“I want to live in ONLY places where I can wear a pink wig.” These were the heart felt, love stricken words of my friend in love with the way Amsterdam made her feel. So far I have been to two cities that made me feel magic in the air. One is San Francisco where I have lived since I left home at 18; and the other is Amsterdam. There is something about the air there that makes you want to stay and never go home. I remember as a kid whenever … [Read more...]
Bucket Shop Blues
Daring to save deflationary dollars during a worldwide recession, John M. Edwards tries a risky “bucket shop” for cheapo airfare to Amsterdam, ending up on a white-knuckles chariot charter flight from hell. . . . For the umpteenth time I must reiterate: It is now high time to cash in and use up all those Frequent Flyer Miles. But with a worldwide economic disaster grounding us with nightmare worries about the future and egregious … [Read more...]
Café Hopping in the Hot Spots of Indonesia
I went out to get a cup of java in Java and ended up on an infernal coffee odyssey through the Indonesian archipelago. Stretching out like a Komodo Dragon some 6,400 kilometers across the Ring of Fire, from the coffee plantations and wild orangutans of Sumatra to the primary rainforests and decorative penis gourds of Irian Jaya, Indonesia is the ideal launching pad to crash land into some of the most dramatic sights in Southeast Asia. … [Read more...]
Amsterdam’s Top Cultural Attractions
Amsterdam is rapidly regaining its status as a top tourist destination in the world. In the early years of the nineteenth century, Amsterdam was regarded as the top city to visit in Europe, an achievement that the city has been struggling to attain in the past few years. The robust efforts placed by the Government and other private corporations have seen a rise in the number of visitors to this great Dutch city in the past few years. Being … [Read more...]
Delta Launches Los Angeles to San Francisco Shuttle
Hourly shuttle service offers shorter check-in windows, unique snack offerings by LYFE Kitchen ATLANTA, Aug 1, 2013 – Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) will begin hourly, nonstop Delta Shuttle service between Los Angeles and San Francisco International airports on Sept. 3, 2013. The Delta Shuttle introduces 14 daily flights and a product tailored to business travelers while adding a California perspective to its popular New York-based … [Read more...]
Sightseeing in New York City
New York City is a place like no other. Rich in culture and buzzing with life, it’s the perfect holiday destination. Highlights include the Empire State Building, Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street and Greenwich Village. However, if tourists are to make the most of their adventures in this metropolis, they need to do some planning. No trip to the Big Apple is complete without taking in the awe-inspiring and iconic Statue of … [Read more...]
Jamaica: Where Jerk is a Good Thing
Jerk Trail and Jerk Festival Offer Visitors Unique Ways to Sample Island Spice KINGSTON, JAMAICA (June 11, 2013) – Jamaica is known for several distinct flavors, but jerk truly sets it apart. Jamaican jerk is world famous and can now be found in cities across the globe. But the best place to taste it is always at the source. Jerk is a style of cooking (native to Jamaica), in which meats are rubbed with a spice rub made from allspice … [Read more...]
Tulip Time on Holland and Belgium Waterways
Millions of flowering tulips in a myriad of colors can be enjoyed in a spectacular setting at Keukenhof Gardens in Amsterdam, but check your calendar because this dazzling display can only be seen in the spring during late March and April in Holland. A delightful excursion into this cornucopia of colors is made easy by riverboat. My husband and I recently returned from a “Tulip Time” cruise aboard the AMA Prima, launched in 2013. The 9-day … [Read more...]
Sumatran Blend, Ripples on the Edge of Time: Toba or not Toba?
An American backpacker treats Sumatra, Indonesia’s “Lake Toba”--filled with crunchy Elysian entrepots --as a writers’ retreat where backing off comes with the territory “Characters are just like black marks on paper. . . --William Gass, Fiction and the Right of Life I arrive by high-speed hydrofoil across the Malacca Straits to Medan, the ersatz capital of Sumatra, during Ramadan. I was, of course, on my way to flop down and relax at the … [Read more...]
Pie-eyed for Pizza: A Love Story
“I could eat pizza seven days a week.” The sentence grabbed me, but I couldn’t decide whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. It was on a site where few sentences grabbed me: Match.com. I jumped to two possible conclusions: a) NBlikesbikes is really boring, or b) NBlikesbikes is really quirky. I have a soft spot for the quirky, and while I was mentally kneading a) vs. b), NBlikesbikes e-mailed me. After a few messages, he asked me … [Read more...]