Green Global Travel

GLOBAL CUISINE: Jordanian Mansaf Recipe

Published September 25, 2012 |

Massive Mansaf Platter at Jordan’s Al Qantarah Restaurant

Jordanian Mansaf Recipe

Want to know a way to instantly endear yourself to anyone you happen to meet in Jordan? Just mention Mansaf, the country’s official National Dish.

Our guide, Ali Abudayeh, had been tantalizing our taste buds for the better part of a week with tales of this traditional Jordanian food. Mary and I love lamb, so the combination of lamb, rice, almonds and fermented yogurt sounded incredibly appetizing.

We finally got a chance to try it the day after our visit to Petra, when Ali and our driver, Rami Remawi, took us for a special lunch at Al Qantarah Restaurant. The look of anticipatory delight in their eyes indicated we were in for a serious treat, and the dish did not disappoint. Rami seemed to take great pleasure in pouring the fermented yogurt over the platter (we even drank some from wine glasses afterwards!), and showed us the method of eating it by rolling pieces of lamb and rice into a gooey ball, then gobbling it down.

Ali was gracious enough to share this traditional recipe, which has been passed down for generations:

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Posted in Cuisine, Global Culture, Middle East |

7 Comments

PANAMA Photos- Glamping, Fishing, Dolphins & Rainbows

Published September 21, 2012 |

By Bret and Mary

Our Private Plane to Islas Secas!

Panama Photos

Glamping, Fishing, Dolphins & Rainbows

I’d been wanting to Visit Panama for years, ever since I was assigned to do a research-based story on its ecotourism offerings for an airline magazine in 2009. Needless to say, I was extremely excited when we received a press trip invite from Islas Secas, an eco-resort located 25 miles off the country’s southern coast. To get there, we took a 90-minute chartered flight out of Panama City, which was our first time ever flying in an 8-passenger Cessna. Other than the pilots, we were the only people on the plane, so we felt a bit like celebrities as we got a bird’s eye view of the country!

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Posted in Central America, Featured, Photo Galleries |

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The Country of Jordan, the Middle East & Our Culture of Fear

Published September 19, 2012 |

By Bret and Mary

Sharing Bedouin Tea in Jordan's Dana Biosphere Reserve

Sharing Bedouin Tea with guide Mohammed Difalla and shepherd Muhammad Aoran in Dana Biosphere Reserve

The Country of Jordan, the Middle East & Our Culture of Fear

“Shukran.” If there’s one Arabic word you absolutely must learn before visiting Jordan, this is it. It means “thank you,” and it will come in handy dozens of times every day, because the Jordanians are an EXTREMELY generous people.

We learned the word (and so much more) from our exceptional guide, Ali Abudayeh, on our first day in the country. Ali, a charmingly laid-back 20-something from the town of Az Zarqa, would always respond to our gratitude with a warm smile, saying “You are most welcome.” Which, in our experience, could very well be Jordan’s official tourism slogan.

In the travel business, Jordan is renowned for its forward-thinking social media strategies and eagerness to work with bloggers. But, to those outside our sphere, it’s just another country in the Middle East– a region the corporate news media frequently portrays as hostile, fraught with turmoil and violently opposed to Western culture in general and America in particular.

When we announced we were heading there, we received numerous messages from friends and family concerned that we were putting ourselves in an inherently dangerous situation. But, after 10 days in Jordan (many of which were spent very near the borders of countries such as Syria, Iraq, Egypt and Saudi Arabia), I can honestly say that I felt safer and more welcomed there than I often do back home in America.

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Posted in destinations, Middle East |

53 Comments

INTERVIEW: Defenders Of Wildlife Wolf Conservation Expert Suzanne Stone

Published September 17, 2012 |

By Bret and Mary

Defenders Of Wildlife Wolf Expert Suzanne Stone

On U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Ending Protection for Wolves

Human-wolf relations have changed a lot over the course of America’s history, from the spiritual reverence of early Native American indians to the fear-based reactions of European settlers that resulted in hundreds of thousands of wolves being killed.

On the verge of extinction, wolves were one of the first animals protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, and a wolf reintroduction program under the Clinton Administration in the mid-’90s brought the majestic predator back to Yellowstone National Park for the first time in decades. But with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service lifting protection for wolves in Wyoming two weeks ago, the future of the species in the American west is currently in serious jeopardy.

We spoke with wolf conservation expert Suzanne Stone, from the non-profit Defenders Of Wildlife, to find out why the USFWS changed its previous ruling on wolves, why humans continually demonize the species, and what’s currently being done to protect them.

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Posted in Featured, Interviews |

23 Comments

The 10 Best Waterfalls for Your World Travel Bucket List

Published September 16, 2012 |

By Bret and Mary

Victoria Falls

The 10 Best Waterfalls for Your World Travel Bucket List

In the North Georgia city of Dawsonville, there’s a relaxing lil’ haven called Amicalola Falls State Park. While it offers no “World’s Biggest…” superlatives, it does pride itself on being an extremely popular place for hikers. But even with its wonderful 175-foot drop, we know of at least 10 other waterfalls around the world that far surpass it in beauty. (Sorry, Niagara, but you’re not one of them.) These natural wonders may not all be the tallest or the widest; they’re simply the 10 Best Waterfalls you should have on your world travel bucket list.

VICTORIA FALLS (Zambia & Zimbabwe)

If you calculate quality by height and width, this African marvel is the greatest single sheet of flowing water in the world. The spectacular drop, which hits 344 feet at its center, is so massive that it’s actually surrounded by two national parks, Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park in Zambia and Victoria Falls National Park in Zimbabwe.