The Egyptian Pyramids! One of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World! I had read about them in school. I had seen them on countless TV programs, and I had always wondered what it would be like to see them in person. And now, now, I was going to do just that - see the pyramids in person! The Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt, Germany to Cairo was, thankfully, not even half full. There was lots of elbow room for everybody, and since I'd been … [Read more...]
Niagara Falls–Is it Worth the Trip
For years Niagara Falls has been one of the most popular tourist destinations in the United States and Canada. Visitors from abroad and North America cannot seem to shake their desire to visit this dramatic aquatic spectacle. But why exactly? The falls are not particularly convenient to any major U.S. city (apologies to Buffalo), which means visitors to the US will need at least two days to fit in a visit to Niagara. Furthermore besides the … [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...]
Zimbabwe & Zambia: The Zim and Zam of Victoria Falls
Dear Friends, "I can't leave this place. Africa is in my heart'I love the unpredictability here; today we have food, tomorrow we might not". These were the musings of Ivor, a white Zimbabwean grocery store owner we met in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Ivor was one of the few white Zimbabwe citizens left after the country's strong-man president Robert Mugabe changed the constitution to allow himself unlimited terms and, in 2000, instituted a series of … [Read more...]
Angkor Wat, Cambodia – Transportation
By Land Vehicle Through Poipet - If you are coming to Siem Reap from Thailand by bus you will most likely first pass through the Rong Klue market in the Aranyaphratet district of Thailand. This flea market sells an eclectic variety of items, many of them used or copies of name brand items - things like sunglasses, clothing, and cheap imitation jewelry and watches. Poipet is the very seedy border town that lies on the Cambodian side of the … [Read more...]
Angkor Wat, Cambodia – Lodging
There is a very wide range of lodging options in Siem Reap ranging from cheap bottom of the barrel accommodations, to guest homes, to fancy resorts which are of course priced much higher. A room with air conditioning will cost a few dollars more then one without. Despite the many guest homes and other lodging options, there are still many more being built. Most of the guesthouses will accept major credit cards, i.e. Visa, Mastercard. Many of … [Read more...]
Vang Vieng, Laos – Transportation
For a country among the 10 poorest in the world transportation on the whole is fairly easy to use. Public buses run several times from the capital city of Vientiane to Vang Vieng along the paved Route 13. The public buses are usually quite crowded and without fans and AC. They are however, among the cheapest ways to reach Vang Vieng from Vientiane. Once the seats fill up small plastic stools are offered and are placed down the aisle in order … [Read more...]
Bangkok, Thailand – Other Information
Bookstores Money Travel Agency Visa Overstay Embassy Info Post Offices Mobile Phones Tropical Fruit Guidebooks Photo Printing Vaccinations 7-11 Stores Language Tailor VAT 7-11 Stores - seemingly on every block, the convenience of having so many 7-11's in the city is often much appreciated. One of our primary reasons for visiting 7-11's in Bangkok is the fact they will accept large bills for small … [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...]
Europe- What to Pack
The independent traveler will want to pack as light as possible, especially if planning on taking trains or boats. When I travel to Europe, I take trains or budget airlines everywhere; for the nimble traveler there are certain advantages to packing light. It is easier to keep an eye on your gear and it is easy to fit into the sometimes small luggage compartments. Key words to packing for Europe are: light, light, and light. I fit all my gear into … [Read more...]