Tales of travel, humor, sarcasm and other nonsense.
One Last Glass o’ Sake

Given Osaka’s size and commercial prowess, not to mention its reputation as a breeding ground for Japanese organized crime, the best American analogy might be Chicago.
Where the Streets Have New Names

Hiroshima today is a vibrant, bustling city. If you didn’t know an atomic bomb completely destroyed it, killing hundreds of thousands of people near the end of a war three-quarters of a century ago, you might not believe it actually happened.
Shrine, Shrine, Everywhere a Shrine

Once upon a time, Kyoto was the largest and richest city in Japan; the seat of imperial power. Then the shoguns took over.
The Gardens of Plenty

Though Kanazawa is only about 70 miles from Takayama, the difference is night and day. Or more like several centuries.
Resistance is Feudal

One of the old-era experiences that Takayama tourists can enjoy is a stay in a ryokan, a unique kind of hotel in which the guests follow certain rigid traditions of Japanese life long ago.
Pokémon Go Chinatown

It takes about 30 minutes by train to get to Yokohama from central Tokyo. Yokohama could easily be considered a Tokyo suburb if it wasn’t Japan’s second-largest city.
Where the Streets Have No Names

I highly doubt U2 were referring to Tokyo in their famous hit song. It just seemed like a good title to steal.
Prologue: Turning Japanese

It seems the Japanese prefer smaller things. Sometimes really creepy smaller things.
Panamá: a tacked-on Epilogue

A visit to Panama City seemed like an appropriate ending to our South American journey. Granted, it’s not actually in South America. But it’s close enough for government work (or French scientists).
A letter of complaint about our flight to Cartagena
Mapping out Medellín

I’m happy to report that I was able to write this blog post from the comfort of our Medellín hotel room. You may be wondering, how did we manage to escape whacko Raoul?