From briefcase to backpack - a year of wandering the globe.
About this blog
So I decided to do something about that never ending dream of doing a 1 year journey across the globe. The fear of visioning myself as an old man regretting not ever doing this trip finally convinced me to book that RTW Ticket.
I will do my best to document my trip. I hope you enjoy my stories. Their focus won't be about the places I see but rather about my journeys getting there and the people I meet along the way. I have to admit, it is going to be nice getting away for a while and seeing something new every day for the next 12 months.
It would be great to hear from you while I am gone. It will help me feel connected to home while I am so far away from it.
By the way, the journey starts April 21, 2008
Dino
Trip Start
Apr 21, 2008
1
225
Trip End
Apr 20, 2009
Loading Map
There are 225 entries in this blog
-
1
Saying goodbye to everyone in Ottawa -
2
RTW Ticket in my hands! -
3
Finally hitting the world! -
4
What do you bring on a 1 yr trip around the globe? -
5
How does one backpack without a backpack? -
6
Seeing the sights and hearing the sounds -
7
A good day of Danish beer, hippies and soccer -
8
What a deal! Travelling the world for free. -
9
Two Metal Heads, an Old Lady and Myself -
10
Finishing Berlin & getting ready for what's next -
11
Beautiful Prague -
12
Making my way to Nairobi -
13
Almost there - Nairobi that is. -
14
Vegeterain Delight and Tusker Beer in Nairobi -
15
Stopping for "Short Calls" -
16
White water rafting the source of the Nile River -
17
Short Note: I'm turning Commenting off -
18
In and out of Kampala -
19
Lost (and found) in the middle of Uganda -
20
First African Game Drive Completed -
21
A good decision -
22
Raindrops falling on my head -
23
A walk through the Rwenzori Mountains -
24
Looking out the window and taking it all in -
25
35 and counting -
26
Bikinis and Compost Toilet -
27
Making my way to Kigali -
28
Hitting my comfort zone -
29
Knowingly scammed by clever Rwandan kids -
30
The Kids Came Back! -
31
First crap day of my trip -
32
My first African Nightclub -
33
What to do? -
34
Gunshots and taking cover -
35
Off to Dar Es Salaam -
36
Final big push to the border -
37
Damn! I got scammed today! -
38
Slowly but surely -
39
First time hitch hiker -
40
Girls Everywhere -
41
Week 6 of 52 completed -
42
Off to the Islands -
43
Another disease to worry about -
44
It's good to have goals -
45
Too much time to think -
46
Chicken Sh&t -
47
Benefits of stretching exercises -
48
A man with no place to go -
49
Meeting Mel Gibson -
50
Last day on the Lake -
51
Feel like a traveller again -
52
Chased by an Elephant -
53
What did Friday the 13th bring me? -
54
Back in Dar Es Salaam -
55
Warning: Boring Entry -
56
In Zanzibar -
57
Warning - Another boring entry -
58
In Need of Foreign Aid -
59
Spice Tour 2008 -
60
Two Different Worlds -
61
Full Moon and Tipo Tinto -
62
Last Day in Zanzibar -
63
Back on the Mainland -
64
Harrassed in Moshi -
65
Getting Closer -
66
23 down! 12 more to go! -
67
Day 1 Kilimanjaro - Let the climb to the top begin -
68
Day 2 Kilimanjaro - Gastrointestinal Disturbances -
69
Day 3 Kilimanjaro - I Stink -
70
Day 4 Kilimanjaro - Pollee Pollee -
71
Day 5 Kili - Beckham, Bono, and my Kili Cleaning -
72
Day 6 Kilimanjaro - Mission Accomplished -
73
Day 7 Kilimanjaro - Saying goodbye to Kili -
74
Day 1 Safari - Lake Manyara -
75
Day 2 Safari - Serengeti -
76
Day 3 Safari - More of the Serengeti -
77
Day 4 Safari - Ngorongoro Crater -
78
Out of Commission in Moshi -
79
Back in Commission in Moshi -
80
African Circle Completed -
81
Back to Back Marathons -
82
Zurich -
83
1 Peach. 2 Peaches. 3 Peaches. -
84
Touring Ljubljana (pronounced Loob-lee-anna) -
85
Can't think of catchy title for this entry -
86
Beautiful Bohinj - Come here before the crowds do -
87
More of Bohinj -
88
Caves and Coast -
89
25% Complete -
90
Last day in Slovenia -
91
Travel Tip: Dont fall asleep when crossing borders -
92
No speedo for me! -
93
Friends for a day -
94
Let the island hopping begin -
95
Rab Island - Beware if you are going alone -
96
Next Island: Pag (Make sure you bring a friend) -
97
A man without a world to call his own -
98
Among the Hip -
99
Quiet day in Zadar -
100
Day 100 -
101
The flag stays on for good this time -
102
Looking like George Hamilton (Not a good thing!) -
103
Dino! Gentleman! -
104
Day 1 of 6 with my new travel partner / wingwoman -
105
Day Rocks and Night Rocks -
106
What is that smell coming from inside my pants? -
107
Winging It Successfully -
108
My First Pumice Experience -
