Jim Shubin

Dresden, The Florence of Germany

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Story and Photos by David Greitzer They call it cobblestone syndrome. Tourists who aren’t familiar with walking on cobblestones hobble in the most peculiar way. Their gait is erratic. The right knee may slump inward giving them the appearance of being crippled. Cobblestone syndrome occurs after walking at least 10,000 steps through an ancient city like Dresden […]

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Southeast Alaska aboard Island Spirit

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Island Spirit was the perfect small ship from which to observe and enjoy southeast Alaska. We saw humpback whales, sea lions, brown bears, bald eagles, and tufted puffins.
We also got to tour island communities like Haines, Gustavus, and Hoonah that are accessible only by small ship or seaplane — experiencing native crafts and art, meeting local characters, and learning about their unique lifestyle in Alaska’s remote wilderness.

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The Cotton-Candy Beauty of Pamukkale, Turkey

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By Suzie Rodriguez. Even 10 miles distant, this bleached-limestone plateau is a dazzling sight, rising an abrupt 400 feet from a flat and dry valley. Beautiful but incongruous, it seems to float on a hazy edge of reality until…

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Sri Lanka’s Festival of the August Moon

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From our Sri Lankan correspondent Lakshman Ratnapala, Chairman, Enelar International The 2,000-year-old DALADA  PERAHERA paraded the streets of Kandy, Sri Lanka’s last royal citadel for 10 nights, concluding with the August full moon, yesterday, Saturday, August 29th 2015. Held every year in honor of the sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha, the parade features scores […]

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Egg Hopper breakfast in Sri Lanka

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By Jim Shubin. In Sri Lanka, Egg Hoppers make a quick and delicious breakfast: First warm the specially shaped bowl, then pour in just the right amount of the rice flour batter. It may take some practice to get the right amount. Swirl the batter…

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Faces of Alaska

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There are many faces of Alaska—soaring snow-covered peaks, bald eagles flying high, the grizzly bear foraging, and native Tlingit  totem poles. We fell in love with totem poles. Traditionally, they have been carved for various reasons: to show family lineage, to teach history or illustrate experiences, to honor the dead, to proclaim contracts, or even […]

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Full Moon Festival in Sri Lanka

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The Esala Perahera  (Festival of the August Full Moon) in Sri Lanka’s last Royal citadel of Kandy is something not to miss in August, says our Sri Lanka correspondent Lakshman Ratnapala. According to ancient Royal customs, the Diya-wadana Nilame (the Custodian of the Dalada Maligawa — the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic), Nilanga Dela Bandara, along with the Basnayake Nilames (Chiefs of the surrounding Temples), officially presented […]

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Road-Tripping in British Columbia — Part 1

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by Margo Pfeiff We’ve all seen them on highways and rural byways, massive roadside attractions that elicit a gasp or a guffaw — buffalo as big as locomotives, a helicopter-sized mosquito or a cowboy boot that would fit King Kong. Everybody loves a road trip and these kitschy, small-town landmarks are part of the fun. While they […]

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Kayaking in Alaska

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Kayaking can be dangerous and thrilling—or calm and magical. On a recent trip to southeast Alaska, Destination Insights publisher Jim Shubin enjoyed kayaking’s quite side: absorbing nature, feeling deep serenity, and viewing wildlife. “Joining Island Spirit, a small 30-passenger vessel, I noticed a number of brightly colored, plastic kayaks on the aft end of the boat. The […]

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The Faces of Bali

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Destination Insights photographers love the little, often-overlooked objects around town—any town or village. Wandering around Ubud we saw our first strange stone Balinese carvings (some were concrete castings). Unusual, weird, “off-color,” or just plain sexy, they first amused us at the Sayan Terrace Hotel. Soon we were finding these odd statues, most only one meter tall, […]

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