Fringing On Eternal - Rome
I always walk in Rome. It saves the trouble of worrying about transit strikes, crowded buses with no air conditioning and clogged-up roads. It’s the only way that you can be in control of your schedule and your day—especially if you lived on the other side of the Tevere, far removed from the Centro. I lived on the other side of the Tevere, far removed from the Centro.
Monteverde is what I lovingly think of as the Astoria of Rome. While it is only a few miles to the bustle of Campo dei’Fiori or the sun-soaked crowds at the Colosseo, it feels like another world over the Gianicolo Hill. There is a reason why the gritty urban backdrop for post-war neorealist films was so easily found along the via Pamphili or the Piazza di Donna Olimpia. The houses that Mussolini built still stand, apartment complexes that have softened against the lines of lemon trees and palm fronds. Color has begun to make its way in through means apart from graffiti. Young college students, mostly expats, have started to mix in with the residents who have been living there since Ceasar’s heyday.
Fact is Crazier then Fiction: Dead Dog in a Bag
This story may seem like a joke, but as sometimes the case, fact can be crazier then fiction. While traveling, I was told this story about a traveler’s sister who was dog sitting for her neighbors in Toronto when unexpectedly she found the dog lying dead in his sleep.
The sister then nervously called the family who suprisingly immediately apologized for the death of the dog and explained how the dog had been elderly for quite some time. They asked her one last favor, could she take the dog to the city shelter to be disposed of? The sister who has so thrilled at not being in trouble for the death of the family dog, immediately agreed to their request.
10 Tips For Adventure Travel in Asia
1. Always Separate Your Money (Cargo pants are great to keep your large bills hidden and small bills accessible)
2. Learn Chinese Chess (Especially for South East Asia and China)
Traveling in China or Vietnam? Learn to Play Chinese Chess
Do you remember seeing squatting Vietnamese or Chinese huddled around a board chain smoking and shouting at each other? Ever wondered what they were doing? I always was dying to learn the game they were playing and finally when I did it enabled many of my traveling highlights in Vietnam.
A Letter In Your Back Pocket: Your Key To The Developing World
The developing world mentality is a challenge which you either love or hate. You can either relish in maneuvering through its weaknesses or become frustrated by its
inefficiency.
I like to work it.
You Are A Good Catholic Aren’t You? Ireland
“Does this bus go to LondonDerry?”
I asked the bus driver in the middle of a typical Irish downpour.
Eating Nothing But Lobsters (Hell Apparently)
Attacked by a Shaolin Monk at the Shaolin Monastery
I was the ripe young age of 18, backpacking through China with my childhood friend. We found ourselves at the Shaolin Monastary in Zhengzhou so deep within the Chinese countryside that we had not seen another foreigner for weeks. We started chating (in charades) with one of the monks who we assumed wanted money, but after 20 minutes of enthusiastic antics we offered him money and he refused. If you have ever been to China, you know how unusual this is, and so he automatically earned our trust.
Just as we were about to leave, he beckoned us to take a photo in front of the Shaolin temple, after which he motioned for us to sit on the temple steps. He placed my friend on the steps below me and placed my hands on my knees below his neck. We did not know what he was doing, but suddenly he began to press with both hands on my friends neck. After a few seconds, Greg sprung up with frieght in his eyes muttering “lets go, come on lets go”.
