I’d never thought much about senior travel until a wrinkled yet muscled man sat down next to me on the Pokhara to Kathmandu bus. Preston had lived in Mexico, Hawaii, Nepal, Thailand and more — he’d been on the road for most of his life.

He’d relied on his wits and his skills to take him around the world. Renovating houses, fixing up boats, running a gem polishing … Read more »

The Plastiki — the world’s first boat made of recycled plastic bottles — recently set off on its journey across the Pacific. The Plastiki is made of recycled 2-liter bottles; some 12,000 of them give the boat its buoyancy.

The goal of the project is to raise awareness about plastic waste in the ocean, which, … Read more »

Some of you may already be familiar with Elderhostel, the hostelling and alternative travel group geared primarily towards retirees or older travelers.  Elderhostel has become Exploritas, explained as a combination of explore + veritas — meaning truth in travel.  This is a message I can get behind.

The overly slick website aside, I appreciate what Elderhostel is trying to do here: they’re rebranding as a touring company for well-read people who are interested in … Read more »

I’ve had my eye on the Faroe Island chain for what seems like years now. You know, those weather beaten isles in the Norwegian Sea? This small chain of 18 islands with its rolling hills, fluffy placid sheep, and thatched roofs seems like the perfect place to linger for a few contemplative months. To perhaps … Read more »

“There ain’t much time left, you’re born out of this insane abyss and you’re going to fall back into it, so while you’re alive you might as well show your bare ass.” –Jim Carroll, in a Musician, Player and Listener interview, February 1981

There is no shortage of words written about travel, either on blogs or paper, that detail the fantastic things seen and done, the delicious things eaten. It’s probably not a huge surprise that most travel tales don’t include a basic “here’s what my average day is like” entries, since they would likely seem a bit boring to both the writer and most readers.

But BootsnAll member K2 is curious – what is a day … Read more »

With the current war on Mexico’s drug traffickers erupting into violence in certain border towns, some folks with travel plans to Mexico are confused about whether to keep them. Here are some tips on how to study up on the current situation and the likelihood of events affecting you on your travels.

Check travel warnings from the United States Department of State’s Bureau of … Read more »

Asia is full of dedicated foodies, both locals and expats. Debating dishes between countries and even between cities in the same country qualifies as a national sport.

The foodie discussion forum Chowhound.com has a great thread on an impossible question: Best cities in Asia to visit for chowing? Although it’s a year-old, replies are still being posted as recently as February 2010.

My votes would go to Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. KL because … Read more »

Delhi, India

I’ve written previously about the pleasure of a local newspaper set next to a cup of coffee. In this post I want to zero in on one of the benefits of this arrangement. Here it is: In addition to a hopefully pleasant aroma rising from your cup, … Read more »

Tonight is my last night in Jacmel, Haiti, having been helping in the relief effort for almost two weeks. As part of Shelters International Disaster Response, I have helped to clear rubble from two schools, and we just heard today that we have won the contract from the Salvation Army to rebuild the first one – a seven room grade school. I won’t be here to see it, but I’m heartened to have been a … Read more »