Nature / South America / Wandering
by Jeffrey Kontur · Published February 16, 2018 · Last modified February 12, 2018
No facilities, no services, no neighbors, no trees, no shade. But you can build right on the Pacific Ocean and your back yard is several thousand square miles of beach. The coastal areas of southern Perú are one of the naturally driest deserts in the world. That’s because they lie...
Active / Nature / Off-the-beaten-path / South America / Tropics
by Jeffrey Kontur · Published February 2, 2018 · Last modified February 1, 2018
While Iguazú Falls may be the big draw, the park that encompasses the falls is more than 250 square miles. So it is much more than simply a big river impressively jumping off a cliff. Plus there is the nearby Argentine town of Puerto Iguazú, its Brazilian counterpart Foz de Iguazú and the...
Active / Nature / Off-the-beaten-path / South America / Tropics
by Jeffrey Kontur · Published February 1, 2018
Reportedly, upon seeing Iguazú Falls, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt exclaimed, “Oh poor Niagara!” Having been to both, I can say that Iguazú is by far the more impressive of the two. It is several times larger. Like Niagara, Iguazú Falls marks the border between two countries. In this case, Argentina...
by Jeffrey Kontur · Published January 28, 2018 · Last modified January 21, 2018
This is Buenos Aires as well. Over by the waterfront is Buenos Aires’ business district. While the gleaming, modern chrome-and-glass skyscrapers don’t have the same charm as the old-world European architecture of the more residential areas, this district is very clean. It has wide, tree-lined boulevards. Every part I saw...
When looking on Google Maps shortly after my arrival in Cairo, I found that I was only a few blocks away from a very large park. This is what it looks like on Google Maps. The apartment where I’m staying is about midway between Bakier Stationers and Cairo American College....
The premise was simple enough: I wanted to take my (then)girlfriend on a trip for her birthday. I got the idea while we were on a day trip together to the National Aquarium in Baltimore. She was fascinated by the display with Atlantic Puffins. I read on the placard about...
Activities / Nature / Tropics
by Jeffrey Kontur · Published December 8, 2015 · Last modified December 7, 2015
With my face in the water I can hear nothing but the sound of my own breathing. I am enveloped in a peaceful, tranquil, blue world. One filled with sea turtles. A lot of people talk about what a fantastic experience it is to swim with dolphins. Admittedly, the idea...
Adventure / Modes of Transport / Nature / Off-the-beaten-path / USA / Wandering
by Jeffrey Kontur · Published December 1, 2015 · Last modified November 24, 2015
“Look straight down,” the balloonist told us, “you see that dirt road that kind of squiggles off to the left? If you were to follow it down into that canyon you’d end up at a bunch of dinosaur fossils.” “Real fossils?” “Yes. Still embedded in the rocks. There’s a walking...
Adventure / Facts & Trivia / Nature / Tropics
by Jeffrey Kontur · Published November 27, 2015 · Last modified November 17, 2015
Most people have a fairly romantic notion of swimming beneath a waterfall. I’ve done it. More than once. You’ve probably never given this much thought but there are different types of waterfalls. When fantasizing about swimming under a waterfall, most people think about what’s called a free-standing waterfall. That’s where...
Adventure / Africa / Logistics / Nature
by Jeffrey Kontur · Published April 2, 2014 · Last modified March 17, 2014
Full disclosure: This isn’t my story, it’s my friend Tommy’s. Tommy is a super adventurous traveler. He’s also an absolute train fanatic. He loves trains, especially old steam trains. He travels all over the world just to ride on interesting trains that are still in service. A few years ago...