Ottsworld

Carbo Loading – Annapurna Circuit

Tiger Balm Tales Vol 16
Carbo Loading
Whoever said carbs aren’t good for you never hiked in Nepal. When hiking for 2 weeks, carbs become your ally. This is probably the one time when you can get away with eating carbs at every meal, so my best advice is – enjoy the hell out of [...]

A River Runs Thru It – Annapurna Circuit

Tiger Balm Tales Vol. 15
A River Runs Thru It
The sign read Welcome to Marpha! Delightful Apple Capital of Nepal. I wondered if Johnny Appleseed was the mayor of this little town along the Annapurna Circuit. Aside from the Thorung La Pass, Marpha seemed to be the highlight of [...]

Photo of the Week – Tokyo

Tokyo, Japan – Vending Machine Blurs
In Tokyo you can find practically anything in vending machines – they are high tech!  Walking down the street you’ll find them lined up pimping the familiar and not so familiar!   Can you imagine buying beer or sake from a vending machine?
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Q&A – Cell Phones and ESL

I get many emails from travelers all over the world asking me questions about my travels.  Here are some of the recent ones that are great to share with everyone!  If you have a question, don’t hesitate to ask!
Q:  from Dave – Brooklyn
I came across your blog and was very impressed by your decision [...]

Motorized Travel – Annapurna Circuit

Tiger Balm Tales vol. 14
Motorized Travel
It was as if a huge weight had been lifted from our brains. For the first time since we started hiking the Annapurna circuit – I was free of worry and it was a beautiful feeling. It’s amazing how much anxiety the Thorung La pass can cause internally [...]

Photo of the Week – Zanzibar

African Sushi – Zanzibar
I love markets, they never disappoint.  This man in the Stonetown Market looked like had been carving up fish for hours.  A few minutes earlier I saw a man drag in a huge  hammer-head shark – amazing.  Read the entire Zanzibar market story on my post from 2006.
View all of my Tanzania [...]

Travel for Sporting Events

100 Sporting Events You Must See Live
An Insider’s Guide to Creating the Sports Experience of a Lifetime By Robert Tuchman

Every night I sit down to watch people around the world play in the snow. I love the Olympics. It brings back family memories of sitting around the television after dinner, watching Dorthy Hammil [...]

The Longest Day – Annapurna Circuit

Tiger Balm Tales vol. 13
The Longest Day
KLOMP, KLOMP, KLOMP
The sounds of hiking boots on wooden floor echoed outside my door. I poked my nose out of my warm sleeping bag cocoon, breathed in the cold air, and let it out only to see my hot breath evaporate into the darkness.
I’m aware those footseps are [...]

Blowing out Candles

They’re leaving…I can’t stop em. No matter how much I beg and plead for them to stay, I can’t change their mind. The memories are vivid now, but they’ll be a distant soon. I’ll look at the pictures and try to relive those times, but it’ll never be the same.
I’m sad to [...]

Photo of the Day – California

Rock Hard Love
San Francisco, California
Considering Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, I thought I’d try to embrace it this year. Hell, if a love can find it’s way into a rock, then maybe there’s hope for me!
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Beware of Falling Rocks

Tiger Balm Tales vol. 12
Beware of Falling Rocks
All I heard was Bishnu yell “Runnnnn!” My heart raced and I felt as if I were moving in s-l-o-w m-o-t-i-o-n. I sort of knew why I was running, but the gravity of the situation was fuzzy to me; it felt as if my mind were working [...]