populated territory on the planet, and it has a very high standard of living and one […]
Read More Macau: it’s not Hong Kong, but had ping pongDing dings, five-year plans, bamboo scaffolding, life imprisonment for selling CBD, and phone zombies?! Must be Hong Kong! It’s quite a unique and memorable place. This was Ben’s and my second destination, and in advance I coordinated with my niece (Ben’s cousin) Katelyn, who had been traveling solo around southeastern Asia, to meet us in […]
Read More Hong Kong, Ding Ding!To continue where we left off in the previous post on Taiwan, let’s have a look at some of the notable buildings and architecture. Taipei is a big city, and as one would expect, there is a variety of height, quality, and spacing of buildings. Ben and I stayed in an older, denser neighborhood called […]
Read More Xièxiè, Taiwan!Bao down to what may be East Asia’s friendliest and hippest country, especially the cool capital city of Taipei. Compared to other regional destinations like Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong, Taiwan prices are much more reasonable, and English is spoken relatively well. Americans are welcomed there, and it’s not yet a tourist hotspot, at […]
Read More Taiwan, You Had Me At Ni HaoI spent a few nights in Abu Dhabi with a very hospitable and generous friend and his family. In preparation and while there I learned a lot about the UAE and the region. I had never been anywhere near here before, and I flew over most of the height and width of Iran from Azerbaijan […]
Read More Oil be honest, the UAE surprised meI was blown away by Baku, figuratively and literally, and it sometimes wasn’t good, and I don’t plan to ever return. Azerbaijan is ranked as the most corrupt country in Europe, and after being compelled to pay my first-ever bribe to a police officer, I would believe it. But at the same time, I’m glad […]
Read More From Baku with PlovAfter finishing up my time in Romania, I flew Moldovan airline HiSky from Bucharest to Chișinău, the capital and largest city of Moldova. Moldovan airline FlyOne returned me to Prague. Who would have thought that Moldova would have multiple low-cost airlines?! A tour guide told us that flight traffic to/from Moldova has increased markedly since […]
Read More Kiss Me Now, Chisinau (and Transnistria)
Major Meander 