Bali (Indonesia): An English visionary, his dedicated staff, and a rural community tackle poverty and soil erosion

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16 September 2025: Should you travel by Amtrak?

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In my last three blog posts, I described my train trips from Denver to Chicago and back last month.   Would I recommend travelling by Amtrak?   I can’t give you a definite yes or no because it depends on several factors. With the exception of the high-speed Acela service between Washington, DC and Boston, I don’t recommend Amtrak if you need to arrive at your destination on-time or only slightly late.   Of course, the same could be said of flying, couldn’t it? I also suggest you avoid Amtrak for overnight trips in coach class.   Unless you are able to sleep in uncomfortable circumstances, you are not going to get a good night’s sleep in an Amtrak coach seat.   I certainly didn’t! But how about a first-class roomette or bedroom accommodation on the train?   Be prepared to pay luxury hotel rates for your room and meals.   But what you get from Amtrak is comfortable but not luxurious.   Personally, I don’t think it's worth the price.   ...
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13 August 2025: Riding the Rails from Denver to Chicago – Part 2

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Story and photos by Will Mahoney   I awoke around 6:20AM as it was getting light.   The lush agricultural land and scattered woodlands passing my window reminded me that I was now far from Colorado.   I checked Google Maps on my phone and saw that the little blue dot marking our progress was now nearing Gretna in eastern Nebraska.   Downtown Omaha in the early morning light viewed from the Amtrak station.   At 7:00, we made a brief stop in Omaha.   Instead of immediately heading east across the Missouri River and into Iowa, the train headed south 20 miles to Plattsmouth, Nebraska where it finally crossed the Missouri.   South of Omaha, the Zephyr crossed the Platte River just above its confluence with the Missouri.    The logical route for Amtrak across Iowa from Omaha would cross the center of the state, serving Des Moines (the state capital, population 215,000), Iowa City (76,000, home of the University of Iowa), and the Quad Cities (Incl...
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2024 Antigua Photo Gallery

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I didn’t take very many photos in Antigua as I already have dozens in my files from the two weeks I spent there in 2014.   This time, during my last few days in Antigua, I shot some pix which focused less on the standard tourist attractions and more on my impressions of life in the city.   Some of the better ones (with annotations) are below. I’ll have one more post in a couple days – it’s a “guest post” from a reader discussing his experiences on a trip to China which I hope you will find interesting. After that, I’ve been encouraged by all the positive feedback I’ve received from readers.   Therefore, The Wandering Geographer would like to do some more international travel to provide fodder for my “pen” and camera.   I don’t have any specific plans yet but I might like to focus on environmental themes.   This blog (and other three that you can access by clicking on VISIT PROFILE on the left side of the page under my photo and name) is not a profit-making...
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