The other day I was having a drink with a park ranger, a man who drove tour buses in Denali for 30 years, and a veteran of the Alaska tourism industry. The conversation turned to bear spray, and the three of them recounted four of the […]
Spectacular Turnagain Arm, or God Was Showing Off When He Made This Place
There aren’t many roads in Alaska, but the roads that exist are nothing short of spectacular. Driving a car in the Great Land is an exhilarating experience as each bend offers views of majestic peaks, huge lakes, rushing rivers and, as a bonus, quirky Alaskana. Every road […]
INFOGRAPHIC: My Thoughts During the Ill-Fated Portage Glacier Expedition
On Monday I wrote 900 words about two hikes I went on to Portage Glacier. In summary, I took off on a spontaneous hike on my own and I was defeated by my fears of the wild.
Portage Glacier in the Winter, or a Tale of Two Hikes
Late Sunday, while out on a lazy afternoon drive, I made the very spontaneous decision to undergo a winter expedition to Portage Glacier.
A Disturbing New Trend in Travel Photography
In Varanasi, in the year 2012, among the dead bodies floating down the Ganges, the corpses burning in the funeral pyres, amid the voracious touts and the Indians bathing in the polluted, trash-filled river, I noticed something disturbing and out of place: I saw a […]
How Travel Has Influenced My Diet
It is impossible to travel and not be changed. For me, more than anything else, travel has affected my diet. A look through my kitchen will reveal foods, such as wonton wrappers, Greek yogurt, and oyster sauce, that I’d probably not be eating had I […]
18 Photos of Valletta, Malta
Do you know where Malta is? Let’s take a quiz.
The Rose Scam
It is straight out of every girl’s Italian fantasy. She is at an iconic landmark like the Spanish Steps, the Rialto Bridge or the Piazza Navone, and she is approached by a handsome, charming Latin Lover with a bad boy look but a soft heart. […]
The Venetian Blue Hour
Photographers call the time after sunset before it gets totally dark the “blue hour.” It is a great time to take photos, especially cityscapes, as the intermingling of natural and artificial light creates dramatic effects and the world is imbued with blue. For non-photographers like […]
5 Unconventional Tips for Better Street Photography
Almost everyday, I get emails from devoted readers asking how I get such great photos of people on the street when I travel. That is a lie. I never get such emails. But if I did, here are the tips that I would give anyone […]
Venice: Half Fairy Tale, Half Tourist Trap
“There is no way a gondola ride costs $100 per hour,” I declared. My coworker was trying to tell me how expensive it was to visit Venice, and I wasn’t having it.
Planet Bell 