Jose’ Marti Airport in Cuba As travelers, Americans have traditionally been well treated by other countries. Most allow us to enter with a tourist visa obtained at the entry point – whether by land, air or sea. Occasionally, a visa must be requested prior to arriving by sending passports to embassies for processing. Because of… Read more »
I first noticed the hot air balloon option for tourists at Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia. These extensive thousand year old ruins spread over 40 miles with the tallest peaking out over the surrounding jungle. It’s hard to grasp the extend of the temples without an aerial view. But what ascends must descend and… Read more »
Apartment in Paris Europeans have long known the secret to economic lodging and a solution to small hotel rooms – rent an apartment. That’s not a surprise since many workers on the Continent have the month of August to vacation and a hotel room would be quite small for all those many days. Americans are… Read more »
I’m not often jealous of an inanimate object. But I have never had a helicopter ride and our Christmas tree has. It wasn’t a long flight – only about a minute. This was just enough time to lift 30 to 40 other trees and transport them to a warehouse for shipping. I was talking to… Read more »
I travel a lot. That doesn’t mean I’m the most organized voyager. I do know to make copies of the itinerary, check on the electrical current at the destination, and even confirm the expiration date of my passport. But despite reading articles on how to pack efficiently, reviewing check lists, and keeping a well-stocked toiletry… Read more »
Celebrating July 4th is a shared tradition for all Americans, whether we were born here or arrived as fast as we could.. We may not agree on religion, politics, or social mores, but we all appreciate our Independence Day. Over this week-end in Paris, we had a parade, fireworks, municipal band concert, and lots of… Read more »
The first decision to be made before traveling is where to journey. Widespread travel for the middle class exploded after World War II. Today, we are overwhelmed with the options available for exploring all parts of the United States and the world and the destination decision can be daunting. Yet, Alain de Botton, in his… Read more »
Terry is not my aunt. She is my sister-in-law. But we often travel together. “I’m the tia” she would say to everyone. “Tia”, aunt in both Spanish and Italian, could be understood in Italy, Spain, and Central America where she visited her nieces and nephew in their education and Peace Corps experiences. Of course, the… Read more »
The First Presbyterian Church of Clarksville is 175 years old this year, earning the honor of being the oldest continuously operating Protestant church in Texas. A celebration was in order and I traveled to Clarksville in June to attend its anniversary choral service. The combined Presbyterian and Methodist choirs performed with smiles and great energy…. Read more »
I may be wrong ,but I suspect no readers of this column clip my article and send it to their mother like I do. That means most of my columns (as well as Mary Madewell’s editorials and Toni Clem’s film comments and Sam Craft’s photos, etc.) end up in the trash! Thanks to Christians in… Read more »
Mary with statue of John Lennon in Havana, Cuba park
Mary riding camel in Jordan desert
Mary Surrounded by Hmong women selling their wares in Sapa, Vietnam
Mary on glacier in southern New Zealand