Posts from the ‘Uncategorized’ category

Feels like winter

Winter in Southern Ontario is just around the corner and it’s not very good at playing hide and seek. The leaves are mostly off the trees,…

Road Tripping

For 17 months my adventures were limited to daily walks in Toronto and one July weekend with family at Canada’s Wonderland. While it was great to…

Lovely, perfectly lovely

This morning I descended the oak staircase to the parlour and breakfast room at my Beacon Hill (Victoria, British Columbia) B&B. There was no sign of…

Foot, meet mouth

I’ve been known to stick my foot in my mouth the odd time, and without much social interaction over the past year I was due to…

Possibly the dullest Saturday yet

While I’ve had a few ho-hum Saturdays since starting a predecessor blog in 2013, I think today will go down as the dullest yet. As noted…

We’ll See

Some of you have probably learned from Facebook that I am now officially retired. I was planning to work through the end of March but when…

First World Problem #193

A few days before Christmas I picked up some Mennonite maple fudge at a farmer’s market. I even managed to get it home and into the fridge for…

I Have a Confession to Make!

I have a confession to make. (Deep breath.) Okay, here goes; I, John Michael Hamilton, am a compulsive list-maker. There, I said it. Whew! Not only…

Let the planning begin

If you happened to stumble onto this blog, great! If you received an email notification it’s because you had previously signed up for email updates…

Saturday #184: Finally an update!

In my family, you know that Christmas is just around the corner when you open the mailbox to find an envelope containing the annual holiday letter…

A selection of photos from my first round-the-world trip. Click on any image to enlarge and read captions.

Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

Hanoi, Vietnam

“More heat please,” said no one ever in Bangalore, India

Bayara, our incredible Mongolian guide, asked me to come hunt for something about a mile from where we were camped. When I asked what we were looking for he just said, “you’ll know when you see it.” After about 30 minutes we came across this eagle that the local farmer had shot because it was killing his baby lambs. Bayara cut off one talon for himself and one for me and I wear it around my neck to this day.

Chao Hostel, Bangkok, Thailand (C$22.72)

Song Köl Lake, Naryn, Kyrgyzstan

Attempting to repair a bent sand mat in rural Mongolia.

Here’s a typical restaurant lunch in rural Mongolia where it may be the only thing on the menu. Okay, there rarely is a menu. To be honest I was always pretty happy with what I was served as it was fresh and hot. The lone vegetarian on our truck wasn’t as enamoured with Mongolian fare. A lot of Lays chips were consumed over those 30 days.

Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

Herding yak near Tsenker, Mongolia

Signagi, Georgia

It’s easy to see why Jaisalmer is known as “The Golden City.” – Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India

Hengshan (Hanging) Monastery, near Datong, Shanxi, China

While lining up for the ATM and hoping it doesn’t run out of cash, it is apparently considered good luck to rub the head of a bald tourist. – Jaisalmer, Rajashtan, India

Ica, Peru

Municipal workers collecting trash in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

Kyrgyzstan

Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

La Paz, Bolivia

The Thar Desert, India

‎⁨Jodhpur⁩, ⁨Rajasthan⁩, ⁨India⁩

Kathmandu, Nepal

Lahic, Georgia

Stuck again, near ‎⁨Övörkhangai⁩, ⁨Mongolia⁩. We must be fairly close to civilization as this friendly dog watched from a distance. I can only imagine what he was thinking.

Gannan, Gansu, China

Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan

‎⁨Xi’an⁩, ⁨Shaanxi⁩, ⁨China⁩

Put to work in Astam, Nepal

Upwards of 100 bodies are cremated every day at Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi, India. The burning continues 24-7.

San Francisco, California

Huacachina, Peru

Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Tongariro Alpine Crossing, Tongariro National Park, New Zealand

I didn’t get the name of this popular street food in Pushkar but I had it several times (okay, several times per week) and no matter how bad the joint looked, I enjoyed it every time and was never seriously sick. Is it possible to kill bacteria with spices?

Naryn, Kyrgyzstan

Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

As the bindings on these snowboards were completely shot, we used them as toboggans and went down the sand dune head first. – Huacachina, Peru

Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia

One of my few complaints with Dragoman was that we had very little time to explore the market in Mörön, Mongolia. Most of the people on the truck were happy to pick up our groceries for the next few days and move on while I could have spent a whole day wandering around and people watching.

Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria

‎⁨Sofia⁩, ⁨Bulgaria⁩

Departing Toronto’s Union Station on Via Rail’s ‘The Canadian’

I know I have a rather large nose but I defy anyone to eat this “toad-in-the-hole” clubhouse sandwich without getting yolk on their snout. – Madrid, Spain

This popular snack of dried and spiced lentils and nuts is served in a cone formed from used newspaper. – Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

I ran into this local gy with a Canadian sweatshirt while hiking near Annapurna Eco-village outside Astam, Nepal. We were not able to communicate very well but nevertheless he did happily pose for photos.

This is what the road looked like for days at a time in rural areas of Mongolia. Okay, most everywhere on the Mongolian Steppe would be considered “rural” but break down on this particular stretch and you’ll be stuck for a few days. And that we were!

