Adventures

"Oh the places you 'll go" - Dr Suess

We knew that a large part of the "Road to Bali" would involve travel. Filled with wanderlust we began to devour travel blogs. We had never traveled before for an extended period of time. What would that be like? How would it work? What could we see and do? And, importantly , we wanted to see how far we could go while we were both relatively healthy. As Colleen would say, "Go now, it's later than you think."

At first we simply made a check list of sites we wanted to see. We soon left that list behind. Instead, we immersed ourselves in the culture and tried to see what we could learn. When we started, we had no idea how much it would change us and the way we would see the world.

Ἰθάκη (Ithaca)

March 15, 2016 “But don't hurry your journey at all. Far better if it takes many years, and if you are old when you anchor at the island, rich with all you have gained on the way, not expecting that Ithaca will give you wealth. Ithaca has given you a beautiful journey.” ― Barry B. Powell "I wanted magic shows and miracles Mirages to touch I wanted such a little thing from life I wanted so much I never came close, my love We nearly came near It never was there I think it was h

gldobbs

Mar 153 min read

La Dolce Vita (Or How I learned to hate George Clooney in only 3 days)

March 12, 2026 “How many fond fools serve mad jealousy?” -William Shakespeare, The Comedy of Errors, Ac2, Sc1 I think its not fair. I am the same age as George. I am even three inches taller. And there is no doubt I married better. That is not why I hate George Clooney. Nor am I upset with Mr. Clooney because he has ridiculously good hair, is at least 30 pounds lighter than me, and got to play Batman in the movies (Albeit his suit was the silly one with nipples - so the

gldobbs

Mar 123 min read

The Last Supper

March 10, 2026 “While painting The Last Supper, Leonardo would sometimes stare at the work for an hour, finally make one small stroke, and then leave. He told Duke Ludovico that creativity requires time for ideas to marinate and intuitions to gel. “Men of lofty genius sometimes accomplish the most when they work least,” he explained, “for their minds are occupied with their ideas and the perfection of their conceptions, to which they afterwards give form.” Most of us don’t ne

gldobbs

Mar 105 min read

Fair Verona

Juliet's Balcony March 6-7, 2026 “Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, William Shakespeare, Romeo & Juliet, Ac1, Sc 1 For the very few in the world who are Bard nerds like me, Northern Italy is Shakespeare country. In all of his canon, 13 plays were set in Italy and, although his descriptions were often highly accurate, there is no evidence he ever left England. Still, it seems clear that he had no greater muse than Italy. It is ea

gldobbs

Mar 76 min read

Duomo di Milano - 579 Years in the Making

March 3-4, 2026 “And they have gelato…” - Colleen Dobbs, reading to me on the train from a guidebook This fabulous gothic masterpiece is the Duomo di Milano, or simply the Duomo. It is the centerpiece of Milan and its most recognizable landmark, particularly after the recent Winter Olympics. Admittedly this post is a bit of a photo dump. There was a lot to see. The central train station in Milan built by Mussolini The central train station in Milan built by Mussolini The c

gldobbs

Mar 44 min read

We Left

An Egyptian bride getting wedding photos at Karnak temple. What a dress! March 2, 2026 “IT'S WAR! USA AND ISRAEL LAUNCH MAJOR STRIKE ON IRAN 'KHAMENEI DEAD' TEHRAN HITS AMERICAN MILITARY BASES EXPLOSIONS ACROSS MIDDLE EAST MANY FLIGHTS CANCELLED. AIR SPACES CLOSING TEL AVIV TARGETED UPDATES SKY LIVE” Headlines here in Egypt on Monday March 1, 2026. (* The pictures I am showing are from our last night in Luxor on February 28th) We have left Egypt . We were not scheduled to l

gldobbs

Mar 23 min read

Among the Dead

February 26, 2025 "Yes, wonderful things." — Howard Carter, in response to Lord Carnarvon asking if he could see anything peering a candle through a small opening in the tomb of Tutankhamun We crossed the Nile River today to the West Side or “The Land of the Dead”. At least that is what our driver referred to it and I doubt the residents of this side of the river appreciate the sobriquet. The name comes from that this is the location of the multiple tombs of the various ph

