Balloons Over Cappadocia, Turkey

Balloons Over Cappadocia, Turkey

Maybe you never should have trusted a hot air balloon company whose name translates as Balloon Balloons. Maybe you should have backed out when the sunrise tour became the brunch tour. “Everybody in the basket,” the mustached Turk claps his hands. You and your best friend beeline for the balloon, trying to get a “window” … Continued

Bangkok in the Raw

There’s no real reason to explain why I lost my mind one sunny afternoon in Bangkok. Maybe it was a vitamin deficiency, a desperate plea for action, or perhaps just a deep longing to get under the tough skin of Thailand’s capital city. Much like a scabby mosquito bite, Bangkok is an itch you already … Continued

Guatemala: The Beautiful

Guatemala is a beautiful and lovely place whether you are going as a place of tourism or if you are going to work with the young children of the isolated villages. I first was able to experience this mountainous country when I was in the 5th grade. The first place I encountered was an orphanage … Continued

Memories Regarding Virginia

Humble prayers were made on our corner of Highpoint Drive and Windfall Lane. A family of nine, a van in neutral, coasted out of the driveway to save on gas before rolling any further past the red stop sign at the street’s end, paused momentarily in the dark. This is how I remember beginning vacations. … Continued

Beneath the Skies of Switzerland

Carry-ons only, one per passenger. The two-hour flight from Rome to Zurich was roughly the price of a tank of gas back home in the States. People complained about the price of fuel, we held on for dear life as we braced for the worst on this ‘budget airline’. Beneath the Zurich airport lies the … Continued

ON THE BANKS OF RIVER GANGES

ON THE BANKS OF RIVER GANGES Rishikesh is a religious place at the foothills of the Himalayas in northern India. The great river Ganga (Ganges) flows through Rishikesh. Hindus worship the Ganga and believe that its water is blessed. They also believe that taking a bath in the river Ganga can wash away all their … Continued

Heaven and Hell in a Day in Cambodia

As kids – Vietnamese refugees in Connecticut – our parents warned us not to get too tan: “You’ll be dark like a Cambodian,” they’d sigh after we had baked outside all day. So when, decades later, I swerved into Cambodia from my Vietnam-to-Thailand path, I didn’t expect much. I wasn’t a backpacker who considered himself … Continued

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