Near Pokhara, Nepal

My sister, brother-in-law and myself had a very nice meal at Madame Ngoc’s Com Nieu Restaurant on our last night in Hanoi. But to be honest, this place is nothing like its previous incarnation that was featured a decade earlier on one of Anthony Bourdain’s shows. Quite simply, they’ve sold out! As Olive Garden is to Italian cooking, Com Nieu is to Vietnamese food.

Note the fake iPhone logo on the older boy’s shirt. – Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Although this meal was pretty good, nobody goes to Mongolia for the cuisine.

Burning Man, Nevada

Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

Burning Man, Nevada

Istanbul, Turkey

Chicken fingers, anyone? – Agra, India

Tongariro Alpine Crossing, Tongariro National Park, New Zealand

I have since been told by people who would know that this is WAY too much Vegemite for one piece of toast. I can’t imagine that it would have been any better with just a bit less “turpentine jam” but perhaps it’s an acquired taste.

Raglan Surf School (Hostel), New Zealand (C$26.29)

Famous Farm, Nuwakot, Nepal (C$20.00)

Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria

Siamaze Hostel, Bangkok, Thailand (C$13.29)

Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria

Giapo Designer Ice Cream – Auckland, New Zealand

Yucca Valley, California

Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel located near Aguas Calientes, Peru.

Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco, California

Turpan, China

Not having had a bagel in months, I was pretty happy to come across something called ‘girde naan’ while wandering around the livestock market in Kashgar, a city China’s far western Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. They were fresh out of a wood-fired oven and most people were dunking them in bowls of steaming mutton broth. While not quite as good as a fresh Montreal bagel, they were much better than similar carb-overloads that I found on the streets of Istanbul. I’d give them a 7 out of 10.

Bonito, Brazil

Brimpaen, Victoria, Australia

My Algerian hostel mate Bilal practicallybegged me to shoot photos of him at a high-end mall in Istanbul. After much arm twisting I reluctantly agreed and played paparazzi for a day. And if you believe that one…

Most afternoons I had a refreshing Caipirinha, Brazil’s National Drink, from the terrace of my hostel in Rio de Janeiro.

This dinner consisted of lamb and root vegetables that had been layered with hot rocks in a metal cream can that was sealed and heated over over an open fire. An hour later we had the Mongolian version of Instapot. It was fall-off-the-bone good.

Traditional Kyrgyz hunters train golden eagles to track down and kill prey. Rabbits, foxes and even animals as large as wolves are no match for the highly intelligent and lethal eagle.

Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

My ‘Stray’ bus mates in New Zealand.

I took a little trip down memory lane with a trip a restaurant that I frequented in the early 1980s. After 30+ years the steaks are just as tough and the salad bar doesn’t seem quite as appealing.

Trabzon, Turkey

I’m a little paranoid that taxi drivers will take me far out of my way in a strange city so it was a pleasant surprise when this Istanbul cabbie said that he’d turn off the meter for an hour if I wanted to go to his home in the suburbs to pick up his wife and bring her back into the old part of the city for a doctor’s appointment. Having only been mugged by two taxi drivers in South America I said what the hell, let’s do it. I good faith was rewarded with a free tour of Istanbul and a running commentary the whole way. His wife even filled my pockets with hard candy before dropping me off at the door of my hostel.

I was underwhelmed by the Taj Mahal. Perhaps I was just having a bad day. I will return some day and see if I experience the magic that most visitors talk about for weeks afterward.

⁨Xinjiang⁩, ⁨China⁩

Chitwan National Park, Nepal

Jinshanling is a section of the Great Wall of China located in the mountainous area in Luanping County, Chengde, Hebei Province, 125 km northeast of Beijing. – Wikipedia

Mumbai, India

Rangitata Rafting Base, New Zealand

O Cebreiro, Galicia, Spain

Chao Hostel, Bangkok, Thailand (C$22.72)

Kathmandu, Nepal

The best shrimp fritters in Hanoi, Vietnam

Mount Wutai, Shanxi, China

Fried oysters at Newton Circus, Singapore

Time Out Market, Lisbon, Portugal

Camping adjacent to the Great Wall in Gansu Province, China

Vientiane, Laos

The Camino de Santiago (the Way of St. James) ends in Santiago de Compostela, and in my case with a swing of the botafumeiro during a Pilgrim’s Mass in the Santiago Cathedral.

My Algerian hostel mate Bilal begged me to shoot photos of him at a high end mall in Istanbul. In a moment of weakness I reluctantly agreed and then played paparazzi for a day. It was horrible. And if you believe that one…

Kathmandu, Nepal

‎⁨Turpan⁩, ⁨Xinjiang⁩, ⁨China⁩

Enough cash to pay for lunch for four in hyper-inflationary Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Kathmandu, Nepal

The Old Inn, Bandipur, Nepal

Packing tents into the truck after a night of camping on the Silk Road

KFC stands for ‘King of Chicken’ in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Kathmandu, Nepal

Camino de Santiago, Spain

Gannan, Gansu, China

‘Sunday Roast’ pizza at my hostel in Auckland, New Zealand featured peas, zucchini, roast lamb and liberal dollops of mint jelly. I’d give it a 9 out of 10.

A selection of goose barnacles and assorted shellfish that made for a great lunch in Lisbon, Portugal

A freshly caught piranha is fed to a hungry caiman on the Rio Miranda river in Brazil.

