May 22, 2012

(San Francisco, CA, May 22, 2012) – With their September Morocco Culinary & Cultural Tour sold out, leading exotic, adventure tour operator, Access Trips, is offering new August 2012 dates for its most popular group trip ever. Under the expert guidance of CEO, Tamar Lowell, Access Trips has perfected an itinerary for guests that goes beyond a culinary

May 9, 2012

It’s undoubtedly one of the most misunderstood symbols. The Hijab has been attacked many times, nationally and internationally. Whether you travel through America, Europe, or the Middle East one thing is evident: that you will see a Muslim woman wearing Hijab in some form. I am one of them; I reside in California and grew up in Orange County. I adore American

Jan 23, 2012

Victoria Falls is inexplicably impressive. At one mile wide and 360 feet high, it’s the largest waterfall in the world. The winding walkways through the viewing area feature 360 degree rainbows and the occasional sauntering baboon. If you’re able to schedule your visit during a full moon you can see a lunar rainbow (or moonbow) in the mist of the moonlit

Jan 1, 2012

I wouldn’t say swimming with dolphins is on my bucket list as much as it’s a lifelong obsession. While visiting Punta Cana recently, I was lucky enough to visit the Dolphin Explorer Park. I was hyperventilating with excitement when I first read the itinerary, but I had no idea what was in store for me. As we made the short drive from the Hard Rock

Dec 6, 2011

Ataturk’s Memorial in Ankara My father told me he would kill me if I ever joined the military. Out of fear – and philosophical issues – I never did. However, when I visit a place like Ataturk’s Memorial in the middle of Turkey’s capitol, Ankara, I can see the value in the force for revolution that creates change for the common good. The memorial

Dec 1, 2011

In Baran Turkey Home Cooking Turkey For those who have every braved a road trip without packing a gourmet meal before hitting the highways are left with indelible memories of awful 49 cent mini mall hotdogs and cans of cola, only to have to repeat the process every few hundred miles or so. So I planned ahead on my latest trip with FLO USA. I loaded my backpack

Oct 18, 2011

After breakfast the mistiness persisted as I read my book. I was distracted only by the hummingbirds frolicking in the bougainvilleas and by the happy chattering of the room maids. The manager offered me the services of the plantation driver to get me to the airport, where my suitcase could clear customs only with my presence. The driver, Hugh Paul, made the

Oct 15, 2011

The road curved up and over the forested mountain sides. Heavy rain, pot holes, and a complete lack of lighting meant the night time journey of 40km from the airport to La Haut plantation lasted 1.5 hours. I was in St. Lucia, but my suitcase was still in Barbados. Damn! Eventually the taxi turned into what seemed in the darkness to be a huge bush. I then saw the

Oct 13, 2011

By far one of my favorite meals in Taiwan was an unexpected stop at a breakfast stand on Kaishan Road in Tainan. Yung Chi is a popular spot with the locals. For very little money you can get a very hearty, authentic Taiwanese breakfast. Here’s what I had: Yo Tiao (a savory churro type bread), pork rice (with pork liver, not my favorite), duck eggs – I

Oct 11, 2011

Named after St Martin of Tours by Christopher Columbus, Sint Maarten/St Martin is administered by both Holland and France. Marigot is in St. Martin on the French side–No border controls – don’t worry. I was in transit and there were no left luggage lockers at Princess Juliana airport, so I decided to hire a taxi for the duration of my

Oct 8, 2011

Kitsilano, or ‘Kits’ as locals know it, used to be the Vancouver version of San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district. Nowadays, it is still a fascinating area to visit and worth a day of anyone’s time. Defining the exact area of Kitsilano is not an easy thing to do. The boundaries are roughly from Blenheim Street in the west to Main Street north of 33rd

Oct 6, 2011

The first thing I noticed walking into the original Din Tai Fung was the kitchen to the right, with table after table of kitchen help preparing tray upon tray of xiaolongbao—literally a ‘small steamer dumpling’.   The heat and humidity in the kitchen matched the weather outside and I wasn’t sure this was such a great idea. But after walking up to

Oct 4, 2011

When I checked in my bag at Port of Spain, I was flying to St. Lucia via Barbados. I was in transit for three hours in Barbados, so I asked for my suitcase to be checked through to St. Lucia. Suffice to say my suitcase didn’t arrive. This applied to eight other passengers too and there was some confusion at LIAT’s lost baggage counter. Remember to

Oct 1, 2011

I flew with LIAT nine times and generally they are a reasonable airline. However, they do some strange things on occasions. On a flight from Barbados to St. Vincent we waited on the ground for 40  minutes for a ‘package’ to arrive from St. Lucia, which didn’t arrive so we took off anyway. On the return flight, we took off 15 minutes

Sep 29, 2011

After eight days in Taiwan I realize I’ve only heard one car horn. And I’ve been in cities – Taipei, Tainan, Taichung – with cars and scooters galore. Not to mention pedestrians. A Taiwanese woman told me that the Taiwanese are a very orderly people. Maybe that’s the explanation for the unexpected quiet of the city streets. It’s a contrast to the