Weekly Photo: Ruea Hang Yao (Long-Tail Boat)

Long-tail boats are very common around Southern Thailand. This picture was taken at Koh Phi Phi Ley. They use a simple engine that is often seen in automobiles, but they make a put-put sound that is rather loud. Thais used them for everything from fishing to ferrying people around. They are called a long-tail boat …

Weekly Photo: Cricket & Silkworm Snack

Oh yes, bugs! Not too many people eat bugs anymore in Bangkok, but they are a staple in other part of the country. Before you wrinkle your nose up at them, they aren’t half bad. I’ve had silkworms before, but the crickets were new to me this time around. They both taste kind of nutty. …

Weekly Photo: Masaya Volcano, Nicaragua

Nicaragua is often referred to as “the country of Lakes and Volcanoes.” Masaya Volcano is close to Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. It is really easy to get to and hike around, though the constant stream of poisonous gases does make it a little challenging to breath at times, especially when you are huffing it …

Weekly Photo: Panama Canal

The Panama Canal really is a modern marvel. America favored a canal across Nicaragua, which probably made more sense given the geology of the area, but in their rush to begin construction on the canal, the French began building a sea-level canal through the then northern province of Columbia without doing the proper research. The …

Weekly Photo: Painted Hills, Oregon

Painted Hills is named after the colorful hills that make up this interesting geological formation. Painted Hills is part of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. The reds, oranges, and yellows are all from different geological eras (in a different part of the Monument, there are greens and blues). While the colors are rather …

Weekly Photo: Tanah Lot, Bali, Indonesia

Tanah Lot is strikingly beautiful. The thing I remember most about visiting was actually the nearby temple that has a freshwater spring that rises through the salt water of the ocean. When the tide is out, the spring has clean, cool fresh water. Visitors and the faithful go there to pray, which is what I …