The wall of rock in front of me seems to be moving.  How can this be? I swim closer and realize that I am not hallucinating from nitrogen narcosis. The movement is real, but it is not the rock.  It is a million tiny, navy blue fish which live on its surface. I feel myself [...]

I had gone out early to try to beat the heat, so the street was relatively quiet.  A man in an expensive looking track suit was jogging towards me on the other side of the road.  Seeing me, he crossed the street, ran up and took my hand in both of his.  “Welcome to my country,” [...]

I was glad that I had insisted on keeping my window seat from the Argentine woman who had tried to usurp it.  Flying into Guatemala was spectacular as one volcano after another plunged upwards through the clouds.  Settled into my hostel, I began to explore Antigua. A huge volcanic cone on the edge of town made [...]

Unhurried, less concerned with material things, living in the moment, full of gratitude, easily satisfied.  This is the person I would like to be. I am a lot more like her when I’m traveling. When I moved to Mexico, I sold off many of my possessions and stored those I kept, including two closets full of [...]

Eat, drink and be merry Welcome to the land of hot pot, noodle soup for breakfast, Peking duck and wonderful veggies cooked in clay pots.  Throughout a lot of SE Asia, you can get away with just using a spoon.  But as you work your way east, you’ll want to be proficient with chopsticks.  Hold the [...]

I know. I know.  You think Mexico is all about the margaritas.  I actually don’t see Mexicans having margaritas very often.  They prefer their tequila in shots or in a “paloma” (tequila and Squirt).  For better or worse, I happen not to like tequila.  Thinking that I did not appreciate the national drink was a bit [...]

I was on my second day exploring the temples at Angkor, and grateful to have purchased the seven-day ticket.  There was much to see, I wondered if a week would be enough. One is never alone at such a place, but I was surprised when I came around a corner and almost walked into a [...]

I was home from the ceremony by midnight, but could still here the blaring ranchero music when I drifted off to sleep around two.  I had expected it to be a loud night and didn’t really mind.  It’s not every day you turn two-hundred.  This was the culmination for me, having traveled through North America [...]