It happened more than 60 years ago, when Bobby and Cynthia Troup were driving to California. Bobby was a composer and musician, and his wife suggested he write a song about the trip. Before the day was over, "Get your kicks on Route 66" had been born. I learned that history lesson at Route 66 … [Read More...]
Hidden Treasure in Australian Rainforests
When the first European explorers came to Australia in 1788, they viewed the aboriginal residents as so uncivilized that British law declared the continent terra nullius, a land with no human habitation. Today the situation is nearly reversed. Environmentalists are fighting to undo the damage caused … [Read More...]
Walking With Ghosts In Vancouver’s Haunted Gastown
I'd walked past the place hundreds of times without knowing that so many people had been killed there. A block south of … [Read More...]
Malaysia’s Batu Caves – Rapture in a Hindu Temple
Some of the best advice I’ve ever been given about how to benefit from visiting sacred places came from Dr. Jean Shinoda … [Read More...]
Why I Believe in Fairies
Maybe it’s Shakespeare’s fault, or perhaps the brothers Grimm are to blame, but fairies – like witches – have an image … [Read More...]
Whale Boat Sails From Downtown Vancouver to Victoria
I gasped in amazement as three killer whales surfaced alongside our boat. Holding out my digital camera, I clicked the … [Read More...]
Swimming With Dolphins in Orlando
Discovery Cove in Orlando, Florida, is an all-inclusive getaway that truly is a world all its own. Unlike so many theme … [Read More...]
Spirits Of Slain Enemies Protect Borneo Headhunter Village
KOTA KINABALU, MALAYSIA - Nine generations after a Kadazan warrior named Monsopiad became a headhunter, the spirits of … [Read More...]
Understanding the Power of Sacred Places
Since the beginning of time, people have been going on pilgrimages to sacred sites for healing, inspiration and … [Read More...]
Transformed by a Maya Medicine Woman in Belize
The Maya medicine woman smeared a handful of green, aromatic mud onto my forehead, binding it with a strip of cloth, as … [Read More...]
Hunting Tigers in India
The man with the sickle was passing sheaves of long grass to the thatcher on the roof, but the dozen tourists on the … [Read More...]
People In The Outaouais Are As Colourful As Their Autumn Leaves
I was startled to realize that the woman in the striped dress was a mermaid. Then I chuckled when I noticed her right … [Read More...]
Shamanic Experience at Machu Picchu
Night was falling as we got into the bus to go up to Machu Picchu. Our group of ten, usually talkative and laughing, … [Read More...]
Aboriginal Magic in the Land of the Quinkans
The oldest rock paintings on Earth are in the Cape York peninsula of Australia's tropical north Queensland. They were … [Read More...]