How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization
Author: Franklin Foer
Who knew you could learn so much about globalization, economics and politics from soccer? Great read.
Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity
Author: Julia Cameron
One possible path to re-discovering the creativity you never knew you had.
Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, New Edition
Author: Jared Diamond
An admirable crack at explaining why the world is the way it is by way of an anthropological macro-history. This book probably comes up the most in conversation as we travel.
The Cathedral Within: Transforming Your Life by Giving Something Back
Author: Bill Shore
Inspiring profiles of social entrepreneurs and projects we all can learn from and hopefully replicate to give back to community.
Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Made a Nation
Author: John Carlin
Although the storyline is built around the South African rugby team and the 1995 World Cup, this book is more about Nelson Mandela and how he was able to unite a divided country. Inspiring.
Dark Star Safari: Overland from Cairo to Capetown
Author: Paul Theroux
The author re-visits Africa and re-assesses the place he once knew... and judges it once and for all. Well written, poignant observations of the thumbprints left by career politicians, aid workers, and everyday people.
Outliers: The Story of Success
Author: Malcolm Gladwell
A look at the internal and external factors of how extraordinary people got to be, well, extraordinary. One of those books that challenges assumptions and makes you think differently.
Shantaram: A Novel
Author: Gregory David Roberts
Administering first aid in a Bombay slum, selling fake passports and running guns to the Mujahideen in Afghanistan. Technically a novel, but closely linked to the Author's own experiences. Fantastic read.
Reflections on our safari in Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, including a slideshow of the big cats – lions, cheetahs, and a leopard – who have made this place their own.
Expectations: dangerous stuff. It’s virtually impossible not to have them when it comes to an iconic experience like a safari in the Serengeti. Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Africa, Tanzania, Travel by: Daniel Noll
18 Comments | 29 June 2011
While Guizhou Province may not feature the same dramatic bits of nature you’d find in Yunnan or Sichuan Provinces, it does have its share of indigenous markets. And that’s why, when we visited China, we based ourselves in the the provincial capital of Kaili for a week.
In the weekly market in Chong’an, an area inhabited by ethnic Miao and Gejia, a high school girl befriended us early in the day. She’d studied some English and had a nifty electronic Chinese-English dictionary to fall back on when her school-learned vocabulary wasn’t enough. For an afternoon, she showed us all the various nooks and crannies of the market – embroidered cloth for local ethnic dress, vegetables and fruit galore, Chinese medicine practice and street dentistry, gelatinous noodle soup stands, and lots and lots of meat. Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Panorama by: Audrey Scott
14 Comments | 27 June 2011
How do I prepare for climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro? What equipment will I need?
No shortage of digital ink has been spilled on this topic. Even so, every article we’ve read seemed to be missing a little something.
Based on our Kilimanjaro climb experience, here are the nuts and bolts of what an average, ordinary hiker will need for a Kilimanjaro climb. We’ll address choosing a Kilimanjaro route, costs, equipment and hiking gear, ways to avoid and manage altitude sickness and other illnesses, and whether or not you really need to train for a Kilimanjaro climb.
Don’t worry, it’s not as daunting as it sounds.
Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Africa, Tanzania, Travel by: Audrey Scott
18 Comments | 26 June 2011
Poa kichizi kama ndizi.
– Swahili for “Crazy cool like a banana,” the most appropriate response to “How are you?” while climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro.
So we climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and shared some of the life lessons we learned along the way. But what did the climb look like? How did it feel?
Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Africa, Tanzania, Travel by: Daniel Noll
24 Comments | 21 June 2011
If Zanzibar were to have its own non-alcoholic version of Cheers – the place where everyone knows your name – it would be Jaws Corner in Stone Town. Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Africa, Panorama, Tanzania by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
5 Comments | 20 June 2011
A few ideas on how walking up a big pile of volcanic rocks in Africa can teach you something about life.
For some, climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro is another check box on a “to do” list. For me it turned out to be a journey — in its own way, an epic exercise in achievement.
Like any journey of significance, themes emerged. Somewhere beyond Kilimanjaro’s snow-patched Uhuru Peak, I learned and relearned some lessons that resonated beyond the mountain-climbing task at hand. Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Africa, Personal Growth, Tanzania, Travel by: Daniel Noll
54 Comments | 15 June 2011
In Cusco, Peru on the first Sunday of every month, a corner of the main square Plaza de Armas fills with indigenous crafts vendors from around the surrounding hills. If you get up early enough, you’ll have a chance to not only check out their wares without the crowds, but you’ll also enjoy a bit of conversation with the vendors about where they come from and how they acquired their skills. Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Panorama by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
6 Comments | 13 June 2011
While we’re not usually ones to wake up early, sometimes we’ve been rewarded for the effort when we have. Waking up to double rainbows while camping atop El Hoyo volcano in Nicaragua was one of those moments. Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Panorama by: Audrey Scott
10 Comments | 6 June 2011
We did it! We climbed all the way to Uhuru Peak (5,895 meters/19,340 feet), the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest point in Africa. More importantly, our whole group of five made it. Talk about an awesome feeling. Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Africa, Tanzania, Travel by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
35 Comments | 3 June 2011
