Shark Bay on Koh Tao, Thailand

Shark Bay on Koh Tao, Thailand

The first of the sharks appeared around 9 a.m. Or perhaps they had been there all along, circling in the cloudy water around us. Who knows. The safety of the beach, the only dry, horizontal surface for a long distance in any direction, suddenly seemed that much...
Climbing Gunung Marapi in West Sumatra

Climbing Gunung Marapi in West Sumatra

Charcoal clouds swirled across an onyx moonscape of mud atop Gunung Marapi in West Sumatra. Hanging around didn’t seem like a good idea. Very few things get me going at 04:30. Sunrises definitely aren’t one of them. I made that mistake once in Maui. Flip-flopped and...
Solo Trekking in Nepal: 19 Days in Everest National Park

Solo Trekking in Nepal: 19 Days in Everest National Park

I just finished 19 days of solo trekking in Nepal (Everest National Park). This turned out to be my biggest adventure ever as I wandered solo, self-guided, through the valleys, summits, and glaciers of the Himalayas with a pack on my back. The finest mountain scenery...
Running of the Bulls in Pamplona 2015

Running of the Bulls in Pamplona 2015

Part 1: If you haven’t read it, here’s what happens when getting ready to run with the bulls in Pamplona. It was a relief when the police finally released us from the miserable holding pen. As I walked around Dead Man’s Corner to choose my starting place...
Getting Ready to Run With the Bulls in Pamplona

Getting Ready to Run With the Bulls in Pamplona

Whoever said that bulls “enter a ring” had never been inside a ring with a bull. Bulls don’t enter, they explode into the ring in a cloud of thunder, violence, and anger. My clammy hands fumbled my camera at the bullfight with my local friend, Ted, as I silently made...