Schloss Thun / Thun Castle, where on of my Stauffer ancestors was imprisoned, Thun, Switzerland

⁨Xinjiang⁩, ⁨China⁩

Tbilisi, Georgia

Peru

Black Swan Hostel, Seville, Spain (C$21.31)

Near Jiayuguan, Gansu, China

Udaipur, Rajashtan, India

Vancouver, BC, Canada

Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

Near Nuwakot, Nepal

It wasn’t the most convenient key to carry around with you all day but it was definitely the most unique.

Pamplona, Spain

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

I love how the cows of India are seemingly oblivious to the action that swirls around them. – Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India

Cusco, Peru

Finisterre, Galicia, Spain

A large and probably hungry dog (dragging a broken chain) eyes the entrance to a food stall in Bandipur, Nepal.

Enjoying a Pisco Sour onboard Inca Rail, Peru

Celebrating Pride in Sydney, Australia

Cave dwellings at Lijiashan, Shanxi, China

Beijing, China

Las Vegas, Nevada

Near Tsenker, Mongolia

Cacao ceremony in Goa, India

The Darvaza Gas Crater, Turkmenistan

Near ‎⁨Övörkhangai⁩, ⁨Mongolia⁩. Okay, not really “near” but that was the closest settlement when we were stuck for the 27th time. (And I’m only slightly exaggerating on that 27th part.)

Mandai Estate, Singapore

This is the route that I followed on two Dragoman trucks as I circled Mongolia and then traveled the length of the Silk Road from Beijing to Istanbul. All in it was 121 days in a large aluminum box on wheels and I loved every minute of it!

My campmates Joe Bowman and Mary Riddell were married at Burning Man in 2016. It was the least traditional but also one of the most special ceremonies I’ve witnessed.

This store in Istanbul sold a selection of handbags fashioned from (mostly) Saskatchewan seed bags.

And if sand mats don’t provide enough traction, you roam the countryside for stones and see if that will work. It did, after about 3 hours of “road building.”

St Christopher’s Inn (Hostel), Paris, France

When you don’t have access to glassware you simply take alternating swigs of orange juice and vodka straight from the bottle. Of course the locals would skip the OJ. I’m not there yet.

Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum (The Terracotta Army), Xi’an, Shaanxi, China

Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada

Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

With 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops, Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar is one of the largest and oldest markets in the world.

Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

San Francisco, California

I wasn’t sure if I was being sized up as a potential customer, mugging victim or Facebook friend while waiting for a companion who had gone to get ice cream in this Baku park. If these two were like most Azerbaijanis that I met, they were likely harmless and simply wanted to ask where I was from and how much I had paid for my Nike Airs or iPhone, etc.

Near Pokhara, Nepal

Tongariro Alpine Crossing, Tongariro National Park, New Zealand

Livestock Market, Kashgar, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China

Bern, Switzerland

No Regrets. Not a one! – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Hanoi, Vietnam

Finisterre (or Fisterra), Galicia, Spain

Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Song Kol, Kyrgyzstan

My nephew’s photo studio in Moose Jaw, SK

Tbilisi, Georgia

Discovery Hostel, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (C$19.86)

A typical vista along the Camino de Santiago near ‎⁨Villafranca del Bierzo⁩, ⁨Castile and León⁩, ⁨Spain⁩

Camping adjacent to the Great Wall in Gansu Province, China

Chitwan National Park, Nepal

Beijing, China

This was just enough cash to pay for lunch for four people at a cafe in hyper-inflationary Uzbekistan. When we crossed into the country I exchanged six low denomination Kyrgyzstan notes for a shoebox full of high denomination Uzbek notes. That shoebox full of cash lasted me seven days even though many of my expenses (hotels, etc.) had been pre-paid.

Hanoi, Vietnam

Tongariro Alpine Crossing, Tongariro National Park, New Zealand

Amboy, California

Tongariro Alpine Crossing, New Zealand

Even young monks have the latest iPhones at Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia

No Photos! – Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

‎⁨Estella⁩, ⁨Navarre⁩, ⁨Spain⁩

Easter Island, Chile

Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

Kathmandu, Nepal

Bikaner, India

Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India

Luz Hostel, Bangkok, Thailand (C$15.79)

Some of the others in my group headed to a more remote section of the Wall but since there were no other tourists at our hotel, I opted to hike up the mountain that was just across the road. Within an hour I was on the wall and for most of the next five hours I had the place all to myself, except for some butterflies and amazing songbirds. At times I heard voices in the distance but I only saw four people before it started to get dark. Two were locals and two were German tourists who appeared to be lost but too stubborn to ask for help. This unique experience – having the wall to myself, not the lost Germans – was only possible because we had driven about 300 km out of Beijing – far beyond the parking lots filled with tour buses and pushy souvenir vendors.

Lisbon, Portugal

Hockey Night in Beijing

The Ganga Aarti ceremony takes place every night at dusk at the Dasaswamedh Ghat, near Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi, India.

Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

Christmas dinner at the home of friends Randall and Freddy in Sydney, Australia.

#bunk Hostel, Istanbul, Turkey

World renowned auctioneer Cookie Lockhart was one of the instructors at the World Wide College of Auctioneering which I attended in Denver, Colorado.

