Author Archives: chrisgarske

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” – Mark Twain Sometimes travel will hold up a mirror and let you encounter your own prejudices. There have been several times when I arrived in a country with a set of opinions … Continue reading →

Hitchhiking south from Copenhagen, I was picked up by an odd duck – a Danish capitalist hippy. Nice guy. He was driving the quintessential hippy van, reeking of weed. This long-haired entrepreneur had created a pretty good business for himself. … Continue reading →

True story: an old friend of mine, Bob, and his buddy decided to go to Kenya. They landed in Nairobi, rented a jeep at the airport, and set off on a self-guided Safari.  They asked the rental car guy: where … Continue reading →

I was raised by educated people to be science-oriented and skeptical. The latest mathematics say: it’s appropriate to party. For a long time, I didn’t believe in miracles. Now, some days, it seems like I don’t believe in anything else. … Continue reading →

A white water rafting trip through the Grand Canyon is full of surprises. The guides tie down your stuff in a dry-bag, so it stays safe and dry when the boat flips over. All I had to bring was clothing, a … Continue reading →

“Ahhhh, Venice.” — Indiana Jones in “The Last Crusade” It’s the finest city in the world for idle wandering, day dreaming and getting purposely lost. Each alley is a mystery and potential treasure.  It may lead you to a remote … Continue reading →

First, you climb through the yellow tunnel into the center of a large, sturdy double-walled beach ball. They add about fifty gallons of lukewarm water.  Now you’re sitting in a bath, in a beach ball, feeling vaguely ridiculous. Then they … Continue reading →

Vermont is beautiful, but more importantly, the Ben and Jerry’s factory is there. The place has a cheerful, playful vibe. You can take the tour, see the stuff being made, and get a free sample of the day’s batch. Our … Continue reading →

“You took the Marrakesh Express? What was it like?” I asked him. “Good. Smooth, fast and comfortable, and, best of all, air conditioned. We sang the song over and over, all the way there.” “What was Marrakesh like? I’m going … Continue reading →

“In this jungle, there are seven things which can kill you.” Our young guide counted on his fingers. “These are tiger, leopard, rhino, crocodile, cobra, python and spider. If we see such creature, you must do as I do. If … Continue reading →