How did a simple chat about my phone with a man–a complete stranger (see below)–lead to some crazy shopping in a busy market and then, eventually, to me taking a 17-hour overnight bus ride with him and 20 teenagers a few days later? Read on to find out! Part I: Chatting at a Cafe Where:…
When I first spotted him in the Aleppo Souq (market) in Syria, I thought–he looks like a body builder. An Arnold Schwarzenegger lookalike, perhaps, but not exactly. See, he was built. Really built. And I’d never seen anyone quite like that in the Middle East. And I was taken aback by it. I Tried Not…
Here in the US, we have Mischief Night, which falls on Halloween Eve. In Boquete, Panama, there may be something called Mischief Day, which is celebrated just about anytime. As you’ll see in Random Travel Moment #3, a few kids plus a cat (any color–not just black) can equal… midday mischief. Or (and I’m wondering…
In a matter of minutes, I went from having a large/lovely beach pretty much to myself to having lunch with a leftover hippy/beach dweller/Rasta-like guy and then, briefly, being part of a quirky party he was having under his private lean-to. How the heck did this happen? Well, Random Travel Moment #2 was no different…
Random travel moments are often some of my favorite ones. They occur anywhere and at anytime and often involve people whom you met because you just happened to be somewhere in a given moment. There’s usually a mini travel tale to tell, too. Here’s the first random travel moment I’d like to share as part…
