Vagabond Rick Travels The World

I’m all for global trade and anti-protectionism.  But over the past two years (yes, my trip is now that long) I have come to the opinion that countries should always produce their own food - more than enough for their own people.  In my mind, any country that cannot regularly provide for its people’s hunger is probably not a country anyone should want to live in.  It would seem to me that the two main reasons for a federal government is to protect its borders and feed everyone and I believe producing enough food is a major factor for both of these to be successful.  I used to be against agricultural subsidies and while I still have problems with some of them I am grateful that American farmers produce more than we can consume and we provide our abundance to the poorest countries around the world.  The loss of prime farm land in America (especially California) as well as what I see in many other countries is very disconcerting.  Worse is that many countries are failing their own people agriculture-wise, they have their priorities very mixed up and their mistakes seem to be aided by the food relief industry.

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I would never have guessed the two most common commodities in much of the world are bricks and charcoal.  Country after country has shown some aspect of the bricks and charcoal manufacture, market and use.  If you are thinking of a baked, red brick sold at Home Depot and a square of Kingsford… those are proper and a little too removed from the real things.  Charcoal in the world of Latin America, Africa and Middle East is wood sticks and chunks that have been cooked in a kiln.  I am really not sure what that stuff is sold in USA, but I only hope it is pure cooked wood compressed into convenient bite-size cubes.  I wish I had a chunk of it so I could show an African and get a good laugh.  Bricks are rarely red unless the clay is red and even then it isn’t the hue of USA bricks.  They also never come in the size that is so common in America.   Bricks and charcoal have a commonality in that charcoal is often used to bake the bricks and the bricks can be used to make the charcoal.  I can’t travel a hundred kilometers anywhere in the countries outside of America and Europe without running into a pile of fresh bricks and/or a large bag of charcoal for sale next to the road.

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I may have over-cooked.  I don't want to be in Oman.  I don't want to be anywhere near where I am.  I am working on getting back to Nairobi.  I'm not sure if the trip is over.  I reserve the ... [Continue reading this entry]

 It was about a year ago that I met Nogah from Israel in Argentina.  I received an email from her today and I am sure we will get together in Jerusalem in May.  In the meantime, I remembered the great ... [Continue reading this entry]

Hi, my name is Rick and I am a mango addict.  My friend Mike claimed mangoes to be his favorite fruit to me more than 25 years ago.  I did not get it.  I had never had a real mango.  ... [Continue reading this entry]

One thing that is starting to really bug me is the finger-pointing that we do towards other countries when it seems like we have some responsibility for their problems.  The cocaine trade in South and Central America is a good ... [Continue reading this entry]

I have received a consistent story from many of the Europeans I have met and traveled with over the past few months. Many of the travelers from Germany, Holland, Sweden and England (I have not spoken to Spaniards, Italians ... [Continue reading this entry]

I will be flying back to the California on May 31st.  I am taking American Airlines through Miami.  Can't wait to be greeted warmly by Homeland Security folks there.  Between now and that day I will be in Chile (San ... [Continue reading this entry]

What I am trying to do is quite complicated.  I can tell you that it is the most complex thing I have ever done.  The logistics are difficult.  How to piece together the whole world in some meaningful and workable ... [Continue reading this entry]

Biggest, Highest, Furthest, Grandest... It is amazing to me the claims made everywhere about their local geography.  Nasca has Cerro Blanco which they claim to be the world's tallest sand dune at about 1400 meters.  Namibia claims the same, too, ... [Continue reading this entry]