Surprised at 3 am
On this particular night, there were three of us in the room. About ten p.m., a young lady arrived to claim a bunk over one of the beds. I was relieved it was not mine. She left her luggage and departed.
Experiences
Special places; Stories about knitting and spinning; Encounters with locals; Excursions; and much more!
My Favorite Video Shorts I
Two years of travel adds up to a LOT of photographs and video footage. Today, I am going to put together a kind of montage of a few of my favorite very short videos and tell the stories behind them. These were taken in Sri Lanka and Kyrgyzstan.
Lost in the Old City
I was enthralled—and frustrated! I wanted to wander the streets, savor the aromas—really get a feel for this foreign place. But it was not to be. “Tour 201–boarding in 5 minutes.” Uggghhh!
Invasion of the College Students
Imagine my surprise when seven (count ‘em SEVEN) adorable young college men walked into the room. Imagine THEIR surprise!
Tattooed Like an Old Salt
The crazy idea came to me when I was in Denmark in July. Once the idea was in my head, I could not shake it. I would be in south Asia; maybe I could find a good artist and it would not cost so much.
Worries & Fears
People often ask me if I am afraid to travel alone.
Yes, sometimes I am afraid when traveling. But no more often than when I am at home. Experience helps. Sometimes you just need to step out and meet your fears head-on.
A Toast to the Beatles
I was not planning to visit Liverpool, by my daughter gave me a great idea to make the visit worthwhile!
But I’ve Found a Driver and That’s a Start!
You never know what to expect when traveling, but often things work out better than you planned!
Just Another Day at the Office
With access to the internet almost universal, working on the road is pretty much a piece of cake—well, as long I don’t have to teach my computer to speak English!
Fabada
I asked owner what it was. He did not have enough English to describe it. He just kissed his fingertips and smiled. I threw caution to the wind.
Turning Drudgery into an Adventure
I got to thinking about how challenging this marathon voyage might be when I booked it. I wondered if I was biting off more than I could chew—would it be too much for me?
We Travel to Cook: Coconut Sambol
You absolutely must have freshly grated coconut for this dish and we really lucked out! There was a fresh coconut processing operation right at the front door of the market.
The 10 Coolest Experiences I Had in 2018
It has been an astounding year of experiences. It was really hard to pick just ten things cool things, but here are the ones I chose.
Pinch-Myself Moments
HEN, there are days when I have what I call “pinch-myself moments.” And those make all the other regular and challenging days of my travel lifestyle worthwhile.
The Jyrgalan Summer Festival: Learning about Kyrgyz Traditions
There were also demonstrations of how ala-kiyiz felted carpets are made, opportunities to taste kumiz, (fermented mare’s milk), and a lunch of beshbarmak with plenty of tea available!
Jyrgalan…The Phoenix of Kyrgyzstan
the Russians moved away. And, they did something inexplicable, but very common to humans—they burned their homes. The only people left were the ethnic Kyrgyz people, and slowly the village began to die.
“She’s WHERE??? Where in the world is THAT??”
I confess, before last Christmas, I did not even know there was a country named Krygyzstan.
Preparing Borsok with Altynai
Borsok holds an integral place in Kyrgyz culture and it is found by the thousands at any celebration. It also serves an important role during the year of grieving after a loved one dies
Dealing with Airport Taxi Paparazzi & Strategies for Market Shopping
But before you are legally in the country you must pass through the three trials: immigration, baggage claim, and customs…Then, as soon as you exit customs into the “ARRIVAL HALL,” you face a gauntlet of taxi drivers with the manners of paparazzi.
Robert, the Dog Optometrist
There were only about four cars on this Sunday-morning boat and a man leaned out of a window of one of them to ask if I need a lift. Oh, those friendly Scots!