Because experiences are what make us happy, I'm always looking for different or educational experiences wherever I am traveling. Whether it's zip-lining in a cave, swimming with dolphins, or trying a hammam, I'm always looking for something new. Recently I found the site eatwith, which is a site where you can plan to eat meals …
Ernest Hemingway is a big attraction in Cuba. Although he was an American he lived in Cuba for many years. He fished at the Cojimar dock (above) in his boat, Pilar, which is on display at his home which you can visit. This is his living room. You can see most of his house, including …
Phones and SIM cards while traveling I generally don't like to use my personal phone when traveling to foreign countries. Although I am very careful (and have never lost a phone), if I somehow lost it or it was stolen or severely damaged somehow, I would be extremely unhappy and feel a deep sense of loss …
After going through the Temple of Heaven's main sights, I headed off to the train station to catch the overnight sleeper to Xi'an to go see the Terracotta Army and other local sights. Before leaving the US, I found a good reference for taking trains in China, that answers a lot of questions and lets …
Continue reading Overnight train to Xi’an (with mystery kid and song, solved)
If you are looking for something interesting to do in Skagway, I highly recommend going to Jewell Gardens and doing one of their glass-blowing classes. The gardens there are quite beautiful, but go for the glass blowing. I have done several glass blowing classes and this was by far the best one regarding having fun …
Continue reading Skagway Alaska’s Jewell Gardens – go forth and blow (glass, that is)
The Vaporetto will take you from Venice island to Burano in about 10 minutes, and it's well worth the trip. And, you can continue on to the similarly engaging Murano Island. While Murano is well-known for its glass, the island of Burano is known for its colorful buildings and its lace making. Another …
When going to a country where you don't speak the language, I recommend having a translation tool on your phone like google translate. . . . Google translate is very helpful, but sometimes has epic fails, like the above where the ice cream I was looking at translated to "he mutinied" or to the …
Earlier: Today I am at the consulate in Chicago to hopefully submit my Visa application. I am requesting a 10 year Visa, which I may or may not get. They decide the length of your Visa, but you can request different options, but they choose what they give you (if anything). So, write in for …
Flowers are a big thing in Holland, and not just tulips, although those are quite plentiful. The above pictures are from the Keukenhof during high tulip season. Keukenhof (which strangely means Kitchen Garden) and is planted with millions of bulbs every year which leads to magnificent fields of tulips and other flowers as seen above. …
Continue reading Flower Fields and Keukenhof – Holland #tulips
Chicago to Guatemala City $264 many dates in October to December
Park Guell - Barcelona's magnificent park Park Guell is the serendipitous result of a failed planned community. Around the turn of the 20th century, Count Eusebi Guell decided to build a garden community. Only a few of the 60 lots sold. This despite the fact that Gaudi was designing the community buildings, which are what …
Cats are everywhere in Istanbul This is the cat that "guarded" my hotel in Istanbul. He was there each night, and didn't mind people coming or going. People walked around him even though he decided to camp out right on the entry carpet. There are many such cats in Istanbul. The cats are often friendly …
Lighthouses of Kangaroo Island, Australia Kangaroo Island was my favorite part of Australia. It has everything a person could want all in one place. It has animals like penguins, wallabies, kangaroos, koalas, seals, short billed geese, and others. It has the best ice cream I've ever had. It has quirky mailboxes. It also has amazing …
Packing light - reversible/convertible clothes for women In addition to taking quick-wash-and-dry clothing with you (covered here), another winning way to pack light is to get multiple uses out of the same item while having it look different. One of the great things with some pieces of clothing is that they are reversible or convertible. …
Continue reading Pack light, fit in carry-on: reversible/convertible clothes for women
Geological wonders: Punakaiki Rocks - New Zealand The Punakaiki Rocks are located on the northwest side of the South Island of New Zealand. Punakaiki (Poo-nuh-kI-kee) is the closest the Maori could pronounce Pancake, so that's how their name was born. The rocks themselves are layered limestone that is worn away by the ocean, and left …
Continue reading Geological wonders: Punakaiki Rocks – New Zealand; #pancakes #geology
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