Compass & Camera

The Bonneville Salt Flats

Helloooo! It's been a long time since my last post. In the travel blogging world, this usually means the blogger is tired, out of money... Read More
Short Stories from Mumbai

Last month, spending ten days in Mumbai left such a powerful lasting impression that I haven't written... Read More
Leaving My Heart in Havana

The song accompanying this post is Besos Discretos performed by Fusión Caribe, a fantastic band on the streets of Havana. Video follows below. ... Read More
Gong Xi Fa Cai! A Love Letter to Asia

Arriving with a scaffold of expectations doesn't help if you're setting sail on an ocean of possibilities.... Read More
The Allure of Sri Lanka

We arrived in Sri Lanka late on a Friday night, unable to see the country's landscape from... Read More

February 6, 2017June 21, 2017

— 35 Comments

The Kanheri Caves of Mumbai, India

Rajesh and I choke along the highway in his rickshaw, breathing in the air pollution as we zip past the slums bordering the highway. I probably should have taken a taxi, but driving in a rickshaw is so much more fun with the noise, the air, the... Read More

December 31, 2016June 21, 2017

— 37 Comments

My Top 12 Travel Experiences by Month

Happy New Year everyone! Thinking about where to go in 2017? Here are my top twelve travel experiences (ever, not just this year) by month. I hope you find some ideas among these journeys. Thank... Read More

September 16, 2016December 27, 2016

— 35 Comments

History, a Photograph and the View Over Guantánamo

The song accompanying this post is Guantanamera performed by Manos Libres, a musical group we loved in La Habana Vieja. Guantanamera is one of the most well-known... Read More

September 5, 2016June 21, 2017

— 64 Comments

Postcards From Trinidad

The song accompanying this post is Hasta Siempre Comandante performed by Dúo Real, a guitar duo we listened to while dining on the outdoor deck at La Ceiba in Trinidad. After Havana and... Read More

September 5, 2016June 21, 2017

— 64 Comments

Postcards From Trinidad

The song accompanying this post is Hasta Siempre Comandante performed by Dúo Real, a guitar duo we listened to while dining on the outdoor deck at La Ceiba in Trinidad. After Havana and Santiago de Cuba, we venture to Trinidad on another long ride through the countryside. Acres and acres of corn and... Read More

May 10, 2016October 31, 2016

— 31 Comments

Gathering of Nations 2016

The opening moment actually takes my breath away. The first drumbeat initiates a men's dance of such color and fervor I can... Read More

November 16, 2014April 29, 2015

— 19 Comments

Regarding Everest

After seeing Mani Rimdu and an enjoying an overnight stay near Tengboche, we trekked farther up the Khumbu Valley toward Dingboche. The terrain relaxed into high altitude farmland, where rock walls delineated... Read More

November 7, 2014October 23, 2016

— 9 Comments

Blessed by Mani Rimdu in the Himalayas

This entry is Part 6 in a series about my trip to Nepal in 2005. The sudden flutter of activity at the front door of... Read More

January 9, 2017June 21, 2017

— 42 Comments

Streets and Markets of Mumbai

Our taxi stops in the middle of traffic and we step out into the mayhem of Mumbai at rush hour. Across the pulsing artery of cars and pedestrians, I see the ruddy stone exterior of Crawford Market with its clock tower silhouetted against the hazy blue sky. [gallery... Read More

November 20, 2016December 27, 2016

— 17 Comments

2016: A Ski Odyssey

Winter is almost here, so how about a ski story? Last March we packed the car and set out on a two-week ski odyssey... Read More

October 27, 2016

— 27 Comments

Pure Color at Butchart Gardens

An October afternoon at Butchart Gardens, in photos. Heavenly! Are words even necessary? Not really, other than mentioning that Butchart Gardens is just outside Victoria on Vancouver Island. Trails lead through 55 acres of trees,... Read More

October 21, 2016November 20, 2016

— 11 Comments

Sea to Sky and Peak to Peak

Storms have been rolling through Vancouver during the past week, so I thought I'd share two recent local adventures before fall turns to winter. The Sea to Sky and Peak to Peak experiences sweep you... Read More

May 26, 2015June 21, 2017

— 33 Comments

Road Trip Oman: Nizwa and Final Thoughts

We arrived in Nizwa last night after a long day exploring Jebel Shams and the aged village of Misfat Al Abriyeen. Today is our last full day in Oman. We start early, meandering the narrow streets surrounding downtown Nizwa. Crumbling stone walls and newly constructed homes co-exist amidst an unlikely landscape of palm trees. As... Read More

April 9, 2015August 25, 2016

— 26 Comments

Road Trip Oman: Peaks and Valleys Near Jebel Shams

After two blissful nights on top of Jabal Akhdar we depart the hotel feeling completely relaxed, with the distinct scent of Frankincense wafting from our backpacks. We load into the Pajero, reluctantly wave goodbye and... Read More

March 4, 2015August 25, 2016

— 11 Comments

Road Trip Oman: Secluded Luxury at Jabal Akhdar

After two nights of wild camping and one night in the desert of Wahiba Sands, we're a little rough around the edges. The Pajero is covered in dust and so are we. I'm looking forward... Read More

February 17, 2015August 25, 2016

— 33 Comments

Road Trip Oman: Foray Into the Desert

We wake up on the beach in Ras Al Hadd, having met a large yellow fin tuna and having enjoyed a peaceful night camping next to the ocean. The Omani sun burns... Read More

September 26, 2016

— 13 Comments

A Quest to See Killer Whales

We were very lucky on our quest to see killer whales yesterday. We spotted quite a few of them, just south of Vancouver in the Strait of Georgia, not too far from the shoreline at the airport. Sockeye salmon are spawning right now -- heading toward the Fraser River -- but they... Read More

August 26, 2016August 26, 2016

— 49 Comments

Weekly Photo Challenge: Frames of the World

I love this week's photo challenge: Frame. I'm sharing three of my favorite travel photos. Oman We woke up early after a splendidly silent night in Wahiba Sands. The sun... Read More

August 5, 2016August 5, 2016

— 28 Comments

Weekly Photo Challenge: Morning in Cuba

The patchwork masonry catches my eye. I walk closer and see her looking out from her window onto the street below. I hold up my camera to... Read More

July 14, 2016

— 6 Comments

Weekly Photo Challenge: Look Up

Stash your shoes at the entry and have a look. These are the beautiful mandalas of the Sri Mariamman Temple in Singapore. Whether you worship, firewalk or come to admire the prolific... Read More