Warren R. Henke's Blog

As a white male, I am beyond clueless as to how oppression feels. I can only imagine the shackles of racism and misogyny because I have never, nor will ever, experience them. I watch movies, read stories, and sympathize, but I can never really know the fear, harassment, or injustices experienced by those living every day in a nation that promises equality, yet delivers prejudice.

Metallica rocked Seattle on August 9, 2017. I was right up front for an experience in the Snake Pit that I still can't quite believe happened. I stood, at times, inches from James Hetfield and Robert Trujillo while they performed live for a packed Century Link arena. Read on for pictures, video, and a recap of a night never to be forgotten. All pictures and short video clips were taken with my iPhone.

Before you say, "I'll never read a book on my phone," read what I have to say. I'll even give you some free eBooks to test. I'm converting my short stories to ePub eBooks and you can download them for free. I'll explain how to do it. It's easy. Try it out. I think you'll like it.

Our journey home. Can an empty water bottle get me thrown into a Panamanian jail? Maybe. Read on to find out...

On our final day in Costa Rica was spent soaking in hot springs. We learn an important lesson the hard way. Almost every travel tip says do not drive in Costa Rica at night. Read on if you'd like to know why...

Hot Springs surround the Arenal volcano in Costa Rica. As one of the world's most active volcanoes, it has often spouted lava and rumbled throughout the night (something I hoped to experience). Our scenic mountain drive through coffee fields and villages is a great lead-up to our stay at The Springs, a luxury hot Spring Resort in the shadow of the giant, lava-covered peak. Read on for details and pictures...

Nito leaves without us, and we wait for better weather so a plane can land to fly us out. There are no guarantees, and we could spend days at Sirena if the clouds don't lift. Another family is ahead of us in line. They were supposed to leave yesterday.

The Corcovado exceeds our expectations: rodents, animals, birds, insects, critters, plants, formations, trees, lizards, flowers, sharks, spider monkeys, howler monkeys, squirrel monkeys, capuchin monkeys—the day is packed with jungle life. Well, except maybe the sharks. Maybe. You decide.

Plenty of drama on the deserted, fantasy-like beaches of the Corcovado. I almost kill my brother. My wife projectile vomits over six feet, which I think is a world record. And I nearly slice off the back of my foot as we trek fourteen miles through the most bio-diverse place on the planet (according to National Geographic). Crocodiles, monkeys, parrots, wild pigs, and a rescue operation to save twelve baby turtles. All on the first day of our three-day Corcovado adventure.

We drive to southern Costa Rica in preparation for our Corcovado adventure. We drive over a crocodile. A member of our group is cranky.