As our plane dipped down below the mist, patchwork fields of green came into view. Then we went in for the landing in Belfast and could see sheep in a nearby pasture. This was hard to explain, but I felt like I was entering into an ancient homeland. Maybe because my family had distant Irish ancestry. My sister-in-law met my mother, sister and I and we went by car to the Inishowen Peninsula in County Donegal along the coast to Moville. The … [Read more...]
The Artist and the Tinker
Some couples are as different as night and day. That's the way it was with my husband Bill and myself. There were a legion of differences, but probably the biggest was that I considered myself the artist and the only one of us that had any truly creative spirit. I would consider the things I did as a crafting of ideas with the fine and incisive beam of a laser mind and would think of Bill (who had worked as a general contractor in the … [Read more...]
Burning (Wo)Man and the American Dream
It's as if I have a tailwind behind me ferrying me along as I move quickly - so very quickly along. I cannot stop; I feel as if the road is driving me rather than me driving the road. I feel possessed by a Spirit, whose name I do not know - yet a name just at the tip of my tongue. A spirit that drives me towards a familiar destination, but not so familiar as I recall. I have ridden this highway that stretches across this nation two times … [Read more...]
San Juan Sailor
Cold rain and a fierce north wind whipped my face. I tightened my hood, careful to keep one hand on the Zodiac's helm. I knew almost nothing about sailing, but here I was, at the wheel of a 127-foot vintage wooden schooner in a driving rainstorm, all four sails catching the wind. Twenty-three wannnabe sailors and I had been told this would be a working trip, but I never thought I'd actually be piloting the ship, especially on a day like this. … [Read more...]
Life in a Tree House – memoirs of a 2-week vegetarian
I had been surfing the internet, looking for a volunteer opportunity that would allow us to stay in Buenos Aires for a couple weeks. We thought it would be good to get our hands dirty again, stay in a place for a while, and meet some fantastic people. We were right! We saw the website and thought we'd give it a try. From the name, it was a little risky, here are my immediate, unfiltered thoughts: eco - will we have warm showers? Will we be … [Read more...]
LA Gang Tours
LA Gang Tours offers tours into the heart of the Los Angeles gangland territory - places you normally wouldn't think to visit: Skid Row, South Central & Watts and Compton. This unique organization is not glorifying gang violence and activities rather they are humanizing it, raising awareness, and money to work with kids before they get sucked into this "culture' as well as other anti-gang preventative measures. The organization was founded by … [Read more...]
Wales: The Quiet Kid in the Corner
One of my pet travel projects is understanding "minority nations", the countries within countries. The UK has that in droves: Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and arguably, England itself. The thing is, I really could not find a distinction between Welsh culture and British culture at large. Sure, there's a language that they have that looks like anagrams or txtspk, but beyond that, what makes someone uniquely Welsh? Certainly not the pubs … [Read more...]
Casino Du Lac-Leamy: Offers ‘Lady Luck’ and Other Pleasures
Quebec Outaouais Casino du Lac Leamy We were excited as we walked in a glass walkway between the Hilton Hotel and the Casino Lac-Leamy located in the same complex in the city of Gatineau, across the river from Ottawa, Canada's Capital. This evening we were going to dine in the Casino's gourmet restaurant - one of the best dining places in the Ottawa Region - the only CAA/AAA Five Diamond ranked in the area. "Move quickly!" One of my … [Read more...]
A Climb of Mount Kilimanjaro
As per Wikipedia: Altitude sickness: Symptoms that may indicate life-threatening altitude sickness include: - Pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs): - Symptoms similar to bronchitis - Persistent dry cough - Fever - Shortness of breath even when resting - Cerebral edema (swelling of the brain): - Headache that does not respond to analgesics - Unsteady gait - Gradual loss of consciousness - Increased nausea - Retinal … [Read more...]
Tourism Australia and Quiksilver Announce “Surf, Sun and Social Networking” Facebook Contest
Facebook Fans Have a Chance to Win a Trip to Australia to be the Official Blogger for the 2012 Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast LOS ANGELES, March 14, 2011 - Tourism Australia and Quiksilver announced today they have launched a Facebook contest, "Surf, Sun and Social Networking in Australia," that will send one lucky winner to Australia to be the official blogger for the 2012 Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast. Beginning March 14 and ending April 8 … [Read more...]
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