Anytime you find yourself in Lumbini, Nepal, there is really only one remotely plausible explanation for your arrival; you have come to the visit the monasteries and temples that are located at the birthplace of Buddha. Lumbini is a rather non-descript town located less than ten kilometers from the Indian border and unless you knew that it was a special sanctum for Buddhists, you would most certainly keep traveling as there is really no such thing as advertising for this sort of thing. And so, a day after leaving the hot and sweltering environs of Chitwan National Park, (sorry we keep on harping about the heat, but damn it man, it’s seriously warm here!) we spent the day tromping around Lumbini in temperatures of 40C (104 F). And don’t forget to factor in the humidity and ... read more

For those of you who find beer to be their primary choice of adult beverage, this blog’s for you. This entry is not for the person who “occasionally” has a cold beer on a hot summer afternoon, and certainly not for those who indulge in low calorie beers. You may simply move on friend, for this is a blog that centers on the gathering of thousands of Germans and others making the pilgrimage to the center of the beer universe…..Oktoberfest!! A time each fall when men slap on their best lederhosen, don a hat that sometimes resembles the one that Marvin the Martian wears on those Warner Bros. cartoons, and women wear dresses that accentuate a certain part of their anatomy. And then the drinking begins…. Attended by well over 6 million festival goers each year, ... read more

As children growing up in the mid-western part of the U.S. in the 1960s, we heard of the Cold War and the Iron Curtain. There were fallout shelters and we practiced drills at school in case of a nuclear attack. We grew up with spy stories, neighbors and parents considering building shelters, and of course the evil empire of the U.S.S.R. and its puppet states. Fast forward to 2012 and there we were, right in the middle of a now free Berlin, once the home of the Third Reich, the DDR and of course, the infamous Wall. Berlin is now a vibrant, free-spirited city that is quickly establishing its new identity in today’s world. Both of us admit that we never imagined ourselves in Berlin anytime soon as it wasn’t on the travel radar. Not that ... read more

In 2005, we spent two weeks exploring Scotland and fell in love with the country. Hopping off our flight in the Shetland Islands, we acknowledged that it is good to be back on Scottish soil. The green rolling hills and craggy coastline are so inviting. Our day started early leaving for the Reykjavik airport at 5am giving us plenty of time for airport security and all the other nonsense that you encounter when traveling. We landed safely in Glasgow and had a 7- hour lay over waiting for our flight to the Shetlands…. as you can imagine there are only so many flights to the islands. The initial plan was to do a little driving and sight seeing and also catch some local music that we had read about. More on that later. We find ourselves ... read more

One of the many things we have observed to this point is that there does not appear to be many trees here. The relative youth of the nation geologically precludes their growth. To this point, our guide asked if we knew what to do if we got lost in an Icelandic forest. After a few seconds of thought on our part, she told us “you stand up!” Okay then…. Visitors to Iceland usually attempt one or both of the familiar routes when exploring this unique land. One is the Golden Circle, which can be seen in one day or the Ring Road, which we’re told can be done in as little as five days (although that is certainly rushing it). This will normally satisfy the average traveler and they are able to return home safe in ... read more