Wham Bam The Solomon Islands was part of a huge, end of year, 30-day jaunt around the Pacific. The trip would wrap up the region for me, completely, checking off nine new countries and include two repeats (transit). Even though I had an entire month to get nine countries done, because of the scarcity of…
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Kira-Whati? There have been a handful of “mysterious” nations that I’ve been intrigued with over the years, and I saved Kiribati until close to the end. The Pacific island nation joins other fascinating places that my friends have never heard of, like Nauru, Tuvalu, Mauritania, Equatorial Guinea and Suriname. These are places we did not…
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Gimme Samoa If you’re a regular reader to my blog, you know that some countries give me a “vibe” right off the bat – a succinct feeling in my heart. Samoa was one of them. I thought, at first, it could’ve been just the impeccable warm welcome from the hotel. Moments after arriving at the…
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I’m so Excited (and I Just Can’t Hide It) I was excited to see Vanuatu just for the name itself. “Vahn-ooh-ahh-too.” So exotic right? Flying a new carrier (for me), Vanuatu Airlines, was also a bonus. The three-hour flight from Auckland to Port Vila in business was nice. The food was solid, complete with carrot…
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Amateur Hour on The Ramblin’ Randy Show “May I see your visa please?” I fought back any hint of smugness, as I answered with shortness: “No visa required.” I’d approached many an airline counter where the agent mistakenly told me I’d need a visa for flights into countries where there was indeed no visa required…
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Randy Votes Best Fish Taco from New Zealand – Taco World in Outrage I actually live in what many call the fish taco capital of the world: San Diego, California. And if San Diego isn’t ground zero for fish tacos, then Baja California, just minutes away, certainly is. So how the heck can I claim…
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What’s the Last One??? What’s 193??? I’ve thoroughly enjoyed sharing my recent visits to countries 184 through 192 on social media. If I had a nickel for every time someone asked, “What’s the last country?” or “What’s number 193?” I would be rich! It is definitely a great question, especially for those who’ve been following…
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“The continent is too large to describe. It is a veritable ocean, a separate planet, a varied, immensely rich cosmos. Only with the greatest simplification, for the sake of convenience, can we say ‘Africa’. In reality, except as a geographical appellation, Africa does not exist.” ― Ryszard Kapuściński Over the past six years, I’ve come…
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