Iceland is a vast amount of small land. That is right. Vast in its smallness, a land of contradictions. A land where people live in harmony, but not necessarily near any neighbors. It is rich in the soil from the volcanoes, yet also rich in empty and barren land. There are dark and murky watersContinue reading “Explore Iceland: High winds and empty spaces”
Tag Archives: Travel
Not Traveling….in Gratitude and Understanding
Food in·se·cu·ri·ty noun the state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. “more than 800 million people live every day with hunger or food insecurity as their constant companion,” Last year, amid the COVID-19 crisis and all that I experienced between shutdown and the inevitable life changes, I wroteContinue reading “Not Traveling….in Gratitude and Understanding”
Explore Africa: A World Like No Other in Zimbabwe and Botswana
Africa is a continent, a whole world in fact, like no other. There are the charming cities in the southern Garden Route of South Africa as well as their wineries. The scenic Garden Route, starting in Port Elizabeth, eventually leads to magnificent Cape Town. There are the townships in Cape Town and Johannesburg that revealContinue reading “Explore Africa: A World Like No Other in Zimbabwe and Botswana”
Experience the Peruvian Amazon at Night
A trip to the the Peruvian Amazon is a trip of quiet riverboat luxury, adventure, and unexpectedly delightful sights and sounds. This author traveled with OverseasAdventure Travel on their Amazon River Cruise and Rainforest trip in July of 2014. As with any OAT trip, there are always wonderful surprises lurking. On this trip, it was at the endContinue reading “Experience the Peruvian Amazon at Night”
Enjoy Three of Europe’s Most Beautiful Destinations
Dubrovnik’s Adriatic Coast Dubrovnik, Croatia has a coastline along the Adriatic which is part of the Mediterranean. It is part of the former Yugoslavia, but there are many vestiges of a Venetian influence, when Venice was not part of Italy. And geographically it’s just across the Adriatic from Italy. So it is no surprise that thisContinue reading “Enjoy Three of Europe’s Most Beautiful Destinations”
Enjoy the Beauty of Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik, Croatia is possibly one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Its dramatic and rugged coastline that juts out into the Adriatic will surprise the unprepared traveler with a jaw-dropping reaction at the first sight of its magnificent beauty. Many tours only stay one or two days to give tourists a chance to glimpseContinue reading “Enjoy the Beauty of Dubrovnik”
Enjoy some local color right off the coast of Lima
If you want to really take a drive off the beaten path in Lima visit the fishing village of Pucusan in the Pucuscana district, one of the 43 districts that constitute Lima. It is a great stop to visit any time of year, and has views which overlook all of Lima’s coast line. The amount of pelicans you will seeContinue reading “Enjoy some local color right off the coast of Lima”
Enjoy Pomegranate Seed Oil From Turkey
Turkey is known for many things and many kinds of wonderful foods that are typical of the Middle East and Balkan countries. They have baklava, various types of kabobs, and many wonderful teas and coffees. But a first time traveler there will be surprised to learn about a secret that is a pure joy onContinue reading “Enjoy Pomegranate Seed Oil From Turkey”
Do personal and cultural interactions make a difference in travel? Yeah, yeah, yeah….
I was on a back to back trip with Overseas AdventureTravel in October and November 2015 for nearly six weeks. This included about two weeks of solo travel as well as the organized tour. The two trips I took are among the most popular OAT offers in the area. They were Turkey’s Magical Hideaways, with eight daysContinue reading “Do personal and cultural interactions make a difference in travel? Yeah, yeah, yeah….”
Enjoy Colorful Colombian Street Art
I was expecting to see the Coffee Triangle when I went to Colombia with Overseas Adventure Travel on their trip Colombia: Coffee Triangle and Colonial Jewels. And I knew I was in for a few days at the Caribbean in Cartegena. But never did I expect to see the vibrant colors of this country expressed as street art inContinue reading “Enjoy Colorful Colombian Street Art”
Colombia: A History of Violence, A Country Renewed
Colombia is a country still recovering from a violent past, with children looking forward to a more vibrant and better future. Nowhere was this more visible than in District 13 in Medellin, where we visited people and saw vestiges of the drug cartel days alongside the much newer and certainly more vibrant public transportation systemContinue reading “Colombia: A History of Violence, A Country Renewed”
Clotheslines: An open window to the soul of a people
Clotheslines are a window into the soul of other people’s lives. From a seemingly small part of life, you can observe the daily ins and outs of the culture, the things you don’t get to see as a tourist. This is part of why we travel. Not just to see the sights, hear the sounds,Continue reading “Clotheslines: An open window to the soul of a people”
Celebrate Cultural Connections: Women Preserving their Heritage
I observe when I travel. It is part of my sightseeing experience, but more often part of my post –trip reflections. I have felt the tears of history in Vietnam; observed how clotheslines can reflect how an entire society lives all over the world, and very particularly in India; and beyond doubt, how women preserveContinue reading “Celebrate Cultural Connections: Women Preserving their Heritage”
Visit America’s Presidential Libraries for a Grade A History Lesson
America’s Presidential Libraries and Museums are unique to our country. However, the 13 libraries and museums that are in the presidential library system (Lincoln’s has not been added but is great to visit so has been included here), provide a peek into the past of these amazing men, their times, and the challenges they faced. They alsoContinue reading “Visit America’s Presidential Libraries for a Grade A History Lesson”
The Smart Traveler: When Things Don’t go as Planned
Things do not always go as planned on a trip. You can travel with as much planning and care as your mother would approve of, and still the unexpected happens. Travel surprises can occur on every trip, but the smart and experienced traveler can always find a solution, and return home that much more aContinue reading “The Smart Traveler: When Things Don’t go as Planned”