Burning Man, Nevada

Blue Duck Station, Owhango, New Zealand (C$28.16)

Piranha fishing on the Miranda River in Brazil’s Southern Pantanal

Some of the municipal hostels on the Camino de Santiago were better than others. This one in Portomarin would rank pretty low due to its sheer size.

After completing the Camino de Santiago, I carried on to Cape Finisterre in Galicia (Spain)

Jalal-Abad, Kyrgyzstan

I can’t remember what this was called or where exactly it was taken but probably at a roadside truck stop in western China. To be honest, it looks pretty good compared to some of the absolutely vile slop that long distance truckers eat at those bare bones truck stops.

Bonito, Brazil

Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

Apparently the caffeine had yet to kick in for our friend in the back. – Buenos Aires, Argentina

Perhaps the best Eggs Benedict I’ve ever had was at the Markham Cafe in Kathmandu, Nepal. Instead of an English muffin they used a potato pancake that was crunchy outside and the consistency of cream mashed potatoes inside.

Horseback riding with fellow Dragoman traveller Berger (from Belgium) and local kids in Kyrgyzstan

Breakfast #1 on Via Rail’s ‘The Canadian’ between Toronto and Vancouver

My nephew Andy heard about the pizza in Auckland so he joined me for a 5-day North Island roadtrip.

I didn’t take this photo but it was forwarded to me by a camp mate and I believe she did take it. – Burning Man, Nevada

Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Istanbul, Turkey

Burning Man, Nevada

Our local guide arranged for me to pay about $5 to have lunch with this family in Khiva, Uzbekistan. The oldest boy and girl spoke some English and were curious about my iPhone. Mom remained in the kitchen the whole time which wasn’t surprising as she did manage to turn out about six courses in 45 minutes.

This store in Istanbul sold a selection of handbags fashioned from (mostly) Saskatchewan seed bags.

Trabzon, Turkey

Some fellow travellers on the Green Tortoise “hippy bus” as we travelled through California, Nevada and Utah.

Hornillos del Camino, Spain

Udaipur, Rajasthan, India

Seville, Spain

Kashgar, China

‎⁨Hanoi⁩, ⁨Thành Phố Hà Nội⁩, ⁨Vietnam⁩

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Bia Hoi (fresh beer) is made daily and sold in open air stalls all over Hanoi and other cities in northern Vietnam. I don’t think I ever paid more than 35 cents per glass and I’m sure I was VASTLY over-charged. This kid even laughed in my face as he took my money.

Huacachina, Peru

Pride in Madrid, Spain

Kathmandu, Nepal

Sensing that something was wrong, the waiter at this Goa (India) beach bar approached and asked how I liked the clubhouse sandwich. I said that it was very nice but that I could find no trace of the chicken that was mentioned on the chalkboard menu. He smiled and said quite emphatically, “Oh, THERE is chicken, good sir,” as he pointed to the fried egg.

BBQ duck bills on the street in Bangkok, Thailand

The panorama car on ‘The Canadian’ as we travelled through the Rocky Mountains

License plates on display (sale?) in Kathmandu, Nepal

San Fermin Festival, Pamplona, Spain

Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

Bunk Hostel, Istanbul, Turkey (C$26.14)

Livestock Market, Kashgar, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China

Kathmandu, Nepal

Hostel Old Plovdiv was voted Best Hostel in Bulgaria by Hostelworld.com for 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2020.

Midnight eel fishing at Kohutapu Lodge, Lake Aniwhenua, New Zealand

After taking this photo on the streets of Jodhpur, I was invited into the kitchen to meet the rest of the family. There were three if not four generations living in about 300 square feet. I only managed to take a few photos but many photos of me and the grandkids were snapped by their parents. Apparently it’s not every day that a big, bald white guy comes strolling down that street. – Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

Tongariro Alpine Crossing, Tongariro National Park, New Zealand

‘Bridge to Heaven’, Gansu, China

The Thar Desert on the border between India and Pakistan

This woman and her family are the caretakers of the 15th century Tash-Rabat caravanserai in Kyrgyzstan. We were a little late in arriving but before long they had a five course lunch on the table. We finished eating around 4:30 pm and some of us went for a two hour trail ride. When we returned around 6:30 a five course dinner was being served. Accommodations were a little rough but hospitality in Kyrgyzstan was absolutely first rate!

Finisterre, Galicia, Spain

Hanoi, Vietnam

Samarkand, Uzbekistan

I have no idea how anyone’s cable or internet works or gets repaired in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Mid-morning of Day #1 on the Camino de Santiago near ‎⁨Lasse⁩, ⁨Aquitaine⁩, ⁨France⁩.

Hostel Inn, Puerto Iguazu, Argentina (C$16.00)

Burning Man, Nevada

Ballestas Islands, Peru

Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

With my fellow Dragoman overlanders in Madhya Pradesh, India

Everyone wants a selfie. – Heavenly Lake of Tianshan, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China

Riding in the rood seats of a Dragoman Overland truck in ‎⁨Shanxi⁩, ⁨China⁩. L-R: Yours truly (Canada); Jason (China); Mark (Australia), Heather (Australia).

Burning Man, Nevada

Queenstown, New Zealand

Trip Adviser notes that Hotel Aroma overlooks a tranquil lake on the outskirts of beautiful Pushkar. They did not mention the inspiration for Hotel Aroma’s enticing name. I can tell you it ain’t lotus petals.