109
A welcomed change of scenery -
110
Walking through old war zones - again -
111
Locked out of my room ýn Sarajevo -
112
Andy Garcia look-a-like? -
113
Starting the process for my Ýranian visa -
114
Meetýng political royalty in Belgrade -
115
Travelling through Bulgaria by train -
116
Getting my head shaved in Istanbul - Turkish style -
117
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad & my 1st Turkýsh bath -
118
Oh no! I gained 5 pounds! -
119
My RTW Trýp - 33% Complete -
120
A long and boring travel day -
121
Belly Dancing vs Wet T-Shirt Contest -
122
Shittiest day of my trip -
123
Shopping for a camera is like searching for a gf -
124
1+1+1+1+1+1+1 = 6 -
125
I found my rebound camera -
126
Day 1 - Blue Cruise -
127
Day 2 - Blue Cruise -
128
Day 3 - Blue Cruise -
129
Iranian Visa Application Approved - Hooray! -
130
Believing in Karma -
131
Goreme - Will write later -
132
Goreme - Will write later -
133
Goreme - Will write later -
134
Couchsurfing Heaven -
135
First Backgammon Victory!!! -
136
Spending the day with my new Turkish family! -
137
Off to Iran -
138
Entering Iran with the Ayatollahs watching over me -
139
Having aPersonal Guide during my 1st day in Tehran -
140
Iran 101 -
141
Interrogated by the Syrian Embassy -
142
Breaking the rules (kind of) in Esfahan -
143
Iran Misunderstood -
144
Sloppy soup, pommes grenades and cold kebabs -
145
Persepolýs - A day at the ruins -
146
I can't come up with a clever title for this entry -
147
Denied entry into Syria - WTF? -
148
A girl actually talked to me. Incredible but true. -
149
Stood up and being asked if I was gay on my b-day -
150
Small Town Iran -
151
A day of rude awakenings -
152
The return of Nice Guy Ali -
153
What is wild sex? -
154
Good Bye Iran. Hello Turkish Candy Smugglers. -
155
Forcing my own conclusions -
156
Just like home -
157
Hitchiking inthe Wrong Direction. What an amateur! -
158
30 pounds lighter -
159
Me and the Moldovan Prostitute -
160
Shot in Syria! -
161
I own a great internal a**hole radar. Wanna buy? -
162
End of Ramadan! -
163
Syrian kids don't like me -
164
Lebanese borders suck -
165
Enjoying my downtime in Beirut -
166
Visiting a Palestinian Refugee Camp -
167
Visiting Hezbollah Territory -
168
Us and the Jehovah Witness Guy -
169
A day of crossing several borders -
170
First Circle. Not Fourth Circle or Fourthst Circle -
171
Hitchhiking by Accident from Amman to the Dead Sea -
172
Crossing into Israel. Not an easy thing to do. -
173
Fascinating Jerusalem! -
174
The end of the world is October 28! Mark it down! -
175
Back in Jordan and dealing with some attitude -
176
Seeing Petra -
177
Reaching the half way point of my trip. -
178
Back in Africa -
179
Snorkelling, Ignoring and Drinking -
180
In "Don't Give a Sh&t" Mode -
181
Russians Everywhere! -
182
Climbing Mount Sinai -
183
In Cairo with India on my mind -
184
Scammers all around me! I saw the Pyramids too. -
185
Money Recovered -
186
It helps being a rude mother f$cker sometimes -
187
Back in Cairo for a pit stop. I am heading south. -
188
Bored out of my mind in Aswan -
189
Sailing down the Nile in a Felucca -
190
Another day sailing down the Nile -
191
What the felucca? Luxor sights are expensive. -
192
Diagnosis: Torn ACL -
193
Happy Halloween from Egypt -
194
Back in Cairo -
195
Post Office Paradise -
196
I like comas while on the beach -
197
Something about Mary -
198
Almost out of the Middle East and ready for more! -
199
Day 200 - Good Bye Middle East. -
200
My 3 days in Frankfurt with my Couchsurfing hosts -
201
Welcome to India! Please walk through this door! -
202
Goodbye Delhi. Hello Kathmandu. -
203
Annapurna Circuit or Everest Base Camp? -
204
Decision: Annapurna Circuit -
205
Trekking for the next 2 wks through the Himalayas -
206
Annapurna Circuit trek delayed -
207
Day 1 AC: Pain in the Ass -
208
Day 2 AC: Salty Me -
209
Day 3 AC: Pony Poop everywhere -
210
Day 4 AC: Dealing with Inflation -
211
Day 5 AC: Broken Pole and Lost Iodine Tablets -
212
Day 6 AC: No more Dahl Baht for me! -
213
Day 7 AC: Am I starting to fall apart? -
214
Day 8 AC: No more showers for me -
215
Day 9 AC: One more day to the Summit -
216
Day 10 AC: Our Reach to the Top -
217
Day 11 AC: Solo in the Himalayas -
218
Day 12 AC: Is God trying to tell me something? -
219
Day 13 AC: You know you are getting old when... -
220
Day 14 AC: Verdict - I am old and/or boring -
221
Day 15 AC: Final Day of my Annapurna Trek. -
222
Shave that head again please -
223
No Yak Steak for me -
224
Back in Kathmandu. Preparing for India -
225
Disaster Strikes!
