A perfect October morning in Shanghai. Against all advice I’m determine to see the city’s heavily advertised World Expo. Advisers warn of lines unacceptable to the “western mind” coupled with lots of offensive smells, bumping, spitting… how bad can it be? North gate #2; ticket lines are nearly nonexistent, especially surprising given this week’s National… Continue reading Shanghai Expo 2010
Cappadocia from Above
My old friend Mark joined me in Istanbul, and after a few days being good city tourists, we made for the Turkey’s interior. I hear Cappadocia is one of the premier locations in the world for ballooning. Since neither Mark nor I have been pulled off dry land purely by the power of hot air… Continue reading Cappadocia from Above
Istanbul Haircut
I like my CA barber, but when I’ve been on the road long enough, the stragles and tangles start to get old. And so I again have a chance to put my appearance for the next month or so in a complete strangers hands in a foreign land. My last haircut was expertly conducted by… Continue reading Istanbul Haircut
Stockholm
OK, I’ll admit it. I love pickled herring! I’ll have to confess though, before today I didn’t understand what all the fuss was about – some crazy, historical Scandinavian fetish that was born out of need for food in the winter or something. Bull. It’s heavenly. I reached this particular enlightenment at Prinsen (The Prince)… Continue reading Stockholm
Salzburg Night Out
A visit to Salzburg is always a welcome surprise of exciting (drunken) excursions. Tonight, Tini, Margit and Oliver are taking me downtown to meet up with a few of their friends, Helmut and Uta. As always, the evening starts with a few healthy glasses of prosecco, and we even mix in a little champagne. Once… Continue reading Salzburg Night Out
Waiter in Venice
Observations of a waiter in Venice. Italian waiters really are a breed apart. My hotel suggested a wonderful late night cafe a few turns from Piazza San Marco (Bistrot de Venise for reference). I’m greeted with a warm double-pawed handshake by an impeccably dressed man (in tails!) with a deep, Italian tinted, almost operatic ‘Buona… Continue reading Waiter in Venice
Rome
Ah Rome! The land of endless cafes serving perfectly prepared espresso, meandering narrow streets where each window holds an epic tale that the American mind cannot hope to comprehend, mesmerizingly stunning women with musical accents, cuisine both subtle and delectable, buildings scared by a history older than most religions, mind-bendingly complex discussions of politics and… Continue reading Rome
Luang Prabang, kayaking
Another very early morning to catch the van for a river trip to see the Kuang Si waterfalls. First stop, though, is the elephant camp. We pile onto the elephants two-by-two, and tromp through the forest, very slowly (elephants appear to travel about the same speed as turtles). We stop briefly for the elephants to… Continue reading Luang Prabang, kayaking
Luang Prabang, festival of lights
The weather’s beautiful, and we decide that it’s a perfect day for a trip up the Mekong. We rent a boat to take us up the river to see the Pak Ou caves. The river is quiet and calm, and we motor up it and watch life along the banks. There are lots of pretty… Continue reading Luang Prabang, festival of lights
Laos, Luang Prabang
We’re off again before dawn to catch our boat to Phenom Peng. I doze awhile, waking occasionally to admire the crooked Cat-in-the-Hat straw stilt huts in the lake. I can’t imagine how these survive a typhoon. In town, we’re immediately accosted by about 10 touts trying to get us in their taxi – there so… Continue reading Laos, Luang Prabang