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It's been quiet here in Road Wisdom land, but it's the silence of distant places rather than the silence of inactivity that has fallen over my blog...

I've been on the road these past couple months. Exploring the rugged interior of New Caledonia in the South Pacific. Navigating the hectic city streets of Tokyo, and the quieter corners of northern Honshu. And more recently in the US -- the farthest steamy south at Key West, and then across the continent to Seattle to see The Church and hang with Steve Kilbey.

I've got a lot of new material for you: new adventures, new book reviews, new music, and new deep philosophical thoughts. And we'll get to it all in good time. But we've gotta start somewhere. Why don't we go for a walk to set the mood?

Let's begin with Tokyo...

How'd you like to join me for the day? We'll check out a couple places I've never been before. We'll stroll through history in the centre of the city at Hama-rikyu gardens -- the Edo period Shogun Ienobu's private retreat. We'll window shop the glittering streets of Ginza, Tokyo's 5th Avenue. And we'll wind it all up in the pulsing neon 22nd Century Shibuya night.

I just picked up a new camera in Narita. The weather's rather warm for December. Grab a light jacket and let's go. It should be a fun time...

Ahh, Tokyo. It's one of my favourite world cities. There's always something new to discover, and a new adventure around every corner...

I'm still drifting through Central American memories, looking at my life 10 short years ago...

The present has rippled and the past intervened. It's leaking through the walls of this cold northern room, and all those feelings are coming back with it.

This is from Chapter 4 of Vagabond Dreams. It's about traveling alone, and that first time you set out on the road.

My recent visit to Panama City has left me drifting 10 years in the past...

I'd like to share with you a reading of something I wrote at that time.  It was my first real trip. I was alone and disoriented, in a place where I didn't speak the language. I didn't really know why I was there or what I should do. I only knew I had to go. 

Those of you who have followed such impulses know how deeply that first trip will change you. After traveling the length of Central America, nothing ever looked the same again. I could never go back to the life I'd left behind. 

I wrote this passage during lonely nights in a windowless room. It describes my first glimpse of the city, and of the disorientation I felt.

This is from Chapter 4 of Vagabond Dreams. It's the first time I've shared an actual passage from the book that isn't an "outtake" or a "deleted scene." I hope you enjoy it.

Just got back from my first trip to Las Vegas.

Yeah, it's weird eh? I've been to Mongolia but never Vegas.

Am I the only one to go there and not set foot in a Casino, club or The Strip?

What the heck did I get up to?

On the outskirts of Sin City, among the red rocks and the ghosts of broken dreams, I filmed a couple programs for my health and fitness website. I also put together this little video blog for you. Hope ya like it!

Is there a specific place that resonates with you? Please post it below. What's your personal landscape?

I received a lot of emails about my previous blog installment on the Pan American Clipper and the golden age of air travel. Many of you would have liked a taste of that bygone age -- so I'm going to give you one. A little bit of history, right here in your glass...

A lot of drinking goes on in the air these days, but it's become nothing more than a way to knock yourself out on long haul fights. Plastic cups stuffed full of ice, little bottles of major brand liquor, and a can of soda, or god forbid some horrible pre-made mix. This dose of oblivion is sloshed together by a bored steward with a plastic food service cart. And more often than not, they have no idea how to mix a proper drink.

It wasn't always like this.

There once was a time when cocktails were a ritual. A toast to end the day. A way to unwind and shift into "home" gear after the hard slog of the office. An ice cold icebreaker for every possible social occasion.

In the early days of aviation, that ritual inevitably took to the skies. And when the height of luxury was represented by Pan Am's fleet of flying boats, this ritual took place with clockwork regularity in a dedicated cocktail lounge.

Clipper flights between Miami and Havana even featured their very own signature drink, mixed with ceremony and respect in a silver shaker.

Here's how you can shake up your own taste of history. For my first Road Wisdom video blog, I present a tutorial on the Clipper Cocktail:

Here are the measurements again, for your convenience:

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

I invite you to raise a toast with me: To the golden age of air travel!

And please remember to drink it cold...