gdp's Comments

WanderLearn with Francis Tapon : Why Mauritius Is My Favorite African Country | Africa | Travels

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 07:41:57 +0000

Mike, you're right, the French have had an immense impact on Mauritius! Here's a section of my upcoming book, "The Unseen Africa": Mauritius didn’t become a paradise because it was never colonized. On the contrary, before its independence in 1968, this island had been passed around more than a marijuana joint at a reggae concert. Arabs knew of the island in the 10th century. The Portuguese checked it out in the 1500s. In the 1600s, the Dutch named it after Prince Maurits of Nassau and ruled for over 100 years, bringing enslaved Malagasies with them. The French conducted extensive colonization for nearly 100 years, importing thousands of East African slaves. Finally, in 1810, the British seized Mauritius and ruled for 158 years, until Mauritius gained independence. In 1835, Mauritius became the last British colony to abolish slavery, freeing 66,343 people. Stingy sugar plantation owners found a workaround: import indentured Indian labor whose wage was half of what the newly freed slaves demanded. Over nearly 100 years, Brits brought 453,063 Indians, more than any other British colony. This is why Mauritius is the love child of Africa and India—with a French accent.

WanderLearn with Francis Tapon : Finland

Sat, 2 Aug 2025 05:00:52 +0000

You're right. I need a life. However, it is essential to recognize that Eastern Europe has a wide range of standards of living and GDP. Estonia, Poland, Czechia, and Hungary are all well above Moldova and Kosovo, despite being located in Eastern Europe. Similarly, Western Europe has a wide range. Compare Switzerland with Portugal, for example. Pick any region (or country) and you'll find a wide range of standards of living (Alabama vs. New York). That doesn't mean Finland isn't geographically in Eastern Europe. Yes, culturally, historically, and economically, it's in a different league, but I am focusing on geography.

WanderLearn with Francis Tapon : 14 Amazing Maps From The \'New Views\' book by Alastair Bonnett

Sun, 18 Feb 2024 14:22:57 +0000

Sorry, I do not have it without the text overlay.

WanderLearn with Francis Tapon : Defending American Culture | Western Europe | Travels | Francis Tapon

Fri, 4 Aug 2023 22:45:10 +0000

Hal, Thank you for adding unique perspectives to this discussion!

WanderLearn with Francis Tapon : 10 Reasons to Go Hiking and Backpacking with an Umbrella | Advice | Travels

Wed, 7 Jun 2023 17:09:23 +0000

Yes, if you're using a metal umbrella. However, the Gossamer Gear umbrella I recommend is made of a fiberglass and plastic frame, meaning it's storm-safe. https://www.gossamergear.com/products/liteflex-hi...

WanderLearn with Francis Tapon : Earth\'s History Compressed in One Year | Continental Divide Trail | Travels | Francis Tapon

Tue, 9 May 2023 22:40:18 +0000

Mike, I like your curious mind! You ask excellent questions and it's fabulous that you're skeptical - that's a sign of a scientific mind! To answer your 4 questions convincingly, one needs to write a lot of words. A couple of sentences won't convince a skeptic. Therefore, I highly recommend you read this book by Richard Dawkins: https://amzn.to/3BaF2q7 Here are 2 videos that gives you a hint about your fish-out-of-water question: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAQuoH_fOWM and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWyLtYrTLYo

WanderLearn with Francis Tapon : Hiking Across Madagascar | Africa | Travels

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 14:49:50 +0000

Yes! I'd like to call it Mudagascar! Lots of mud on the east side of the island! A dear friend named Holly met us along the way. She died of lung cancer a couple of years later. :(

WanderLearn with Francis Tapon : Defining Sub-Saharan Africa And The Countries In It | Africa | Travels

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 09:41:43 +0000

Great! So how would you like to name the region south of the Sahara?

WanderLearn with Francis Tapon : Brittany Longoria Explains Her Controversial Leopard Photo

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 21:35:19 +0000

August, did you listen to the podcast? Given your questions, it seems that you have not since she addressed them in the podcast. Start by listening. Forgive me for assuming that you're not a vegan & you financially support the torture and execution of all the animals you eat. Most animal eaters don't realize how much harm they inflict on innocent creatures. Still, they wail when an old leopard, which is no longer reproducing and will die a natural (and probably miserable) death in a couple of years, is killed. Also, we all waste money on stupid things instead of giving it to charity. We're all guilty of that.

WanderLearn with Francis Tapon : Brittany Longoria Explains Her Controversial Leopard Photo

Thu, 15 Dec 2022 14:10:44 +0000

Yes, that would happen if we applied hunting logic to humans (and if we assume that killing old humans earns a substantial trophy fee). People who eat animals or animal products (99% of the population) must wrestle with a similar dilemma because their actions support the mass torture and slaughter of billions of animals.

WanderLearn with Francis Tapon : Defending American Ignorance | Western Europe | Travels | Francis Tapon

Sun, 11 Dec 2022 08:30:21 +0000

Cee, as my article states, I agree that Americans are, on average, more ignorant about world affairs/geography than the average European. The point of my article is that the difference is not that great and can be primarily explained by the fact that the USA is geographically large. I am a French citizen & went to a French school until 15 years old. I agree that European education is more global than USA education. However, the difference is not dramatic. I just returned from a trip to Thailand, and a Thai who lived in France for 7 years was always surprised by how few French knew where Thailand was. I dislike anecdotal evidence, which is why we shouldn't put too much importance about the stories of a Thai person just like your "one American woman" story is not conclusive proof of your point. However, this survey is more scientific than random stories: https://www.express.co.uk/travel/articles/844819/... The average UK resident scored 65% correct, whereas the average US resident scored 49% correct. This proves my point that Europeans have better geographical knowledge, but not MUCH better. And realize that the quiz was testing EUROPEAN geography, not world geography.

