Off The Beaten Path

Visiting The Principality Of Sealand

By |2021-08-03T08:16:08-05:00June 10th, 2019|Categories: Europe, Off The Beaten Path|

Visiting Principality Sealand.  How many countries are there in the world? Well, it depends on who you ask. If you are standing in the General Assembly, they will inform you there are 193 sovereign countries as recognized by the UN. But the debate is just getting heated. There is another group of countries that walk [...]

Eight Days In Mauritania, An Agenda, Part I

By |2021-01-10T07:53:13-06:00June 4th, 2019|Categories: Africa, Off The Beaten Path|

Sample Agenda Mauritania.  Mauritania is a big boy, the 11th largest country in Africa. It is bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean and on its other borders; Western Sahara, Algeria, Mali, and Senegal. Mauritania is primarily a desert country with 90% of its land found in the Sahara. These areas were originally settled by [...]

Two Nights Niger

By |2021-03-31T09:21:30-05:00October 25th, 2017|Categories: Africa, Off The Beaten Path|Tags: , , , , , |

Two nights Niger.  I wasn’t overly excited about my brief trip to Niamey, Niger.  I arrived late at night to the Diori Hamani International Airport via a direct flight from Algiers.  I passed immigration without any obstacles except for a brief argument with a gentleman who tried to cut the line.  As I waited for my [...]

Three Days Paraguay

By |2021-05-14T18:30:22-05:00October 21st, 2017|Categories: Off The Beaten Path, South America|Tags: , , , , |

Three Days Paraguay. Paraguay might be considered one of the ugly stepsisters of South America, with less than 650,000 tourists visiting this landlocked country. On this southern continent, Paraguay is only more popular than Guyana and Suriname, not household names for tourists. I spent three nights in Asuncion, the sleepy, river-based capital. Asuncion is an acquired [...]

Burkina Faso Road Trip

By |2021-03-31T11:16:02-05:00July 9th, 2017|Categories: Africa, Off The Beaten Path|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Burkina Faso Road Trip “Uncle Paul, do you know the capital of Upper Volta?” a cocky 12 year old quizzed his elder. “Upper what?” Uncle Paul responded, perplexed with a dollop of indifference. “Ouagadougou!” the proud 12 year old responded, hitting each one of the syllables.  The brash pre-teen of course was me.  At my school, [...]

Timimoun, Sebkha Circuit, And Sahara Desert 

By |2021-03-31T10:01:09-05:00May 30th, 2017|Categories: Africa, Off The Beaten Path|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Timimoun, Sebkha Circuit, And Sahara Desert.  The bus rolled to a stop.  Sand danced on the bus’s window.  “Timimoun, Timimoun!” the bus driver’s assistant hollered.  I grabbed my bags and pushed my way through the crowds and exited the but station.  A lone taxi driver waited.  “Bonjour monsieur, je veux aller Ksar Masine Hotel.”  My 10th [...]

Ghardaia, Algeria – Off The Beaten Path

By |2021-03-31T09:34:51-05:00May 28th, 2017|Categories: Africa, Off The Beaten Path|Tags: , , , , , |

Ghardaia, Algeria - Off The Beaten Path “(It) was oppressed by a scorching climate…was covered in harsh deserts, and only a small part could sustain life.  The landscape was covered with sand dunes, mountains, and canyons which made traversing very difficult.” Source.   I feel this is an apt description of the exotic M’Zab Valley in Algeria, [...]

Three Days In Algiers – What To See

By |2021-04-14T17:43:45-05:00May 21st, 2017|Categories: Africa, Off The Beaten Path|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Three Days In Algiers – What To See.  Algiers has no must-see monument such as the Eifel Tower, Machu Picchu, or Angkor Wat, but is more of an atmospheric city.  Algiers is the capital of Algeria, a city of 3 million people, located on the Mediterranean Sea.  Algiers was originally settled over 1000 years, was at [...]

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