Adventure is our state of mind
As an independent traveler, it happens every so often: You find yourself walking beside a road in the middle of the desert, cars whizzing by you with little regard, no more than a bottle of water and a book in your bag. It was that way one afternoon … [Read more...]
Paper umbrellas, lanterns, cotton scarves, silk pillow covers, table mats, handbags, slippers, Thai spices, herbal remedies, handmade soaps, natural cosmetics, jewelry, Buddha statues, elephant statues, toys, silk ties, clothes, incense holders and … [Read more...]
On the ferries to Princes’ Islands, I would always drink copious amounts of tea. Waiters with dangling trays roamed up and down the decks touting chai for less than a dollar, delivering a tear-drop Turkish tea cup on a little glass saucer, complete … [Read more...]
Standing at the corner of Taksim Square, I gaze into the multi-faceted soul of Istanbul: Istiklal Cadessi (Independence Avenue) is a wide pedestrian-only street that stretches about a mile and half, from Taksim Square to Galata Tower, and from about … [Read more...]
An hour before sunrise, a van pulled up to our cave hotel. I had had trouble sleeping that night so rather than pace around the well-appointed stone room, I sat outside appreciating a view so different that I knew I’d never see anything like it … [Read more...]
I suppose I could have gone to my local zoo and seen pandas there, but it’s not the same as actually seeing them in their native habitat, or at least, their native country. So Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Center was on my list of … [Read more...]
Before I went to China, I saw the Chinese movie, The Shower. In the film, the public baths were a place to forge friendships, unload your troubles and even play cards. Bathing was part of it -- but only part. It piqued my interest. I thought maybe a … [Read more...]
Security rule no. 6: "When getting lashes or electrification you must not cry at all." A board on the courtyard lists 10 rules for the S-21. The facility, in Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh, was once a school. Between 1975 and 1979 it became the … [Read more...]
I hold it together until I see the Killing Tree, but then it's impossible to stop the tears. The Killing Tree, as the sign next to it explains, is "the tree against which executioners beat children". Previous visitors have attached colorful … [Read more...]
The last of the fall color was about to disappear from the trees growing in the shelter of the Great Wall. "A really awful place to be a sentry in winter," I said. My companion nodded. We were looking out from one of the many watch towers … [Read more...]
