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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Naples and its Spanish Quarter: Italy’s Once Forbidden Fruit
“Stay away from the Spanish Quarter. It’s dangerous!” The young man sitting in front of me on Amtrak’s Northeastern Corridor train from Philadelphia to Newark International Airport advises. Rick and I fly out of Newark on a two-stop flight ending in Naples, Italy, in a few hours. We’ll join a group to tour the city and explore the Amalfi Coast for ten days. These accusations about Napoli pique my curiosity. I’m eager to see it in action, especially to visit the “dangerous” Quartieri Spagnoli, the city’s Spanish Quarter.
Sleeping on a Floating Island: Loktak Aquamarine Floating Homestay
“Loktak Aquamarine, Floating Homestay and Campsite – WELCOME” reads the sign nailed to a pole. The same words appear in Manipuri script above the English. An image of a tent, a deer, and water with large and small circles illustrate the experience. Next to the pole a dirt path leads down the steep embankment to the lake. At the bottom of the steep,15-foot path stands Ashok, a middle-aged man in a red plaid shirt, khaki pants, blue baseball cap, and rubber wading boots. Holding a long oar, he straddles two canoes strapped together to accommodate several passengers.
I look for adventurous experiences, outside the norm, a bit edgy.
Other Journeys
Shopping Imphal’s Colorful Women’s Market
American pop star Beyoncé topped the charts a decade ago with her smash, Run the World (Girls).
Assateague Island: For The Birds—And Wild Ponies
It’s September, my birthday month. One of my favorite celebrations is enjoying a new experience with friends. This year it’s Assateague Island National Seashore.
Sarajevo: Where the Twentieth Century Began and Ended
Posted in TravelThruHistory.com, November 2018 Eleven-year-old
Sailing over Myanmar’s Plains of Bagan
More than 2,200 eleventh to thirteenth century temples and stupas pepper the forty square miles of Myanmar’s plains of Bagan. Why are so many of these graceful, exotic structures
Traveling to Portugal—A Cornucopia of Surprises
Before I travel to someplace new, I pour over guidebooks, read travelers’ glowing reports, absorb its history, anticipate new regional dishes, and learn a little of the language. Somehow, I still wasn’t prepared for Portugal’s unhurried ambience, its genuine friendliness and cultural sophistication, its rich and handsome architectural history, and its diverse natural beauty. After spending years on page two of European travel destinations, Portugal emerged in the last several years to claim its rightful place as a travel headliner.
