Many people have written the horrifying story of Auschwitz, so I’m not going to rehash it here. I encourage you to click the link above and read the history, and to read the accounts of survivors who somehow lived through these events. I obviously can’t improve upon their stories, but I want to share with you what it feels like to visit that site today — and why it’s so important to do so...
Prague is one of Europe’s most recognizable cities. It’s long been a favourite of backpackers for its low costs and cheap beer. And it’s firmly on every European tour itinerary thanks to its beautifully preserved UNESCO listed old town. Strangely enough, I had never been there. The Czech Republic was totally new territory for me. So when an opportunity came up to meet one of my oldest friends in...
If you had a million dollars, what would you do? Seriously. Think about that for a moment. What would you do? I can honestly say, “Exactly what I’m doing right now.” And I can say that because I’m busy following my dreams. Now, I can’t imagine anyone needing a reason to follow their dreams. But I understand that pushing into the unknown is frightening for some. And so I present you with 10 great...
That mysterious ruined island in Skyfall is real. If you saw the 2012 James Bond film, you were likely as mesmerized as I was by the scene. Bond and Séverine are prisoners on a yacht, and as they sail towards the villain’s lair to meet their doom, a mysterious island emerges from sea mist. As the ship draws closer, we see that the island is crowded with abandoned concrete structures: an entire...
We arrived in Nagasaki just as the late afternoon light began to slide down the mountain sides, reflecting off the long narrow harbour and casting the first shadows into the crevices of the steep hillsides clustered with dwellings. This would be our final stop of a week-long exploration of western Japan. And in many ways, we saved the most unique city for last. Nagasaki’s setting in the valley of...
The city of Hakata — on the island of Kyushu — has been completely overrun by mainland Chinese. We’d stopped there for a night on our way between Hiroshima and Nagasaki. And we’d just walked over to the new Canal City shopping complex in search of something to eat. As you know by know, all journeys in Japan revolve around regional food, and this enormous collection of shops just happens to house...
A ride was waiting for us at the station when we returned to the mainland from Miyajima. We followed the road further down the coast, past the large circular enclosures of oyster farms which occupied the inland waters. And then we wound up the hill through smaller streets to our lodgings for the night. A visit to an onsen (“hot spring”) is an essential part of any trip Japan, and one I always...
We continued our post-Hiroshima adventures down the coast about half an hour by train from the city, where we explored one of the official National Treasures of Japan. Popularly known as Miyajima (or “Shrine Island”), the main Shinto complex of Itsukushima-jinja was established in the time of Empress Suiko. But it was the Heian period warlord Taira no Kiyomori (1118-1181) who gave it its present...
Hiroshima was once a vibrant castle town. And the Sarugaku-cho neighbourhood was a lively place of noh actors, artisans, physicians and shops. Until the day that everyone died. At 8:15am on Monday August 6, 1945 an American B-29 bomber called the Enola Gay flew over and unleashed the greatest destructive force the world had ever known. The bomb was detonated in the air, 580m above the ground...
Three days into this journey, I began to grow seriously concerned about the structural integrity of my waistband. And the day after that, I resigned myself to a bleak future of dieting, possibly culminating in liposuction. And all this from letting my wife plan the trip. You see, travel in Japan is all about food. Where you or I might plan a trip around historical sites, or art collections, or...