gldobbs

Feb 275 min read

Ramadan Sunsets

February 25, 2026 “Ramadan is not only to stay thirsty and hungry; it is also to realize the real thirsty and hungry ones to help; it is true worship.” ― Ehsan Sehgal So last night was the beginning of Ramadan here in Egypt. For those that are not aware, Ramadan is the holiest month in the Islamic calendar — a sacred time of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community for Muslims around the world. It marks the month when the Quran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad by

gldobbs

Feb 273 min read

The Place of the First Occasion

"The pyramids may be more stupendous and the Parthenon more beautiful... Yet in nobility of conception, in vastness of detail, in mystery of the highest order, [the Hypostyle Hall] surpasses them all." — Amelia Edwards, 1877 During this episode we have visited a number of ancient ruins telling epic stories. As grand as they all have been none have hit has hard as The Luxor Temple and Karnak Temple here in Luxor Egypt. Some background - Thebes is the ancient name for this Eg

gldobbs

Feb 267 min read

Into Egypt

February 23, 2026 "To put it bluntly, I felt like a walking ATM while visiting Egypt. The level of tourist exploitation is absolutely next level." — Embrace Someplace Since this is a travel blog, it seems reasonable to comment on the challenges of traveling to Egypt. Despite the enormous popularity of the country as a tourist destination, it remains one of the most challenging. The reasons for this view are complex but mainly center on the grinding poverty that is part of ev

gldobbs

Feb 255 min read

The Center of the World

February 20, 2026 “Know Thyself” The saying etched to the pediment at the entrance of the Temple of the Oracle of Delphi No one really knows how all of this started. Legend tells us that Zeus, wanting to know how big the world was released two eagles flying in opposite directions. It was here, they met and thus the place was called the Omphalos - the navel or center of everything. Zeus? Sunset from our hotel room It is also said the God Apollo fought a great battle here ag

gldobbs

Feb 224 min read

Nothing But Olive Oil And A Little Dust

Nike for Victory February 19, 2026 “Without doubt, the athlete of Olympia was protected, to a certain point, by the sacred nature of the exercises in which he engaged, and the crown of wild olive placed on the victor's head remained a symbol of selflessness and the chivalrous spirit.” Baron Pierre de Coubertin “Say Billy, ever seen a grown man naked?” Airplane - the Motion Picture 1980 “It is very difficult for men to run while naked, because their parts flop around. It is no

gldobbs

Feb 214 min read

Mycenae

February 18, 2025 “The first great Greek powers were the Mycenaeans who were basically pirates at first: they sacked Phoenician boats, rammed Cretan ships, and soon had enough goods to go into business for themselves. Around 1500 BCE, they destroyed the Minoan civilization on Crete. Their stories describe this as a war with an evil king Minos who kept demanding that the Greeks deliver virgins to him every year until finally the great Greek hero Theseus went over and crushed t

gldobbs

Feb 205 min read

A Peloponnese Road Trip

February 16-18, 2026 "Two Corinthians 3:17, that’s the whole ballgame... is that the one you like? I think that’s the one you like, because I loved it”. Donald Trump It seemed simple enough. We were due to leave Athens and start on a several day road trip around the Peloponnese peninsula. Although the traffic in Athens is notorious, the car rental office was right beside our hotel on a major thoroughfare with allegedly quick access to the freeway. After over an hour at the

gldobbs

Feb 185 min read

Among the Ruins

February 14-15, 2026 “He who is unable to live in society, or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must either be a beast or a god.” —Aristotle Oh I have heard it before. When I go on these trips I obsess over history details as if everyone would find them as fascinating as I do. They don’t. I get it. We were in a taxi yesterday with yet another loquacious driver. He asked if this is our first time here and, when he discovered it was, proceeded to tell us

gldobbs

Feb 154 min read

The Wisdom of Athena

February 13, 2026 “Tell them to stay calm, to breathe deep, and find beauty in unexpected places... look beneath the surface and hang tight”. - Wisdom of the goddess Athena One day the great god Zeus was suffering from an Olympian size headache. Nothing seemed to work to alleviate his pain. Recently, in an act of self preservation he ate another goddess Metis, his consort, who was pregnant at the time. The reason was it was foretold she would have a son that would one day