Pride in Phuket, Thailand

Homestay near Tsenker, Mongolia

Brimpaen, Victoria, Australia

I had some pretty good meals in China, a few that were absolutely disgusting, and then this one which was probably the best of the 2+ months. Now if only I could remember where it was. Unfortunately the meta data has been stripped and I cannot locate the original photo in my timeline.

Beijing, China

Sillustani, Peru

Lisbon, Portugal

Once Again Hostel, Bangkok, Thailand (C$22.00) including a free cappuccino at check-in.

For those who complain that everything in Canada is made in Asia, check out this store in Hanoi. I was riding on the back of a scooter and couldn’t stop so I have no idea what they were selling.

More, New Zealand

Huacachina, Peru

Yes, I tried it. I had a big plate of well done meat (could easily have been low grade beef) and a side of crunchy green beans in a sauce that had some serious zing. – Beijing, China

Kyrgyzstan

When Alexander the Great conquered Samarkand, Uzbekistan in 329 BC he is said to have remarked: “All I have heard about the beauty of this city is true, it is just much more beautiful in reality.”‎⁨ Tour guides wouldn’t make this stuff up, would they?

Crossing the Caspian Sea on the freighter Bestekar Qara Qarayev. Some people can handle their vodka and some cannot.

Easter Island, Chile

Bunc Hostel, Singapore (C$32.05)

Ogii Nuur (Lake), Mongolia

Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Near Pokhara, Nepal

Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Day #2 on the Camino de Santiago, just outside Roncesvalles, Spain

Dry Bridge Market in Tbilisi, Georgia

The post office in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India was temporarily closed due to a sit-in.

Istanbul, Turkey

Near Pokhara, Nepal

‎⁨Castrojeriz⁩, ⁨Castile and León⁩, ⁨Spain⁩

Adelaide, Australia (C$33.10)

Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada

Kathmandu, Nepal

Dry Bridge Market, Tbilisi, Georgia. I was surprised that some of the items were dirt cheap – like original folk art paintings for $10 – yet three 1930s era toy trucks (similar to Tonka toys) were priced at US$150 each. These guys knew exactly what they were sitting on.

Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India

Christmas dinner at the home of friends Randall and Freddy in Sydney, Australia.

Mandai Estate, Singapore

Karni Mata Temple, Deshnoke, Rajasthan, India

When I asked this sportswear vendor in Beijing if he had any Toronto Maple Leafs jerseys he rattled off more names of Leafs veterans than I could come up with on a second’s notice. “Keon, Sittler, Salming, Mahovlich, Sundin… what you want?” When I finally said that I would “look at” a Sundin jersey, he disappeared into the back for about five minutes. When he returned the name and numbers on this jersey were still warm so I suspect he just whipped it up. I couldn’t resist the $20 tag even though I didn’t want to lug a hockey jersey around with me for another two years. (It was wrapped around a laptop that I shipped back to Canada a few weeks later.)

My dinner companions in the dining car somewhere between Saskatoon and Vancouver

I had washed these jeans in the hotel sink a few hours earlier and they were still wet when it was time to head to the airport so I simply hung them off the side of the tuk tuk and in 40C weather they were dry before we had gone 10 blocks.

Hockey Night in Beijing with Guy Saint-Jacques, Canada’s Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China

Rush hour traffic in rural Argentina as viewed from a Dragoman Overland truck. (Full disclosure: The meta data has been stripped from this photo and it may have been taken in Brazil.)

Fellow Dragoman traveller Katherine Konner of the US outside our shared yurt at Ögii Nuur (Lake), Mongolia.

Chao Hostel, Bangkok, Thailand (C$22.72)

Lake Khovsgol, Mongolia

Near Puno, Peru

Great Ocean Road, Australia

Near Barons, Alberta, Canada

Blue Duck Station, near Whanganui National Park, New Zealand

Signagi, Georgia

‎⁨Rioja Alta Golf Club⁩, ⁨Cirueña⁩, ⁨Rioja⁩, ⁨Spain⁩

A day at the races in Buenos Aires, Argentina with some travellers from Ottawa, Canada.

Dry Bridge Market in Tbilisi, Georgia

‎⁨Cizur⁩, ⁨Navarre⁩, ⁨Spain⁩

‎⁨Rioja Alta Golf Club⁩, ⁨Cirueña⁩, ⁨Rioja⁩, ⁨Spain⁩

Bishnoi Village, Rajasthan, India

Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria

Celebrating Pride in Sydney, Australia

This store in Istanbul sold a selection of handbags fashioned from (mostly) Saskatchewan seed bags.

Burning Man, Nevada

Ice cold Chinggis beer and juicy all beef sliders in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Typical Mongolian fare? Hell no. A welcome relief after a month of mutton stew and noodles? Oh, yeah.

Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India

San Francisco, California

I don’t think this roasted nut vendor in Pushkar, India was even vaguely aware that had he been born somewhere other than rural India he’d likely be working a runway in Paris or Milan right now.

