Ukraine is nobody’s paradise, but nor should it be dismissed as colourless or uninspiring, as many of its visitors do. In the north-west of the central part of Kiev there is a district called Lukyanivska, where I lived for a year soon after arriving in the city. From the balcony of my apartment I could see the onion-shaped golden domes of a Russian Orthodox Cathedral in the distance. I never visited it until, returning to my old neighbourhood one winter morning, another sight of the domes through a gap in some buildings peaked my curiosity.

Like so many 80-mile Long Island, Bahamas has a rough side and a calm side. One side has the dramatic cliffs and caves of the east coast that front the crashing Atlantic waves. The west side has soft, sandy beaches that lead into the Bahamas Bank.

The start of the 7th Leg of the Volvo Ocean Race in Boston.

While this is no doubt true, El Salvador is also marred with poverty and suffering. Child labor is prevalent, as many young children need to go to work in order to survive, and often provide for their families.

Noosa Heads is a cosmopolitan coastal town on the southern shore of Luguna Bay, located on the Northern end of Queensland’s Sunshine Coast approximately one hour’s drive north of Brisbane. It is a vacationer’s paradise with beautiful sandy beaches, turquoise blue water, parks, and surf shops.

When looking for a beer in the Windward Islands, the choices are not as abundant as they are in the beer aisle up north. In the Windwards, the choices are boiled down to two types of beer: lagers/pilsners (like Budweiser or Labatt’s) or Stouts (like Guinness). This may seem strange to someone coming from the land of micro-brews and the marketing great invention “Dry” beer, but this is the land of the Pina Colada and Daiquiri; it is my guess that beer is not as big a concern (neither is wine, but that is for another time) as rum. Being very adventurous in all forms of barley and hop-type beverages, I looked forward to trying every beer available to me.