gldobbs

Feb 146 min read

Yassou*

February 12, 2026 "There are two kinds of people. Greeks, and everyone else who wish they were Greek." - My Big Fat Greek Wedding As our trips have gone, the journey here ranks among the the most grueling of our adventures. The flight involved 3 connections and some 16 hours in the air in total. With modern air travel it seemed simple enough. However, on our second leg in New York the plane had maintenance issues resulting in time on the tarmac, returning to the gate, dep

gldobbs

Feb 136 min read

Sayonara

An entire store dedicated to Godzilla! November 17, 2025 “Listen, this is my death poem: Like dew I was born Like dew I vanish. Osaka Castle and all that I have ever done is but a dream within a dream.” – James Clavell, Shōgun: The Epic Novel of Japan “Oh my….” - The reported last words of Steve Jobs before he died Osaka was always on the list to try and see. Although we did not have enough time to really do it justice. Its too big and you can spend an entire trip here alon

gldobbs

Nov 17, 20254 min read

The Philosopher’s Path

November 14, 2025 “But hear me well: The future is unborn. The past is already dead. Only the present is alive. I am here, now.” A Buddhist Maxim There is a person we have seen at various temples and shrines over the past few weeks. They are usually wearing work overalls but carry only a primitive stringy broom. It is more of a large brush really. They are gardeners and their particular task is sweeping up leaf debris off the moss and rocks on the grounds. It is a never en

gldobbs

Nov 14, 20254 min read

A Fall Day in Kyoto

“Presiding over the Southern Higashiyama Sightseeing district, with a brilliant view across the entire city, Kiyomizu-dera Temple is just about everything a temple shouldn’t be: it’s noisy, crowded, crassly commercial (in its sales of amulets and fortunes), and as gaudy as an attention-starved peacock, but it somehow manages to transcend all of this to become one of Kyoto’s most worthwhile temples to visit.” -Chris Rowthorn Although Japan can be a pleasure in any season to vi

gldobbs

Nov 13, 20253 min read

Fushimi Inari-taisha

November 12, 2025 "...there was one city that they must not bomb without my permission and that was Kyoto.” - Henry Stimson, US Secretary of War, 1945 So it turns out that Kyoto was the top city on the list of targets submitted for the atomic bomb. All of this would be ashes if not for this guy. This is Henry L Stimson. He was a powerful member of Franklin Roosevelt’s inner circle and served as both the Secretary of State and later the Secretary of War (Defense). According

gldobbs

Nov 12, 20253 min read

The Crazed Monk

November 11, 2025 "Tomorrow the Golden Temple would surely burn down. That form which had been filling the space would be lost... And the Golden Temple itself, which had until then been constrained by its form, would be freed from all rules and would drift lightly here and there, scattering a faint light on the lake and on the waters of the dark sea." Yukio Mishima, from The Temple of the Golden Pavilion Their are 3 certain truths about Japan. The first is, the trains always

gldobbs

Nov 11, 20254 min read

The Weight of a Butterfly

November 7-8, 2025 “The crux of the matter is whether total war in its present form is justifiable, even when it serves a just purpose. Does it not have material and spiritual evil as its consequences which far exceed whatever good might result? When will our moralists give us an answer to this question?” ― John Hersey “I was against it on two counts. First, the Japanese were ready to surrender, and it wasn't necessary to hit them with that awful thing. Second, I hated to see

gldobbs

Nov 8, 20256 min read

Going Dutch

November 5, 2025 "It ended up feeling a little bit like Disney world or a theme park, but every now and then you could find a quiet street, and it would feel like you were actually in Holland." - Alison Park-Douglas We traveled North from Nagasaki by train. The route was a lazy one that skirted Omura Bay. The last few days the weather has continued to be pleasant and mild. We are headed for Hiroshima. We stopped on a single platform across from Huis Ten Bosch. We got off t

gldobbs

Nov 5, 20252 min read

The Fat Man

November 3-4, 2025 “‘I don’t know, Chuck,’ Ashworth said. ‘It’s better than dropping it into the ocean,’ I answered. ‘Are you sure of the accuracy?” Ashworth pressed. ‘I’ll take full responsibility for this,’ I assured him… From the IP, Van Pelt and Buckley started to coordinate the approach to the aiming point. The outline of the city appeared on the scopes in front of Van Pelt and Buckley. Buckley called out headings and precise closure rates to Beahan, who fed the data int

