I am about to embark on arguably the most dangerous and exciting leg of my 11-year adventure. I will bus from Guatemala City, traverse every Central American country (except Belize), and stop at the end of the North American segment of the Pan-American Highway in Panama’s Darien Gap. Continue reading
Maxichamp
57 posts
Port Chicago is one of those places that you pass by often on your way to work but never stop to think about. After living in the San Francisco Bay Area for almost two decades, I decided to visit it for the first time last week. It is the site of a World War II munitions explosion that killed 320 people, mostly black sailors. The aftermath caused America to examine its racism and helped integrate the military.
For a car nut and a travel fiend like me, driving Nevada’s Highway 50 was definitely near the top of my proverbial Bucket List. The scenery was spectacular, the road glass smooth, and the food surprisingly tasty. Plus, the world’s oldest trees! Continue reading
What is happening atop Mauna Kea is a tragedy and a slap in the face to the native Hawaiian people.
Mauna Kea* (or White Mountain) is of tremendous spiritual importance to the Hawaiians. It is white because of the snow that often dusts the peak. It is the home of Poli’ahu, the snow goddess. This is contrasted by Mauna Loa (or Black Mountain), home of Poli’ahu’s rival, Pele, the goddess of fire. The number of legends and heiaus (temples) on Mauna Kea speak to its importance. Continue reading
You have decided to go to Hawaii. Yay! The tougher decision is, which island? This is a series of posts about Hawaii. In this inaugural post, I will provide a thumbnail sketch of each inhabited island. Over the next couple of months, I will focus on each island separately. Feel free to ask any questions in the comments section below and I will try to help. Aloha. Continue reading
From the ages of three to eight (1978-1983), I lived in that gray house in Taipei, Taiwan. It wasn’t until 2006 that I would see this house again. Join me for a tour of the house and my memories.
My maternal grandparents raised me in this house. My grandfather was a legislator, a scholar, and all around raconteur. Born to a well-to-do family, he graduated from Peking University, and was elected to China’s National Assembly in the 1940s. He, my grandmother, and their adopted one year old daughter (my mom) fled to Taiwan along with the rest of Chiang Kai-Shek’s government in 1949. Because the government no longer had control of Mainland China (where the electorate resided), National Assembly members got to hold onto their seats until the Communist rebellion was quashed. Because that quashing never happened, my grandfather became a legislator-for-life. Continue reading
Out of curiosity, I bought this Meal Ready to Eat at the local military surplus store. It cost $7. How did it taste? Continue reading
I enjoy two things as much as travel– cars and food. I combined all three by visiting eateries in car dealerships. Nirvana! Let’s take a look at three examples. Continue reading
As an unorthodox traveler, I, by default, choose unorthodox destinations. Here are three.
1. Southernmost point of the 50 United States. Ka Lae (South Point), Big Island of Hawaii.
Subjectively, this is the most fascinating of the three. A 12-mile roughly paved road leads you from the main ring road that hugs the circumference of the Big Island to South Point. It is very windy, as evidenced by the funny looking trees; the huge, rusting windmills; and well, the wind. Once in a while, cattle will randomly appear. Continue reading
In 2004, I went to the village in northern China where my maternal grandmother grew up. She left China and her extended family in 1949 when she fled to Taiwan with my grandfather and my one year old mother. She never went back to China. She passed away in 2006. Continue reading