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Fill ‘er up with Johnnie Walker Black

When we walked the streets of Bali we noticed sidewalk vendors selling bottles of Absolut vodka with a yellowish liquid inside. Usually the bottles were stuffed closed with a wad of cloth making them look like a row of Molotov…
Foot pedicure massage

Video: A fishy foot massage in Malaysia

Imagine having hundreds of fish nibbling at your toes underneath a giant sign that assuredly proclaims "No Piranha." Now picture your feet are in a tank with about a dozen other feet that are also being nibbled on. Larissa normally loves…
Singapore skyline
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Rooms with a view

We've generally rented apartments with some hotels thrown in. A few of them have had incredible views of either city scenes or country landscapes. The picture above is the view from our flat of the Sky Tower in Auckland. This being New…
Original Starbucks Pike Place Market
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10 food tourist traps to avoid

We've all fallen for them; food places the guidebooks say you absolutely must try when visiting a certain city.  So we join all the other tourists who've read the same guides and wait on long lines for what turns out to be overrated, mediocre,…

Having a cow in Australia’s bush country

Larissa was staring at a beautiful a tree frog; its tiny, bright green body with huge black eyes and cute little pods on its feet that were perfectly designed by nature to stick to any surface.  There was only one problem . . . those cute…
Chinese New Year lion head (800x778)

Video: A lion roars for Chinese New Year

The other night we had one of those impromptu cultural experiences that make travel worthwhile.  On a quiet Monday evening we strolled the streets of Chinatown in Malacca, Malaysia. It was a few weeks before Chinese New Year and the town…

Larissa gets toilet “trained” in Malaysia

We were on the train from Singapore to Malaysia. Friends in Singapore had advised us that the toilets on the train left something to be desired, but it was a five-hour journey so eventually nature called. The facilities were better than…

Playing “tourist tag” in Bali

Balinese kids love to play a game we dubbed “tourist tag.” It reminded us of a game American kids play called “punch buggy” when they spy a Volkswagen Beetle and get points. Everywhere we went kids would call out to us, smiling and waving.  We…
rtw plane ticket australia

Plane spotting heaven at Perth Airport

The shiny new Emirates 777-200LR was zooming down the runway right  towards us, its General Electric engines screaming to create 110,000  pounds of  take-off thrust. Along with dozens of other plane geeks we were leaning over the railing…

Wings over Lord of the Rings

When Peter Jackson chose New Zealand to film his epic Lord of the Rings trilogy it wasn't just because he's a Kiwi. The scenery is truly spectacular. It's the best of America's national parks all crammed into a relatively compact area. Picture…
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Digging a hole to China

When we were kids and dug around in our backyards our parents would ask if we were digging a hole to China, so we always assumed China was directly opposite our little patch of Earth. As we got older we finally realized that China and the…
New Zealand road trip Tuatapere sausage sign
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Video: The good, the bad and the lamb tongues — a taste of New Zealand

Now that we've recovered from our Vegemite taste test in Australia, we are ready to try some authentic New Zealand foods. The country is known around the word for its lamb so we decided to try a local delicacy we came across, peeled lamb tongue.…
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The world’s best gelato is in New Zealand?

Who would have thought that the world's best gelato was being made in Auckland, New Zealand? But the city, which was recently selected as the 3rd best city in the world to live, takes it in stride. The owner of Giapo's is Gianpaolo Grazioli,…

Surviving the air pollution in Beijing

Yesterday over two hundred flights were cancelled at Beijing’s airport due to smoggy skies from China air pollution. The air was so bad it wasn’t safe to fly. Like many things in China the truth behind the shutdown remains elusive. One news…

Free things to do in Sydney

We stood at the center of the Sydney Harbour Bridge on a breezy sunny day.  Down below us ferries cut through the turquoise water as they carried passengers to hidden coves shaded by palm trees. White sails of pleasure-craft swelled in…

We avoid getting deported from New Zealand

We were at the Brisbane, Australia airport checking in for our overseas flight to Auckland when the gate agent stopped us cold. “You can’t enter New Zealand on a one-way ticket so you can’t check in for this flight,” she said. This…
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Shocking video: Vegemite taste test

Vegemite, a yeast-based extract, is the official food of Australia. It is smeared on toast and crackers just like we would use jelly or butter. The dark brown substance looks a bit like Nutella but please don't let that fool you. It may look…

The Great Wall of China minus the tourist hordes

The Great Wall of China is one of the most popular sites on earth. Movies like The Bucket List reinforce it as a must-see place to visit. It was also high on our list of the best places to visit in China, but we wanted to avoid the crowds of…