gldobbs

Nov 4, 202510 min read

A Road Trip around Kyushu

October 30, 2025 "It looks so peaceful and yet you understand at first glance that a landscape like that could only have been created in the most violent way". -Anonymous It was dark by the time we got back from Korea. For this next bit of the trip we needed a car so bleary eyed we made our way to the rental car agency near the airport. After going through the endless paperwork we finally got the keys. Kyushu Island It is so tiresome, the menu of options you have to pick f

gldobbs

Oct 31, 20254 min read

Bibimbap

October 28, 2025 "A bowl of bibimbap is like life—colorful, diverse, and packed with flavor.” Anonymous Bibimbap is a popular Korean dish of warm rice served with an assortment of seasoned vegetables, meat, and a fried egg, all mixed together with a spicy chili paste before eating. Bibimbap In many ways it serves as a great metaphor for our last 2 days here in Korea. We just did a little bit of everything. There was no real plan. We just looked at a small map and said, “Le

gldobbs

Oct 28, 20253 min read

It Was Kinda Odd

October 26, 2025 “If the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki had seemed to inaugurate a brand-new chapter in the history of warfare, supposedly making all other weapons obsolete and creating a world where military power rested only with the richest, most technologically advanced nations, then the Korean battlefield defeats of early July 1950 shattered that belief” ― David Halberstam, The Coldest Winter Very early in our marriage we had the opportunity for some overseas tr

gldobbs

Oct 27, 20256 min read

First Impressions - Seoul

October 25, 2025 “Had the street lamps and neon signs always been this spectacularly bright? Why was Seoul so beautiful all of a sudden? Everything that was once nothing seemed special and amazing somehow.” – Sang Young Park Its not fair really. We have been here less than 24 hours and already first impressions form. I will take more time for the short few days I am here to see what settles and bear in mind the gleaming city of Seoul is hardly representative of everyone. A

gldobbs

Oct 26, 20254 min read

The One We Didn't Bomb

October 23, 2025 “What do Japanese artisans, engineers, Zen philosophy, and cuisine have in common? Simplicity and attention to detail.” — Hector Garcia “Next time is next time. Now is now” - Kōji Yakusho. (From Perfect Days film) Curtis Lemay, the father of the modern U.S. Air Force in 1945 was the newly assigned general to head the American air campaign against Japan. Germany was defeated and the U.S. was moving its enormous bombing assets to the Pacific Theatre to “Finis

gldobbs

Oct 23, 20254 min read

Center 4 Hamburgers - Takayama Days

October 20, 2025 “These days, all we ever really get are Days to dream, and days to lose. I just need to choose my time.” Ingrid Ellen Michaelson These past few days our pace has slowed a bit. The Russian Roulette of hotel rooms when traveling at last paid off with a comfortable room and bed. We decided to rest and take things slower for a few days. We are in a good place to accomplish that goal. This is Takayama in the Hida Prefecture of Japan. It is located in the Northe

gldobbs

Oct 21, 20253 min read

Bells & Other Smells (A Dedication to the Swedish Dinner Club)

October 18, 2025 “If you encounter a bear while hiking, stand your ground and don’t make eye contact. If the bear attacks you anyway, fight for your life” Verbatim advice from The Lonely Planet Guide to Japan I will come to the Swedish Dinner Club in a moment. But first….. It sounds at first like an approaching ice cream truck. You are out on a hike and you hear in front of you the approach of tinkling bells. It is not an unpleasant sound just discordant here in the woods.

