Archives

Sweet As. It’s Kiwi slang, and I return to the South Island to find out what it means. Is it the wine, food, and dolphins in Marlborough? Or the extreme gonzo action of canyon swinging, bungy jumping and skydiving in Queenstown? From mansions to car eating parrots, join me on a road trip on the South Island, where we always aim for possums.

READ the REPORT:
SEE the GALLERY:
or
WATCH the HD MOVIES: The Road Trip / Extreme Gonzo Action

Meanwhile:
- Matador Travel Network’s Portrait of a Travel Writer features a familiar face, although I’m not sure about that beard…
- Westworld Magazine call me the Father of Modern Journey-ism, in this terrific profile that starts off with: “I Hate Robin Esrock.” Me too! Flip to page 19.
- It is Better to go All Inclusive, or Travel on your Own? What are the Sporting Events to See Before you Die? Check out my new columns on Sympatico.ca
- Yes, that’s me sledding down an active volcano for my Thrillseeker column in the latest issue of Outpost Magazine.
- Catch me in Word Travels on CityTV and OLN in Canada, or Nat Geo Adventure in Australia, the Middle East, the Caribbean, most of Asia and North Africa too! In Canada, you can finally watch full episodes online by visiting oln.ca and clicking on the Word Travels tab!

It’s going to be a very big 2010, and I’m opening it with a cracker at the Carnival in Brazil. Wherever you find yourself this festive season, travel safe, open your heart, and relish the world we have.

Robin

What goes around doesn’t exactly come around, as my return to Italy, 18 years later, takes place in the cockpit of a Lamborghini and Ferrari rather than a tour bus. In Modena I visit the Cradle of the Engine, with time out to learn about traditional Balsamic Vinegar, the other black gold. Sooner or later, the dream trip finds its dream machines.

Strap Yourself in for the Report
Race to the Photo Gallery

In Other News:

Where to Find the World’s Most Beautiful Women (hoo boy, did I get a lot of heat for this one)
My Top 10 Most Striking Landscapes
9 Destinations Kind To Your Budget

Santa sends his regards from the Arctic Circle, and although I tried, I just could not
convince the Russian Space Federation to blast me into space as the world’s first
off-world travel writer. But new adventures await next month in Chile, and first time
visits to Barbados and Ecuador.
Season 2 of Word Travels starts Sept 7 on Nat Geo Adventure,
with repeats airing on OLN in Canada.
If you’ve always wanted to know more about me, you can
now visit www.robinesrock.com

My next update comes to you from Portugal, where
I really take the bull by the horns.

Pedal to the Metal,
Robin

Just when you thought it was safe…a New Report!

Not to be confused with the other Georgia, this Trans-Caucasian country has a rich medieval history, and I literally wore it. Learning from warriors in 200 year old uniforms, toasting their sweet traditional wine, getting soaked and scrubbed in an ancient bathhouse - the past, present and future clash swords in Tbilisi, and the ring sounds true.

Canada Day was July 1st, and to celebrate with my new-found countrymen and women, check out:
My Love Letter to Canada, especially the amazing comments at the bottom!
12 Things to Do in Canada Before You Die
The Canadian lovefest continues, as I compare Canada to other countries in my latest Chill Magazine column

And if you’re thinking about learning a new language, and have heard about the Rosetta Stone language software, here’s how it translated for me.

In the latest Outpost Magazine, you can read my column about canyoneering (dangling like a tick on a piece of dental floss) in Costa Rica. The second season of Word Travels starts on Nat Geo Adventure worldwide on September 7th, so those folks in Italy, Dubai, Australia, India and China can finally get to watch all the craziness I got up to last summer (as opposed to reading about it here). Meanwhile, Brave New Traveler has posted some fantastic Behind the Scenes photos from Word Travels in Georgia, Italy and Portugal, because its founder Ian Mackenzie joined us on the road!

I’m off to Finland and Russia, where I hope to learn about sauna and space tourism right at the source, but the next report will is about Italy, where I had the ridiculous opportunity to visit the Lamborghini and Ferrari headquarters on the same day, and race around in jawdropping 324 km/hr super cars! In the meantime, you’re always welcome to follow me on Facebook and Twitter. Any wikiheads out there? Visit out my wiki entry, and feel free to add to it with truth and other lies.

Yours perpetually in motion
Robin

A New Report!

“I was drinking rum at a bar after sandboarding down an active volcano for the second time, as one does, and decided it was the perfect time to reflect on real-estate, backpacker trends, eco-tourism, and the ethics behind Poverty Tourism. See-sawing between crater lakes, volcanoes, fun and despair, Nicaragua remains off the beaten path, but not probably not for much longer.”

As always, you can Read the Report
As always, you can See the Photos

In Other News:
This update comes to you from Tbilisi, where I’m getting my medieval warrior on in the shadow of a 4th century fort. That’s a story for next time, but in the meantime, I DARE you to read my Sympatico MSN column about the World’s Grossest Food. You can also see how I dealt with my Nicaragua dilemma, in a more serious column I call Human Zoos vs Poverty Tourism. Or, for lighter fodder, my picks for the Best Islands in the World. And here’s some tips for travelling in China.

We’re 3 episodes into filming the third season of Word Travels, and judging by the crazy adventures so far, it’s going to be the best one yet. My Tweet will keep you updated on the daily progress, and I’ll post some behind the scenes photos to my Facebook for those who just can’t wait for the Modern Gonzo updates.

Ah, modern technology. As I make my way through the world yet again (humbled as ever) feel free to join the ride.

Robin