The Smart Traveler: Travel Insurance
Travel Insurance is a necessary evil, especially as you get older, or have less people in your life who can help you in the event of an emergency. If you plan a long trip with a complicated itinerary or travel on an organized tour, there is plenty that can go wrong that could cost you money.Continue reading “The Smart Traveler: Travel Insurance”
Travel Strategically During Troubled Times
When times are difficult and world events make you wonder if things have really come to an end, you may also be wondering where it’s safe to travel next. There is no stock answer of course; it all depends on where the crises are in the world, and type of crisis it is. Three primaryContinue reading “Travel Strategically During Troubled Times”
The Smart Traveler: Look for Europe Border Changes
With the rise of so much terrorism worldwide, and no way to stop it any time soon, the European Union is considering bringing back passport controlled borders. Depending on the tourist’s country of origin, in some cases, that might also include a needing visa. In some cases, it might just mean a photo ID. The Syrian refugeeContinue reading “The Smart Traveler: Look for Europe Border Changes”
Unraveling the Mystery of Higher Airfare
With a government investigation currently underway about the alleged collusion in airline pricing, this author felt it was tine to share some details on how to find a better price in airfare. The results are alarming. If , for instance, a traveler wanted to know how to get good prices from say, LAX to Quito,Continue reading “Unraveling the Mystery of Higher Airfare”
Tricks for Purchasing Less Expensive Airline Tickets
There are many tricks for purchasing less expensive plane tickets, some I leaned from my travel agent mother. Its best not to book a flight for travel during high season if you want to save money. Shoulder season (spring and fall relative to hemisphere of course) are always the cheapest for hotels and airfare. ThisContinue reading “Tricks for Purchasing Less Expensive Airline Tickets”
Where to go? Deciding Where to Travel Next
How do you decide where you want to travel? I am pretty much open to going anywhere it is safe and where there will be no health issues for me. Those are my only two criteria. In the US I intend to see all 50 states (only a handful left …yay!!), but for international destinations,Continue reading “Where to go? Deciding Where to Travel Next”
Explore the World and Discover…How Many Countries has it Been Now?
People travel the world every day, and make a lifetime career of this wonderful hobby. Many never know how many countries they have been to. Some don’t even care. However it seems that if one is going to take the time and effort to see the world over the course of years, it would atContinue reading “Explore the World and Discover…How Many Countries has it Been Now?”
Learning about the Indomitable Spirit of the Icelandic People
They say if you want to make God laugh tell him your plans. On the Overseas Adventure Travel trip, Untamed Iceland, we were not only on the road less traveled, but true to the OAT travel philosophy, we met locals who truly embodied the spirit of the harsh and unforgiving nature of the country. But they did so withContinue reading “Learning about the Indomitable Spirit of the Icelandic People”
Adventures of a Passionate Solo Traveler
They say if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans. That has certainly been true during some of my travels, either independently or with a group, but always traveling solo. I’ve had a number of unplanned adventures during my travels which certainly added to the experience. Some were a bit scary, but allContinue reading “Adventures of a Passionate Solo Traveler”
The Smart and Savvy Traveler: Travel Tips for All Experience Levels in Travel
The Smart and Savvy Traveler: Travel Tips for All Experience Levels in Travel No matter how experienced a traveler someone is, from a novice who wants to learn how to travel, to the most experienced amongst us, there is always more to learn. Just when we think we have it all together and can travelContinue reading “The Smart and Savvy Traveler: Travel Tips for All Experience Levels in Travel”
The Savvy Traveler: Ways to Avoid Blood Clots While Flying
The Savvy Traveler: Ways to Avoid Blood Clots While Flying A blood clot is a serious condition that can be caused from flights over 5 hours in duration, and when the plane reaches 30,000 feet or more. It is also referred to as DVT, or deep vein thrombosis. If you’re worried about getting a bloodContinue reading “The Savvy Traveler: Ways to Avoid Blood Clots While Flying”
Acclimating in the Andes
I have always had a problem with attitude. On one solo trip, I went from sea level to 11,000 feet without realizing It, and paid for it dearly with a blinding headache for three days. The only cure was to get to a lower elevation every day. This experience obviously put a damper on highContinue reading “Acclimating in the Andes”
A Walk in the Park in South Africa
One thing I had not planned on was taking so many great hikes and nature walks in South Africa. I went on the Grand Circle Highlights of South Africa trip, which I took in conjunction with Outlook Safaris Classic Safari trip. This was exactly the combination of trips I wanted to take in South Africa,Continue reading “A Walk in the Park in South Africa”
What I Learned During my Coronavirus Vacation
I thought 2020 was going to be a year of perfect clarity. A year when we could look back with hindsight on all that we learned, and as travelers, all that we saw, and glean from it lessons that would move us forward in life. This is after all, what travel does to those whoContinue reading “What I Learned During my Coronavirus Vacation”
Exploring the Many Faces of Istanbul
I explored Istanbul with Overseas Adventure Travel on their tour Turkey’s Magical Hideaways, and some on my own after the tour of Turkey and the Mediterranean concluded. I found the Istanbul portion of the tour to be a great orientation with a focus on historical and religious sites, but certainly not all that Istanbul hasContinue reading “Exploring the Many Faces of Istanbul”
Travel the World with Passion 