Journeys
When I travel, I search for opportunities to immerse myself in a new culture. The people, landscape, architecture, and history of a place reveal its stories.
On the road leaving Santiago, Cuba
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Medellín’s Poor Comuna 13 Neighborhood Surprises as a Colorful Tourist Attraction
I crane my neck to catch an opening through bobbing heads peering over the railing. I’m on a broad concrete ramp that snakes up the steep hillside community of San Janvier, an impoverished jumble of brick houses known locally as Comuna 13, located in the west side of Medellín, Colombia’s second largest city. Suddenly a young man springs into

Traveling to Villa de Leyva in Colombia: A Trip Back in Time
I stand at the northwest corner of cobblestoned Plaza Mayor, central square of magical Villa de Leyva, Colombia, population 17,000 inhabitants. Plaza Mayor measures a third of an acre. It’s empty, except for a small sixteenth century mudejar-style fountain in its center. Also, as if to elevate its noble purpose, a heart-shaped wire mesh recycling bin for bottles and cans sits off towards one corner
I look for adventurous experiences, outside the norm, a bit edgy.
Other Journeys

Traveling to Portugal Part III: Medieval Towns and Monasteries
At the end of the last Portugal episode, the Fiat and its

Traveling to Portugal Part II: Douro Valley and Porto
I learned to drive with a manual transmission on a used 1960

Traveling to Portugal Part I: Lisbon & Sintra
Before I travel to someplace new, I pour over guidebooks, read travelers’

Naples and its Spanish Quarter: Italy’s Once Forbidden Fruit
“Stay away from the Spanish Quarter. It’s dangerous!” The young man sitting

Sailing over Myanmar’s Plains of Bagan
More than 2,200 eleventh to thirteenth century temples and stupas pepper the

Turning Blue in Morocco’s Western Sahara
Posted to www.TravelMag.co.uk, March 2019 “Yee Haw!” It bursts from my mouth.

Sarajevo: Where the Twentieth Century Began and Ended
Posted in TravelThruHistory.com, November 2018 Eleven-year-old Safet Begic played with a friendly

Assateague Island: For The Birds—And Wild Ponies
It’s September, my birthday month. One of my favorite celebrations is enjoying

Shopping Imphal’s Colorful Women’s Market
American pop star Beyoncé topped the charts a decade ago with her

Sleeping on a Floating Island: Loktak Aquamarine Floating Homestay
“Loktak Aquamarine, Floating Homestay and Campsite – WELCOME” reads the sign nailed
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Hop on over to the blog to read brief observations from my travels and at home.