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One Night in the French Quarter

Before Katrina devastated New Orleans, the State of Alabama sent me and two other newly appointed law clerks to attend a conference there. We were given a pre-paid twin room at the Hotel Monteleone (for ...

Giving Face in Kashgar

It was my final day in Kashgar, China. I had all the photos I needed and was ready for a good meal before catching my flight out, when I noticed a tiny man sitting outside, ...

Breakfast in Macon

A tale from the road.

When the plane landed in Macon, our manager had to create a little disturbance to throw us off balance. Sometimes, I think he felt it was his job. “You know, this is the largest card-carrying ...

Benin, West Africa: Begging for an Education

In the first century A.D. a Christian mystic named Augustine said, "The world is a book, and those who do not travel read but the first page." Those words have guided a great deal of ...

Tonlé Sap, Cambodia: What's in a Word?

Winston Churchill once said the Americans and British are two peoples separated by a common language. The more countries I visit, the more this seems to be true around the globe. For better or worse, ...

Thirsting for Knowledge in Macau

A visit to the city's Wine Museum.

In the former Portuguese colony of Macau, the tourist office pamphlet promoting the wine museum offered an incredible enticement. Admission with wine tasting costs 15 Macau patacas (U.S. $2), and “of the new wines, about ...

A Return to Cuba

As I walked through U.S. customs down the hall and out the electric doors into the Los Angeles sunlight, I was excited to see my mother. My mother, upon seeing me, both smiled and then ...

Hong Kong: The Number One Wanchai Rule

A cautionary tale about red light district etiquette.

A female undercover cop in Neptune, the notorious subterranean disco in Wanchai’s red light district, pulled out her badge and shouted over the band at my well-served friend. “Excuse me, sir. Did you just say, ...

Mysterious Encounter in Bangkok

There are events that happen occasionally while traveling that are destined to remain mysterious and unexplained. It may be a chance encounter, a brush with fate, or something that brings to mind the Shakesperean quote ...

Enlightenment in Mérida, Mexico

The walls of my hotel room looked clean enough as long as the light stayed dim, which was usually the case. The only illumination came from a 40-watt bulb stuck in the ceiling and a ...

Saigon: Be Careful What You Shop For

“So, you’re going to Vietnam? Can you pick up an ‘ao dai’ for me while you’re there?” If a casual female friend ever says this to you, politely decline. Say you’re sorry; you’ll be too ...