Victoria Falls- Livingstone, Zambia  Pictured.  A shot of Victoria Falls from fellow traveler, Ingeborg Mate.
My first stop in Zambia was the the town of Livingstone.  I stayed in a great hostel and was welcomed by the receptionist who told me that she had been to East Lansing before.  She dated a guy who went to Michigan [...]

I can't remember the last time I actually cried while I read a book.  Sure, I have been misty eyed here or there but not to the point of actual tears and this was a nonfiction book. John Carlin has delivered one of the the best sports books that I have ever read.  Carlin has [...]

"Today when I look at Robben Island, I see it as a celebration of the struggle and a symbol of the finest qualities of the human spirit, rather than as a monument to the brutal tyranny and oppression of apartheid. It is true that Robben Island was once a place of darkness, but out of [...]

I had the opportunity to read the book by Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat Pray, Love before I left for my journey.  I had an ex-girlfriend, who suggested that I read the book because she thought my trip reminded her of Gilbert's journey.  I found Gilbert to be a very compelling author and I enjoyed reading the [...]

My Father’s VillagePictured: Me hanging out at the village with the next generation.
One day my father and I made a day trip to my father's village to visit his side of the family.  I had not been back to the village since the passing of my Dada (grandfather) over a decade ago.  The village has [...]

I read a number of books over the years to help keep me motivated about my journey.  One of my favorites was "100 Things To Do Before You Die" by Neil Teplica and Dave Freeman.  It  listed a number of festivals that I had on my worldlist and after reading it my list ended up [...]

I have met so many great people on the journey so far.  While I was in Beijing, I was introduced to a journalist named Lijia Zhang. We met at the Heineken House during the Olympics.  We had a spirited conversation on the Olympics, its impact on China and US/China relations. Typical Olympic conversation.
She gave [...]

Book Review
I had three different people recommend the book, The Confession of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins.  It was incredibly well written and a compelling read. The book highlighted the work that Mr. Perkins did in the 70’s and 80’s in the field of international aid and development. 
He outlined the formula [...]

I read excerpts from Charles Darwin’s The Voyage of the HMS Beagle prior to coming to the Galapagos Islands. Though I found his writing to be stale and too tedious to digest in large quantities, it was evident that he was impressed with the islands and the uniqueness of the wildlife, marine life and [...]

If you haven’t caught on, I am having a hard time letting go of Antarctica.  I think this should be the last post on the subject.  I have some cool things to write regarding my hike in Patagonia but haven’t felt ready to write them down. 
Photo Contest On board of the Orlova, one of [...]