WanderLearn with Francis Tapon : Defending American Ignorance | Western Europe | Travels | Francis Tapon

Sun, 4 Dec 2022 02:13:46 +0000

Susanna, presumably, in a nation "of 332 million people take into account all the different backgrounds, experiences and local cultures," you might see a somewhat more outward-facing country rather than a homogenous one, like China (95% Han).

WanderLearn with Francis Tapon : The Smartest Guy In Cameroon - Africa\'s Einstein

Thu, 29 Sep 2022 12:03:51 +0000

The purpose of the write-up is to give enough info to listen to the podcast where you can be convinced. What would have made the write-up more convincing?

WanderLearn with Francis Tapon : \'Black Brain, White Brain\' - a brainless book by Gavin Evans | Reviews | Work

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 09:35:37 +0000

The problem with your strawman argument is that you see things in a binary way: black or white. You think: White = Intelligent = Rich The reality is that intelligence and wealth are separate issues and are each plotted on their bell curve; they are no binary. Whites on the low end of the intelligence bell curve can be stupid. Whites on the low end of the wealth bell curve can be poor. Similarly: Blacks on the high end of the intelligence bell curve can be geniuses. Blacks on the high end of the wealth bell curve can be rich. So you're oversimplifying a complex & nuanced issue. We're talking about where the average for each bell curve is and where people of different races lie on those bell curves and why. Usually, when people are quick to fling the "racist" insult, they do so when their counterarguments are weak. You're a case in point.

WanderLearn with Francis Tapon : Defending American Ignorance | Western Europe | Travels | Francis Tapon

Tue, 13 Sep 2022 09:15:56 +0000

Mikael, You wrote, "An equal comparison would be to compare different states of federal Germany to different US states." I disagree. As I wrote in my article, a fair comparison involves comparing territories of similar size. Germany has a similar size as Montana. Therefore, Thuringen, Niedersachsen or Baden-Wurttemberg are similar to Montana's Chouteau, Fallon, and Wibaux counties. Chouteau, Fallon, and Wibaux are territories within Montana that are about the same size as Thuringen, Niedersachsen, or Baden-Wurttemberg. I bet that the percentage of Europeans who could find California, Texas, and New York on a map is similar to the percentage of US citizens who could find Germany, France, and Italy on a map. Compare apples to apples, please.

WanderLearn with Francis Tapon : High Pyrenees to the Atlantic Ocean | Spain Trails | Travels | Francis Tapon

Sat, 4 Jun 2022 10:08:26 +0000

Yes, I would recommend the Primitivo route for a 67-year-old because it's far easier than the Pyrenees, and yet it still poses a challenge. Plenty of huts litter the trail and the views are great. See more at https://ftapon.com/spain

WanderLearn with Francis Tapon : High Pyrenees to the Atlantic Ocean | Spain Trails | Travels | Francis Tapon

Sat, 4 Jun 2022 10:06:11 +0000

Judy, I understand you, but risk-taking is relative. Someone with little experience can go with a bunch of gear, maps, and GPS, but makes a silly error that dooms them. Meanwhile, someone who has backpacked 50,000 km (like I have) can go to the same place with minimal gear and be safer. Perhaps I should list my hiking resume at the start of this article and say, "Don't try this at home!"

WanderLearn with Francis Tapon : History Of Tattoos In Africa | Africa | Travels

Sun, 22 May 2022 09:34:33 +0000

"There are tattoo artists who specialize in color on dark skin"???? REALLY!?!?? I would have never guessed that, having written an article about Sub-Saharans who give themselves tattoos. LMAO! And I didn't "discourage" my wife from getting a tattoo. I encouraged her to look at many photos of tattoos on dark skin. After she did that, she changed her mind. If you think she should have gotten a tattoo anyway, too bad. She doesn't give a shit about your opinion... or mine. Lastly, you left out the "LMAO" that the other commenter made after he wrote, "Dude said "blacks" ew..... very dehumanizing lmao." The LMAO indicates that he was being facetious, but you that's hard for you to process since you seem to take everything too seriously. LMAO!

WanderLearn with Francis Tapon : 10 Reasons to Go Hiking and Backpacking with an Umbrella | Advice | Travels | Francis Tapon

Sat, 30 Apr 2022 12:18:31 +0000

I haven't tried the Blunt. Although it looks promising, it weighs 385g, which is more than twice as heavy as the Gossamer Gear umbrella I recommend.

WanderLearn with Francis Tapon : 8 Flaws in Bitcoin\'s Stock-to-Flow Model Will Doom It

Thu, 31 Mar 2022 20:55:12 +0000

We have inflation and we may even have high (double-digit) inflation at some point. But the USD will not have hyperinflation, which means 1000% or more per year. That doesn't happen to world reserve currencies, ever. But we don't need hyperinflation for bitcoin to displace the USD. Double-digit inflation could be all that is needed!