Lake Taupo, New Zealand

Kathmandu, Nepal

Paracus, Peru

Agra, India

Last day of the Camino after arriving in Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan

Raglan Surf School (Hostel), ‎⁨Waikato⁩, ⁨New Zealand⁩

Lunch at the home of a fashion designer and seamstress who I met in Kathmandu, Nepal

Delhi, India

Easter Island, Chile

Friends Grant & Randall in Sydney, Australia

Ballestas Islands, Pisco, Peru

Jalol was without a doubt the best local guide that I encountered in almost three years of travel. There wasn’t a question about his native Uzbekistan that he couldn’t answer with a smile.

Tongariro Apine Crossing, Tongariro National Park, New Zealand

Kathmandu, Nepal

San Francisco, California, USA

‎⁨Xi’an⁩, ⁨Shaanxi⁩, ⁨China⁩

Kathmandu, Nepal

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Bukhara, Uzbekistan

I asked the guy who was navigating this dugout canoe in Nepal’s Chitwan National Park why the passengers had to wear life vests and he apparently did not. He pointed to the shore and what I assumed were three rather large logs. “See those are alligators?” he said. “If we capsize you’ll be bobbing around in the water and I’ll be swimming like hell.”

Valparaiso, Chile

Discovery Hostel, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (C$19.86)

Lunch in Lisbon, Portugal

While eating alone at this BBQ duck restaurant in Beijing, I spotted this kid standing a few feet from my table. At first I wasn’t sure what he was doing but then noticed a man seated about 10 tables away with a camera and very large lens sitting on his table. The lens seemed to be perfectly lined up with the kid – and me – so I smiled and motioned for him to come over. He was indeed trying to get a photo of his kid with the large bald man. We posed for many, many photos before I had him snap one for me on my phone. It was the highlight of my visit to that restaurant because “duck bones” are pretty horrible. More on that in another post.

Calgary Stampede, Calgary, Alberta

Finisterre, Galicia, Spain

Sherpas will be sherpas. – Kathmandu, Nepal

Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

Lake Taupo, New Zealand

Llama Love – Urubamba Province, Peru

‎⁨Ho Chi Minh City⁩, ⁨Vietnam⁩

Near Carbon, Alberta, Canada

SingMandai Estate, Singaporeapore

Datong, China

I made a new friend while we waited for a large tow truck about 100 km outside Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

Christmas dinner with friends in Potts Point, Sydney, Australia

Istanbul, Turkey

Departing Toronto’s Union Station on Via Rail’s ‘The Canadian’

Cows laze on the banks of the Ganges in Varanasi, India

#bunk Hostel, Istanbul, Turkey

Naryn Province, Kyrgyzstan

‎⁨Varanasi⁩, ⁨Uttar Pradesh⁩, ⁨India⁩

Rio de Janeiro (C$19.86)

Turpan, China

Celebrating Pride with the locals in Phuket, Thailand

Chitwan National Park, Nepal

Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

The Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India

I spent a fun afternoon wandering around this huge architectural salvage yard in Mumbai. Most of it was destined for export.

It’s not hard to tell what dogs think of these mobile sterilization clinics in Delhi, India.

In case you’re wondering, this was not good. We lost all our diesel when a sand mat punctured a tank. It took a few days to get the tank repaired and back on the road (or what passes for a road in most of Mongolia).

‎⁨Turpan⁩, ⁨Xinjiang⁩, ⁨China⁩

Buenos Aires, Argentina

When you’re up to the axles in mud on the Mongolian Steppe you get out the sand mats for traction.

A view from the window of my first hotel in New Delhi, India.

I made a special effort to do something fun each Saturday so naturally I had thoughts of a photo op inside this store when I came across it on a Friday afternoon. Unfortunately I forgot to return the next day and I had a ticket out of town early on Sunday morning so I never did get back. Maybe next time!

Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

Fritz Stettler, Eggiwil, Switzerland

Playing a friendly game of Kok Boru (AKA ‘Goat Polo’) near Issyk-Kul, Mongolia. (Full disclosure: I simply sat one one player’s horse and hoisted the sheep/goat in the air for a photo op. It takes incredible skill to ride these horses and pick a goat carcass off the ground while dangling with one foot in a stirrup. Maybe next time I’m in Kyrgyzstan.)

Burning Man, Black Rock City, Nevada

Lisbon, Portugal

I was a long way from the hotels located outside the old walled city of Khiva, Uzbekistan so this friendly local offered me a ride. I’m neither inherently afraid of strangers or walking long distances but I figured this would be a good opportunity to chat with a local so I got in. As it turned out he didn’t speak much English and I don’t speak Uzbek or Khorezmcha so he drove and we listened to Uzbek electronic/dance music on what appeared to be a newly installed stereo. I suspect the car and stereo was his pride and joy and and opportunity to show it off may have been the reason he offered me a ride.

‎⁨Phnom Penh⁩, ⁨Cambodia⁩

Near Pokhara, Nepal

Livestock Market, Kashgar, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China

Kok-boru (goat polo) in Kyrgyzstan

Duncan, a Kiwi who was one of two Dragoman drivers on my Silk Road adventure, was looking forward to a roast chicken dinner until he learned that he had to pick out a live chicken and the woman in the shop would chop its head off and pluck it right then and there.

Hostel Old Plovdiv was voted Best Hostel in Bulgaria by Hostelworld.com for 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2020.