gldobbs

Oct 18, 20254 min read

Bullet Trains, Wasabi Farming, & Crow Castles

October 16-17, 2025 “Don't dunk your nigiri in the soy sauce. Don't mix your wasabi in the soy sauce. If the rice is good, complement your sushi chef on the rice.” -Anthony Bourdain Bullet trains are extraordinary technological marvels. Through very powerful magnets they levitate on tracks achieving frictionless propulsion and astounding speeds. They can cover distances normal trains take in 1/3 of the time. Japan has pioneered this technology and leads the world in high sp

gldobbs

Oct 17, 20254 min read

Senso-Ji

October 15, 2025 "It is better to travel well than to arrive." -Buddha We returned to Northern Tokyo for a brief visit to the Asakusa neighborhood. We initially considered staying here during our Tokyo days but it is not on the main metro lines and would have taken too long to get to other locations we wanted to see. Still the unique nature of the area warranted a look before we left Tokyo for good. The Golden Turd (Tokyo Skytree Tower in background) Perhaps the most un

gldobbs

Oct 15, 20253 min read

Beautiful Things

October 14, 2025 “It’s no wonder Japanese find it so easy to worship nature” Colleen Dobbs If anyone else who reads this missive is as immature as I am, they are familiar with a video game called “Ghost of Tsushima”. It is a popular Playstation game in which a wronged samurai warrior seeks his revenge against tyrannical foes. As fun as the game is hacking and slashing your way to justice, there is a part of the game that elevates it beyond the usual fare. The animators have

gldobbs

Oct 14, 20252 min read

Shrines & Temples

October 13, 2025 “Life is like a long journey carrying a heavy burden - there is no need to rush” Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu from The Testament of Ieyasu We left Tokyo by train for an excursion 2 hours north to the foothills of the Japanese Alps. Japan has large mountains that run through the middle and west of the country. Most, if not all, are volcanic in origin. We traveled there via a futuristic train called the SpaciaX. No, it is not the famed bullet train, that will come la

gldobbs

Oct 13, 20254 min read

Tokyo in the Rain

October 11, 2025 遣らずの雨 (Yarazu no Ame): "The rain that doesn't let you go.” -Japanese Proverb It started raining around 8 am. Whether...

gldobbs

Oct 11, 20254 min read

We Made It

October 8-9, 2025 “But anything that you hear about Japan is nothing like what you see when you actually go over there and see it, you...

gldobbs

Oct 9, 20254 min read

Stupidly Happy

July 20, 2025 “ Beside the river there are two things you never forget, that the moment you look at a river that moment has already...

gldobbs

Jul 20, 20254 min read

A Really Good Boy - A remembrance of Charlie

Charlie July 7, 2025 “You think those dogs will not be in heaven! I tell you they will be there long before any of us.” -Robert Louis...

gldobbs

Jul 8, 20254 min read

Encuentros Cercanos

February 10-12, 2025 “You can dance, I promise” ― Tequila We are sitting in front of our tent, which in of it self is a weird thing for...

gldobbs

Feb 13, 202510 min read

Rolling in the Deep

February 4-5, 2025 “How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. There is the...

gldobbs

Feb 7, 20256 min read

Isla Espiritu Santo

February 3, 2025 “I’m going on an adventure!” - Bilbo Baggins So the Whale Shark plans were a bust. And while I enjoyed a symphonic...

gldobbs

Feb 6, 20253 min read

Learning To Walk Like A Dog

“The dog lives for the day, the hour, even the moment” -Robert Falcon Scott February 2, 2025 So they left three days ago! One of the...

gldobbs

Feb 3, 20254 min read

Wonders

“Today, I can assure you from my own experience that we are not what we eat, nor what we think: we are what we dream.” ― Sergio Magana...

gldobbs

Jan 30, 20256 min read

Postcards from the Hinterland

Tulum January 26-28, 2025 “Do NOT throw the coconuts.” – Sign post at entrance to an archeological site We left the city of Merida ...

gldobbs

Jan 28, 20255 min read

Uxmal

January 25, 2025 “Their were no aliens, wizards, sorcerers, magicians, or….witches. It was just we Mayans in our capacity for great...

gldobbs

Jan 25, 20256 min read

The Day the Earth Ended

January 23, 2025 “Life will find a way” - Actor Jeff Goldblum from the original Jurassic Park film We took a taxi north of the city about...

gldobbs

Jan 24, 20253 min read

The Second Tallest Man in the Yucatan

January 22, 2025 “It’s like Amazon.com …only alive” Colleen Dobbs We were crossing the street heading south across the now familiar Plaza...

gldobbs

Jan 23, 20255 min read

Another City, Another Walk

January 20, 2025 “But I am not running away. I am running toward…toward adventure, toward discovery, toward diversity. And while I was...

gldobbs

Jan 20, 20255 min read