After 9 weeks of travel in Europe, Indonesia and PNG I returned to one of my favorite destinations, SE Asia, for an additional two weeks, adding up to 11 countries in 80 days. I guess there is still some adventure left in this geezer.
Imagine two weeks on a Russian polar research vessel cruising through a tropical paradise! It’s a tough life, but someone has to live it.
The sweat streamed down my face as we hiked through the jungle to look for our orange-haired cousins who, despite the resemblance, bear no relation to our current president.
This expedition cruise was more “expedition” than “cruise.” 
I gulped as the polar bear sauntered down the beach towards us.
…..for a different kind of adventure. Instead of hiking, kayaking, exploring, etc., I’ll be teaching a week long class to faculty and administrators from Zhejiang YueXiu University of Foreign Languages in in SE China.
Probably no other city on earth better captures the mix of old and new, traditional and modern than Tokyo. 
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Hiking the Kumano Kodo trail in Southeastern Japan is no walk in the park.
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Getting from Kyoto to Mount Koya required a zen-like focus that was rivaled only by the meditating monks at the monastery where we spent the night.
Geishas or not (including the Geishas for-a-day) Kyoto is near the top of my list for all time favorite cities. Steeped in history and culture and surrounded by natural beauty, Kyoto is graceful, walkable, and fascinating.
