Goreme, Istanbul
Cappadocia Valley
I felt like I had dropped off the map. Few sounds and nothing in the distance; quiet like the flickers of a detached reel of film failing to spool. Without the pale colors of my view, I would have assumed that I was still just waking up. The light was like Mars, but not as warm: muted browns, earth tones, natural, and calming. Other travelers . . .
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
formerly Saigon
I was not alive during the Vietnam War yet we have all seen it's repercussions: veterans carrying both mental and physical scars from their tours of duty; families unable to become whole after being reunited with family members; children whose remains were never found after going M.I.A.
To say that this is the war that broke the United . . .
Melbourne, Australia
State of Victoria
Hard not to reminiscence about my first visit to Australia. Smiling, I remembered how green I was lugging a huge brown suitcase through New Zealand and Oz the first and second of the many countries I would explore in subsequent years.
About 10 years passed between my first visit and my second return inspired by a promise that I would . . .
Philadelphia, PA United States
Chinatown
Prior to 1870, Chinese immigrants to the United States settled in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Portland as these were the main points of entry from similar cities in China. What prompted their move eastward was a mix of adversity aimed at their communities and their aspiration to find opportunities to make it rich or at least become more . . .
Santiago de Chile
I did not know what to expect prior to my first visit to Chile in 2007. A friend filled my mind with images of guerrillas, militiamen, curfews, and lawlessness. I was still nervous after disembarking, but as I walked towards immigration, the sight of the Andes caught my attention as the sky was reddish purple, the background had a few . . .
San Francisco, CA United States
San Francisco is where I go to get lost and forget who I am and simply enjoy myself. The mix of ethnicities, religions, and orientations make me happy that such a place exists and ecstatic that Chilean-style empanadas and good Thai food can be purchased nearby. When I'm in town, I stay at a boutique hotel in the Tenderloin District. As . . .
Ecuador
Guayaquil & Galapagos Islands
I vividly remember the moment I witnessed a frustrated sea lion stare at a young man who had taken his place on a bench where he liked to sun bathe. After the boy ignored the sea lion's hint, the sea lion used his snout to slowly push the boy off the bench and then laid down undisturbed under the sun.
Galapagos belongs to the local . . .
