The story of the Karukaya, wandering the Kongobuji & Danjo Garan and spending the night in a shukubo The hall is now preserved as a hermitage where father and son practiced asceticism together for over forty years. I stop at Karukayado (the Hall of Karukaya). The Karukaya is a story of a boy called Ishidomaru who came to Koya-san in order to meet his father. The boy met a monk, who was in fact his father, but, as the monk had renounced … [Read more...]
Hiking and Hot Springs in the Rockies
This spring, I was invited to visit rural Marble in Colorado and experience the great American outdoors. Growing up and working in cities all my life, I had never been on a hiking holiday before and Colorado was going to be my introduction to the American outdoors. I flew into Denver, Colorado before driving to Marble, a 4-hour drive away. A friend had a family holiday home there on the outskirts of Marble where they had been visiting since he … [Read more...]
All The Tea In Victoria, British Columbia
The history of tea drinking spans thousands of years and crosses many continents. If you didn’t know Victoria, British Columbia had a thriving tea culture, get ready to sip it in. This gorgeous city on Vancouver Island’s southern coast is as tethered to tea as peanut butter is to jelly. The island’s First Nations people have utilized the native plants and berries that grow here so prolifically to make freshly foraged medicinal teas for … [Read more...]
Scandinavian Cruise to the Baltic Capitals
A Scandinavian cruise to the Baltic Capitals sat on our travel list for several years, while easier and less expensive trips took precedence. For us to set sail towards our Viking roots, we needed a big occasion—like a 50th birthday. I think of 50 as an easy going innocuous number. It’s neutral (fifty/fifty), romantic (Fifty First Dates), and even sexy (Fifty Shades of Grey). But for my husband, 50 conjured dark and disturbing … [Read more...]
Where’s the Steering Wheel? Driving Off the Map
Many years ago, I was a passenger in a ’57 Chevy driven by a maniacal friend. The steering wheel came off in his hands while he was making a turn—and he laughed. Though it seemed unlikely then (particularly because I thought survival was dubious), that wheelessness was a benchmark for unusual driving experiences to come, many of which produced the same sensation of bewilderment, shock and terror. Filter in the unsettling elements of … [Read more...]
Going Green: Alaska Ecotourism
There is a rush to Alaska. In 1898 the stampede was for gold. Today visitors are heading to the 49th state seeking the ultimate wilderness experiences in a land filled with superlatives. Alaska is the largest and western-most state. It has the longest days, the biggest fish, the longest coastline, and the most extensive wilderness (53 percent). The challenge is how to balance over two million visitors a year with conservation ethics, … [Read more...]
Not your regular old haunts: five incredibly spooky spots around the world
For aficionados of ghost-hunting and paranormal activity, here’s a short list of destinations you should visit next. Stories of haunted locations are often met with varying reactions. Naturally, some are skeptical, while others are more accepting of the different sightings and tales, which have come from practically every country on earth. Ghosts and hauntings have been a popular topic in human history. The idea that the dead maintain a … [Read more...]
Penang – An Embodiment of Creative Disruption
George Town, Penang Much like the street art and street (“hawker”) food that seem to serve as the first definition of modern day Penang, the city is one that is best experienced through the senses. Though the city is still trying to create an identity for itself after it was stripped of such comfort during WWII, it is using vibrant, creative solutions to tell its history, share its beauty and humor, and redevelop itself as Malaysia’s thriving … [Read more...]
Four Seasons in Two Days at Yosemite
This was our first time in Yosemite. And we were told that Spring is an ideal time to visit - with the mighty waterfalls filled to the brim by the melting snow and the abundance of wildlife this time of year. We assumed the days would be filled with sunshine (warm at lower elevations) but cooler at higher elevations with the the tops of the mountains still covered with snow. However we soon discovered that the weather this time of year in … [Read more...]
Istanbul Travel Tips even for the Experienced Traveler
, I sometimes go there just to roam the streets, take pictures, eat the traditional food and talk to the locals. It is possibly my favorite city of all that I have visited. I really could have benefitted from some Istanbul travel tips before I went the first time. I learned to do my research. The first time I went to Istanbul I felt an energy as soon as I left the airport. I believe a city is a living, breathing, ever changing organism. … [Read more...]
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