[sphinx]

Adventure tourism was never an itch I needed to scratch, but I kinda, sorta understand the appeal. A couple of my cousins, when they were much younger, got out to some quite remarkable places. I choose my friends more carefully than I choose my cousins, and my friends have more sense (although some had some exotic deployments in the military or State Department).

If you think Trump talks tough about the 'stans, you should hear the State guys -- worker bees, not the politicos and aspiring ambassadors, who are suckup artists -- talk when they're off duty with no snitches around.

The world has gotten a lot more dangerous for Western travellers in the past 20 years. The predators have lost their fear of retribution.

[Capt. Tom]

The world has gotten a lot more dangerous for Western travellers in the past 20 years. The predators have lost their fear of retribution.

The prospect of a heavenly reward for killing us Kafirs outweighs any fear of worldly retributions. - Tom