Despite being called a weirdo and hearing them tell scary travel stories about Cambodia - without packing much, I was soon boarding the second hand budget flight on the way to Cambodia, a world so much different from where I now live! The flight was about three hours from Kuala Lumpur. I felt so bored with my seatmate who was carrying a SONY recording video and talked to herself, as if she was a guide on a travel channel and was going to film … [Read more...]
Lapland Polar Dreams -January Site Inspection
My love affair with Finland began the moment I stepped off the Finnair plane. My ancestry is Norwegian and I guess something primal in my Viking genes bonds me in kindred spirit with this unique Nordic land. Having toured over a hundred countries, this is virgin territory for me and what an utterly cool place to visit in January. I've packed enough thermal gear to survive the most brutal blizzards but on arrival in Helsinki today, there is no … [Read more...]
AFS Peaks of Patagonia & Chilean Vineyards
Dramatic landscapes provided us a continual Kodak moment throughout. It is late spring in the region and the weather was cooperative with a lot of sunshine. This however is a land where the unexpected is the norm, so we came prepared for occasional wind and rain. After a rest at the lovely Hotel Neruda and a city tour in Santiago, we flew south to Punta Arenas. There we transferred 2 hours by coach to Puerto Natales at the Patagonia steppe. We … [Read more...]
Polar Dreams Iceland
I land with jet lag after a simple 4 hour flight. Too short for sleep and too long to stay awake. There quarters of Iceland is covered in ice yet when we arrive to sparkling Reykjavik, there is no snow. Surely global warming is a reality if there's not even a flake in mid-February! We embark on a city tour to see the famous sites followed by hotel check in and grateful that we are in the heart of town. Everyone enjoys the Viking style … [Read more...]
Mt. Rainier, WA – Accomodation
Most of the accommodation closest to Mt. Rainier is in the very small town of Ashford located just outside of the National Park entrance. Ashford is considered the "gateway to Rainier". In addition to the properties mentioned below, additional information is available about regional accommodation on this informative guide here: www.stayinwashington.com The following are select hotels and motels in Ashford. Almost Paradise offers private … [Read more...]
The G.A.P Top 5: Travel Memories
This was enormously difficult for me. First of all, choosing a top five is never easy. Ranking was totally out of the question! And then condensing days and days of vivid and rich experiences into a little summarized blurb was near impossible. I could go on and on but here are 5 of my fondest travel experiences. Montezuma, Costa Rica Body-surfed for breakfast after having watched the spectacular sunrise through my tattered tent door then … [Read more...]
Language Abroad: When Your French is Bad, An English-Speaking Stranger Can Become an Intimate Friend
It was five days into my research trip to Rennes-le-Chateau, a village in the French Pyrenean foothills, and I was lonely. Gathering details for my novel, I had hiked the hilly red dirt of the countryside dotted with helm oaks and dry broom, had walked the narrow roads of the village to the accompaniment of squawking roosters, and had admired the humble stucco houses. I stood in the rooms of the presbytery where my characters -- a priest and his … [Read more...]
BBQ Goat in Oaxaca: The Pomp, Ceremony and Tradition
Some say it's one of the oldest professions in Oaxaca, yet it garners little if any respect from most of the population notwithstanding the tradition and ceremony that has been its trademark for generations: the chivero, or slayer and preparer of goat, and its barbequing Some say it's one of the oldest professions in Oaxaca, yet it garners little if any respect in a clay, in-ground oven. There are a number of caprine cattle that are cooked in … [Read more...]
Once Upon a Time in Mexico
"So what do you make of this?" said Xavier. I watched, from behind a cordon of yellow police tape, Antonio Banderas in a mariachi outfit, and Salma Hayek in far less, dangling from cables affixed to the rooftop of the Hotel San Francisco in San Miguel de Allende's central plaza, el jardin. Walkie-talkies crackled in Spanish and English. A utility van edged slowly past with a card taped to its windshield reading Once Upon A Time In … [Read more...]
Sam’s Anchor Cafe, Tiburon CA – April 2006
Sam's Anchor Cafe Tiburon, or simply known as "Sam's" is located right next to the San Francisco Bay in the very tiny town of Tiburon with stunning views overlooking Angel Island and San Francisco in the distance on a clear day. This is a happenin', hip place to eat especially on the outside deck for lunch during a warm day. On some busy weekends waiting time can be up to 2 hours for an outside seat on the deck! Without a doubt, our favorite … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 136
- 137
- 138
- 139
- 140
- …
- 166
- Next Page »