Livestock Market in Kashgar, China

FYI: I did not pay these kids for the photo and I most certainly did not supply them with cigarettes.

Near Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

Motorized vehicles are prohibited on the playa at Burning Man unless they meet strict guidelines imposed by the DMV (Department of Mutant Vehicles).

Huacachina, Peru

Fort Macleod, Alberta, Canada

Tsenker, Mongolia

10 in a tuk-tuk at Xi’an, China

Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

Beijing, China

Bishnoi Village, Rajasthan, India

San Fermin Festival, Pamplona, Spain

Hari was the entrepreneurial “fixer” who hung around my hotel in Pushkar during the annual camel fair. There wasn’t a thing he couldn’t track down… for a price. One American guest asked the manager if he knew of a local shop that stocked instant oatmeal. The manager, having lived in the UK for a while, replied that he knew what this was but that it would not be found outside Delhi or Mumbai and even there it would be scarce. Hari overheard this conversation and accepted the challenge. The next morning there were six varieties of Quaker Oatmeal displayed in a pyramid at the front desk and available for about 50 cents per serving. The staff didn’t know where Hari had found it but they said it took him an exceptionally long time – over an hour!

Biking the ‘Death Road’ near La Paz, Bolivia with Swiss friends Marcel and Stefanie.

Biking the ‘Death Road’ near La Paz, Bolivia

Luz Hostel, Bangkok, Thailand (C$15.79)

This was as close as I came to wading through a rushing torrent of a river while walking the Camino de Santiago (Camino Frances) in Spain. I’d rather be dry than a hero.

‎⁨Turpan⁩, ⁨Xinjiang⁩, ⁨China⁩

Khiva, Uzbekistan

Bangkok, Thailand

Piranha fishing on the Miranda River in Brazil’s Southern Pantanal

When a foreign traveller checks into a hotel in a certain country whose name rhymes with Fooze-Mekistan he is required to sign a whack of papers, agree not to photograph military installations or the power grid, and to stay on the hotel grounds after a certain hour. We knew that much well in advance but only after we gathered in the hotel lobby were we tipped off to the fact that secret service agents may be assigned to tail us. Within two minutes of checking in we noticed about eight of these clones in K-Mart suits just moping around the lobby, pretending to talk on their flip phones, and at one time reading a newspaper… upside down. These two were assigned to track my friends James and Kirk and the guy sitting just behind me was apparently my man. James Bond he was not. To be honest I was a little miffed to learn that I had been assigned to an agent who wore heavy iron braces on his legs and who walked with the assistance of metal-tipped crutches that could be heard a quarter mile away.

‎⁨Burgos⁩, ⁨Castile and León⁩, ⁨Spain⁩

Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

Typical 8 lane highway in Mongolia

Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada

I found this belt buckle at a flea market in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. It may be accurate in the Mongolian language but to my eyes it has three typos in six words. As souvenirs go, I think it was well worth the approximately 25 cents that I paid.

Cross-country train travel is very popular with Mennonite and Amish folk from far and wide. I got to know this family from Pennsylvania and after I opened an app on my phone we were able to establish some common ancestry through the Burkholder line.

Samarkand, Uzbekistan

‎⁨Övörkhangai⁩, ⁨Mongolia⁩

‎⁨Xi’an⁩, ⁨Shaanxi⁩, ⁨China⁩

Kok-boru (goat polo) in Kyrgyzstan

Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Ranch hands at Fazenda San Francisco, a 14,800 hectare (36,556 acre) working farm and eco tourism business in the basin of the Paraguay River in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

Near Lima, Peru

Agra, India

Beijing, China

My nephew Andy and his twin boys at Buffalo Pound Lake, 30 km north of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan

Livestock Market, Kashgar, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China

Fazenda San Francisco, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

This wasn’t one of the better hostels on the Camino de Santiago but as a “donativo” the price was whatever you could pay and the breakfast featured toast, homemade jam and really good café con leche which made up for the noisy and odiferous dorm.

Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

Lisbon Destination Hostel, Lisbon, Portugal

It was sunny and warm by day but very chilly at night as we slept on large communal beds (slabs of stone, really) that were heated from below by hot coals that boys delivered every hour or so throughout the night. – Ancient cave dwellings in the village of Lijiashan, Shanxi Province, China

Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

Local kids, including one wearing a Toronto Maple Leafs shirt, prior to the annual ‘Hockey Night in Beijing’ game featuring squads from the Canadian and Finnish embassies. The boy in the red had a much better shot than I ever had.

Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

There were no tourists, no English speaking locals and no wifi or cell service in this bar in Lahic, Azerbaijan so I just sat back and people-watched for about two hours. It was glorious!

Shihongshi Grottoes, Yan’an, China

Near Pokhara, Nepal

I asked this girl’s mother if I could take a photo of her daughter in her pretty and I would assume handmade dress. Mom said yes but at the last second the girl put her hands to her face and giggled. She didn’t appear to be upset but it was probably the first time a stranger had pointed a phone at her. – Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India

Jhunjhunun, Indira Nagar, India

We enjoyed an excellent homestay in Arslanbob, Jalal-Abad, Kyrgyzstan

Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

Near Pokhara, Nepal

Livestock Market, Kashgar, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China

Easter Island, Chile

Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

Kathmandu, Nepal

‎⁨Gannan⁩, ⁨Gansu⁩, ⁨China⁩

Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia

I splurged and stayed two nights in this well appointed Parador in Santo Domingo de la Calzada, Spain (C$128.64)

We camped on the shore of Lake Karakul in China’s Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture and awoke to the sound of camels parading past our yurt. In the distance are the snow-covered peaks of Muztagh Ata (7,546 m), Kongur Tagh (7,649 m) and Kongur Tiube (7,530 m).

