This story is dedicated to the memory of K.P. Ward, who died unexpectedly and tragically on December 22, 2010. Finally, here it is: the start of my summer vacation of 1987, and I just finished …
April 12, 2011
Travel Stories
Montana to Tecate: Adventures by Motorcycle
Bergen, Norway: Gateway to the Fjords
Bergen is located on Norway’s western coast. The journey there from Oslo takes you through a wonderfully scenic part of the country, including some of the longest and most spectacular fjords in Norway. You can …
April 8, 2011
Lima, Cusco and Macchu Pichu
My first trip to Peru was amazing. We spent the first night near Lima, at a friend’s house close to the beach in the La Perla area. We walked to the beach and ate barbecued …
April 8, 2011
Sendai, Japan: The Day the Earth Shook
March 11 was a cold, slow-moving Friday afternoon at our home in Sendai. As a freelance writer and translator, I was making a transition, familiar on such idle afternoons. Having finished a bit of urgent …
April 7, 2011
Beer-lin, Germany
It is truly easier on the streets of Berlin to buy a bottle of beer than one of water. And no matter what time of day it is, you'll observe someone sipping a cold one, …
April 7, 2011
Paraty, Brazil
Paraty (pada-chee), a town on the southeast coast of Rio state, is like a top-shelf drink — from the aged, distilled waterfront of Brazil’s colonial history, to the calm, primal ecological beauty of the coastal …
March 26, 2011
Avocados in Kona, Hawaii
An avocado festival – in Hawaii? Yes, and I just had to give it a try. While waiting for my plane to land on the Big Island, I’d almost finished reading the airline magazine when …
March 26, 2011
Alexandria, Virginia: DC’s Underrated Neighbor
“Why don’t you come visit us? We’ll show you around Alexandria,” my cousins implored, inviting me to spend time with them in their historic hometown. I’d never thought much about Alexandria, Virginia, as a town …
Learning From a Clown in Montevideo
It’s 10 o’clock at night in the Ciudad Vieja neighborhood of Montevideo, Uruguay. Three of us are gathered around a bench on the city’s main walking street, Peatonal Sarandí, but no one is wandering past …
March 15, 2011
The Emerald City: Seattle, Washington
Seattle is called the Emerald City, and that designation is not a misnomer. Greenery, trees, parks and flower gardens abound in this sophisticated Pacific Northwest city that seems perpetually drenched in a misty rain. Though …
March 15, 2011
Mineral Hot Springs of Agua Caliente
You don't need to travel to exotic hot springs to soak in the bounty of nature's hot mineral water. San Diegans can drive locally to Agua Caliente Hot Springs. Located a half hour south of …
March 7, 2011