California has a total of 21 Missions running from San Diego to Sonoma ranging in date of founding from 1769 until 1823. The intent with each mission location was historically to place each one approximately a days journey between each other. Greater Los Angeles and Orange County have three representatives of these, Mission San Juan Capistrano, Mission San Gabriel Archangel (the closest mission to downtown Los Angeles) and Mission San Fernando … [Read more...]
Smoke the Revolution
Havana, Cuba March 25, 2003 Dear Friends, Greetings from Cuba!! Just a couple of weeks before my departure to Havana, I could not have imagined soaking up the warm and humid trade winds here on this beautiful Caribbean Island. Instead I was entertaining thoughts of attending a Spanish course in Guatemala, when my old pal Jimmy Bentley called out of the blue to tell me he was looking for a nutcase to join him in defying the US embargo of … [Read more...]
Moscow
My sister had been working with a charity organization in Moscow, Russia for several years. Throughout that time we had been corresponding with her by mail and were fascinated with her tales and interesting stories and experiences in Moscow! It was at that time, to our surprise, she sent a message to my mother inviting us to come and help with some of the projects she was working on. After several months of preparation we were off to embark on … [Read more...]
Spain
Do you want to add exciting, motivating, and beautiful experiences to your life? Go to Spain!!! With my resourceful wife, Dana May, we lived in Spain for a year. We chose to make our home base an apartment in Madrid. Madrid's central location gave us easy access to Barajas airport, the central train station as well as a convenient bus depot. A good car rental system is also available in the city and at the airport. In Madrid, the … [Read more...]
Argentina Yours Truly
Although I have made it a relentless point in my life to take advantage of every free moment (and buck or two) I've had in my vertiginous existence to discover a new place in the world, nothing has impressed me more than Argentina. The idea of visiting this far-away country had been in the back of my head for a few years, but somehow I always ended up in another spot (usually a hidden beach in Mexico or the South China sea). That was until 2003, … [Read more...]
Angkor Wat, Cambodia – Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat is known worldwide and is certainly the most famous attraction in Cambodia; it is located only 6km from the old market in Siem Reap - take Charles DeGaulle Blvd to reach the main Angkor Wat temples. Tourists used to be denied access to rent motor bikes for personal use (because of the danger of landmines) but now one can rent a bike for use around Siem Reap. You can either rent a taxi, tuk-tuk, regular bicycle, or go with someone on … [Read more...]
Xcalak, Mexico
Imagine a small secluded town set near the warm white inviting beaches of the southern most portion of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula - often referred to as the "Costa Maya." Then imagine yourself lying on one of these beaches basking in the brilliant sunshine overlooking the crystal clear aquamarine waters of the Caribbean....and finally, imagine that you are the only one on the beach. This is reality in Xcalak, a small Mexican town located … [Read more...]
Xcalak, Mexico – Directions
Up until the 1990s one would have had a very difficult time getting to Xcalak via overland transportation. In 1998 the road linking Xcalak and Highway 307 was paved which dramatically cut down travel time. And the road into Xcalak is also paved - it used to also be dirt. For travelers, by far the easiest and cheapest way to get to Xcalak from the rest of the Yucatan is with a rental car. From Cancun, Highway 307 is a very good highway (no … [Read more...]
Xcalak, Mexico – Activities
Banco Chinchorro Banco Chinchorro coral atoll is about 30 miles off shore. This is the largest coral atoll in the northern hemisphere and is littered with the wrecks of sunken ships. As a result it is an attractive area for Scuba divers. Kayaking The coastline near Xcalak offers numerous opportunities for kayaking. The shoreline in this part of Mexico is protected by an offshore coral reef - the second largest in the world just behind … [Read more...]
Xcalak, Mexico – Tierra Maya Lodge
Mentioned as one of the top ten places to stay in Mexico by the Lonely Planet Travel Guide. Hotel Tierra Maya opened in December of 1998; the name of the property was later renamed to Tierra Maya Lodge (contact information here). This is a beautiful self-contained fishing resort not yet discovered by the droves of people that frequent more popular regions of northern Yucatan. As their brochure states, "a vacation here is a union of luxury and … [Read more...]
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