I watched as upwards of 30 people were shoe-horned into this 12-passenger (?) van near the Naran Tuul (Black Market) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Fazenda San Francisco, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

Near Pokhara, Nepal

Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Lisbon, Portugal

I spent Easter with friends Marcel and Stefanie in Baden-Aargau, Switzerland. And when in Switzerland for Easter you simply MUST have chocolate!

Early morning lineup at the Tim Horton’s Drive-Thru in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

Istanbul, Turkey

Orkhon Valley, Mongolia

Southern Pantanal, Brazil

Streetlights are almost nonexistent even though Thamel is the main commercial and tourist neighbourhood in Kathmandu, Nepal.

When I was 11 years old my sister game me my first album – Donnnie Osmond’s Alone Together. This vendor at the Dry Bridge Market in Tbilisi, Georgia had a copy.

Lima, Peru

A farm worker near Miranda, Mato Grosso, Brazil

Biking the ‘Death Road’ near La Paz, Bolivia

Low Rider – Beijing, China

A selection of goose barnacles and assorted shellfish that made for a great lunch in Lisbon, Portugal

Yurt camp near Tsenker, Mongolia

Should I have been concerned when I was assigned Locker #13 while skydiving at Lake Taupo, New Zealand?

Finisterre, Galicia, Spain

‎⁨Sarria⁩, ⁨Galicia⁩, ⁨Spain⁩ (Camino Frances)

Flying over the Nazca Lines in Peru

Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India

Mumbai, India

Easter Island, Chile

Route Map

Kathmandu, Nepal

Produce dealers in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

Hengshan Hanging Monastery near Datong, Shanxi Province, China

Here’s a map showing the most common stages of the Camino Frances which connects St-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France and the ultimate end-point for all Caminos, Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain.

I was more than a little skeptical when told that a half-day boat tour to the Ballestas Islands off the coast of Paracas, Peru would cost about US$10. Everyone that I was travelling with decided to go so I reluctantly joined in. What are we going to see for 10 bucks, I moaned. As it turned out the islands are home to 1500 species of marine birds and a large number of sea lions. I’m not sure how ethical it is, but the boat took us within a few feet of the sea lions and they didn’t seem to mind as we snapped photos. I can see why the Ballestas Islands are often called “The Poor Man’s Galapagos.” It was a magical day.

Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Beijing, China

We had just parked the truck near this abandoned log building and were getting a fire started when a horseman rode up and eyed us from about 100 feet away. Neil, the Dutch driver of our truck asked Bayara, our Mongolian guide, to tell the man that we would soon have a pot of stew on the fire and that he was not only welcome to stay for dinner but that he could also camp here if he wished. Bayara said a few words to the guy in Mongolian and they both laughed heartily. Only after a bit of nudging would Bayara tell us what they had found so funny. The horseman had pointed to the low mountain range in the distance and indicated that he owned the land all the way to those mountains and to the mountain range beyond that as well. We, he added, were most welcome to stay with HIM for the night.

Kathmandu, Nepal

New Delhi, India

No pussy jokes, please. – Buenos Aires, Argentina

I met this guy outside a shop in Sheki, Georgia. He was awfully proud of his mint condition car. I can’t tell if it’s a Lada or something similar but it was indeed pristine.

I was invited invited to lunch at this home in Kathmandu, Nepal after having this girl’s sister sew a flag on my daypack. Had an offer of marriage been made I suspect it may have been accepted.

I don’t know if I believe it but our local guide told us these kids were clutching new toys as they headed to a special religious service, after which they would be circumcised. I suspect it will take more than a cheap plastic toy to get those kids into a suit the next time.

Baku, Azerbaijan

Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

Naryn Province, Kyrgyzstan

Cappadocia, Turkey

Cacao ceremony in Goa, India

San Fermin Festival in Pamplona, Spain

I often wear the necklace I made from an eagle claw while we were camped with a local family in ‎⁨Arkhangai⁩ Province, ⁨Mongolia⁩.

Tsenker, Mongolia

We had a friendly but awkward conversation. The guy in red had no idea what it said on his shirt and thought I was saying Kannada (a language in southern India) when I asked if he had relatives in Toronto or Vancouver, Canada.

Fazenda San Francisco, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

Two guides from Barracuda Biking with who we did Bolivia’s infamous ‘Death Road’.

Local sardines on sale in Lisbon, Portugal

Choeung Ek Genocidal Center, Cambodia

All aboard the Dragoman Overland truck as we roll across the Mongolian-Manchurian steppe on Day #20. With no chance of coming into contact with overhead wires, 8 people were able to ride in the roof seats (4 in front, 4 in back) for hours at a time. That was a pretty good upper body workout as you had to constantly brace yourself as the truck bounced over the uneven ground.

‎⁨Cirueña⁩, ⁨Rioja⁩, ⁨Spain⁩