The army sharpshooter looks us up and down, his anti-guerrilla livery emblazoned on a tightly wound bandana. He establishes quickly that we represent no threat, shows us his rifle and smiles, revealing braces. Incongruous, I …
October 20, 2013
Travel Editor Picks
Caño Cristales, Colombia
What to do in Barrow, Alaska
"Going all the way to Barrow?" the Alaska Air ticketing agent confirms somewhat incredulously. "Yes." "And just one of you traveling today?" "Yes." "You're fortunate the flight is leaving as scheduled. It's rather cold there …
October 15, 2013
Isle of Skye, Scotland
I had been here before. A deep breath of ocean air, a taste of mist, and I was in some beautiful place from my dreams – on the edge of water so still, I forbade …
September 3, 2013
Ten days from Cairo to Beijing
Russia is one of the most challenging countries in which to travel on a budget. Oh sure, your ruble might still go a pinto’s puff further out on the street than your yen, but you’ll …
August 27, 2013
Kayaking Lake Powell and Antelope Canyon
I had wanted to visit Lake Powell ever since I saw Doctor Who breathe his last breath on the futuristic shores (British sci-fi, don’t worry about it), so as part of our Arizona-Utah road trip, …
Small-town Italy: Varenna
Varenna is a stunning, yet underrated, jewel on Lake Como just north of the more well-known and widely visited Bellagio. If you’re looking for a tranquil atmosphere to accompany magnificent views of the lake, Varenna …
August 19, 2013
A Cuban love story: the summers of 1896 and 2012
In the summer of 1896, yellow fever, civil unrest, an independence war, collapsing buildings and general economic despair threatened the lives of the entire populace of Havana, Cuba. In the summer of 2012, cholera, civil …
August 5, 2013
Small-town Italy: Civitanova Marche
If you’ve visited the major sites in Italy and yearn for something unique and different, consider Civitanova Marche, a pleasant seaside village with a distinctive local flavor. The little fishing town and seaside resort in …
July 26, 2013
Afghanistan: among the connexes
My walk from the barracks to the connex is familiar. Begrudgingly, my boots start on the walk to work. For exactly 100 steps, large gravel rocks are the path. They are everywhere the pavement or …
July 16, 2013
Five reasons to visit Slovenia
Preface: I do not usually gush about entire countries. I do not work for the Slovenian office of tourism. 1) Ljubljana (pronounced "lube-ee-ana") is a beautiful city with a central old town and a river …
July 7, 2013
Solo in Venice
In Venice, I was a third wheel. Or more like a unicycle. The other wheels were found on a bicycle built for two, riding in the opposite direction. This was not the best city for …
July 2, 2013