Tag archives for National Geographic
Posted by Exactly one year ago I was traveling in South Africa, exploring the disparate coastal cities of that magnificent country while filming a documentary for the National Geographic Channel: “The World In Two Cities”. As someone who normally stands behind the camera, it was a terrific honor to host such a well-made film in such a…
Darwin didn’t have a camera, but he would have made a superb photographer. His sketches and lengthy descriptions of animals in the Galápagos reveal a traveler who observed everything with curiosity and recorded in colorful detail. We should all learn from him. To this day, I am more of a traveler with a camera than…
It takes nearly six hours to fly across the Sahara Desert — —about the same distance it takes to fly across the United States. Indeed, the biggest desert in the world is as wide as the continental U.S., and from high up in the sky, I was able to take in the sea of sand…
I am relieved to discover that King Tut’s tomb is smaller than my apartment back home. Now, when I return from this transcendent circumnavigation, I am less likely to suffer from any serious bouts of post-travel claustrophobia. After freely roaming around the gargantuan sphere of Earth, I expect my home in the city will seem…
In China, it’s all about the gift shop. Since arriving in the Middle Kingdom, nearly every destination we visit comes equipped with a well-stocked gift shop manned by an English-speaking staff all ready to grant us, their new friends, at least a twenty percent discount. Even a callused traveler as myself is susceptible to the…
Working at National Geographic is an awesome learning experience, in which I’m constantly surrounded by real talent, sound wisdom, unique minds and artistic people (I love it). Among the strong and creative team that I work with is one-of-a-kind internet princess Marilyn Terrell (@Marilyn_res), Chief Researcher at National Geographic Traveler and a host of many…
The only thing better than achieving your dream destination is the joy of returning to a place you love. I never thought I’d ever make it to Tristan Da Cunha the first time, let alone return to this isolated speck in the middle of the ocean, but the good fortune of travel carried me back within…
I admit I have a thing for penguins . . . . . . but then again, who doesn’t? Perhaps it’s the way they mimic us humans: walking upright, nuzzling their mates, or slapping each other on the back. Or else it’s the way they are different from us: surviving and thriving in the most…
Today is late summer, though yesterday, it was barely spring. Lightning shocks the sky into pure white light. Half-second silhouettes paint tree branches, blowing leaves, and scared dogs. Then darkness. The thunder doesn’t wait for my counted seconds. The clouds crash together like two garbage can lids—my hands cover my ears and I crouch from…
I’ve spent the night in four different countries this week. I went diving on Mexico’s coral reef, was interviewed on French-Canadian television, did laundry in Washington, D.C., and then flew to Buenos Aires for last night’s marvelous dinner at La Cabrera. Though the life of a modern-day nomad sounds extremely fun, it is also a…
I entered the Tarantula’s Mouth just like a spider, dangling from a long white thread of nylon rope, with my arms and legs stretched out, hoping to catch something solid and real. But there was nothing. Only the black void of an empty hole and a dozens of tiny, translucent bees orbiting my head—“Mayan bees”…
So, what exactly was I doing in Budapest? I was speaking at a conference: TEDxDanubia to be exact. My subject: enjoying the uncertainty of travel. I never like to get to preachy about travel because frankly, travel is very personal — we all do it differently. But I have certain opinions about how I like…
Do layovers count? I often wonder. When sharing travel stories, we typically differentiate between the places we’ve “been” and those places where we’ve laid over. And yet layovers — the intermittent geography between one place and another — are fundamental to travel. They are non-destination precursors to the destinations we aim for. And whether or…
It’s OK to wear black socks with white running shoes in Japan. That’s what I tell myself as I tighten my laces and head down the hall of my hotel. It’s not like I’m going to blend in anyway. The elevator agrees with me, chiding in Japanese soprano, mocking my last clean pair of socks.…
The world’s largest daikon ever harvested weighed exactly 69 pounds (31.3 kilograms)—more than three times the size of your average daikon. I blinked at the rubber, life-size model of the record-breaking radish through the display case in the museum—it was the same size as one of those exercise balls for doing sit-ups. Given the chance…
Yesterday, I flew to Japan . . . with a three-year-old. My neighbor never mentioned his name (neither did his mother), but he was angel-haired and angel-behaved, strapped into his car seat with only intermittent breaks for some 14 hours. He wore red flannel Elmo pajamas and had a preference for fruit juice and Thomas…
Good nomads travel light. We might live in a time where our car-sized suitcases have spinner wheels attached, but the earliest human travelers understood that moving quickly and freely is what mattered most . . . . and they packed accordingly. As a modern-day nomad, I try to follow their example and underlying concept: Take…
Those of you who travel with me online know that I’m crazy about dogs. I love all dogs and would love to have one myself, but instead of leaving one at home all the time, I try to adopt whichever dog I find on the road. What I’ve discovered is that every destination has dogs…
After some 29 days at sea, I reached the Equator, having sailed all the way from South Georgia, a distance of some 55° of latitude. Some of you already know how I have this funny attraction to imaginary lines on the globe, as well as all borders between any two countries. The last time I…
I used to be afraid of the deep end of the swimming pool. Anything more than nine feet deep completely freaked me out and I clung firmly to the edge of the shallow end. The second my own feet stopped touching the bottom, I panicked. Then I learned how to swim and turned a bit…
Our digital nomad is at it again, sending us another tricky clue from down under. Put your thinking caps on and submit your best guesses at our online Clues Gallery. January 21, 2011 Riding the rails to a land that needs fixing, where the sun shines so brightly, the heat was quite vexing. Where am…
Back by popular demand, another wine clue. The name of this grape is different down under, and its ancient history still causes wonder. From an estate that was founded in 1890 (best in the country says the IWSC), this wine celebrates their anniversary. A limited label, for here and now, quite similar to their Qomolangma.…
Our digital nomad is checking in today with another photo clue. Be the first person to guess correctly at the Clues Gallery and you will win Andrew’s authentic outback leather hat. January 14, 2011 I left the top end and flew myself west, out to a place where the weather is best. Here the sun…
Try your hand at the latest clue from Andrew Evans, our digital nomad who is traveling around Australia. Every weekday at 11 a.m. we’ll post a new photo clue in our online Clues Gallery. You have 24 hours to make your best guess. Follow his journey on Twitter @WheresAndrew for more hints on his whereabouts.…
Just like Texas, everything in Australia is bigger. So far on my travels through Oz, I’ve seen giant waves, giant kangaroos, giant trucks, giant floods, and one giant cow. Best of all, I got to visit one giant reef–the largest coral reef in the world. The Great Barrier Reef is both physically and mentally monumental:…
