Riobamba, Ecuador –
What kind of freeloading cheapskate rides on top of the train?
Oh yeah, us.
And we paid for this?
Yup! Paid good money for this.
Unfortunately, it may no longer be an option (riding on top of the train). That’s what health and safety concerns get you.
Dallas, TX –
Something will always go wrong. You just don’t know what until “it” happens.
There was one trip where everything was great, except when we were dealing with airports. Yes, most people hate dealing with airports to begin with, but this trip stands out to this day.
It started out on the small, insignificant side. Our itinerary was to fly from Dallas/Ft. Worth to London, then change airports and fly on to Paris. Then reverse this path on the way home.
Huế, Vietnam –
The car was rusted out with the original paint faded but still showing.
It was obviously a cherished relic, roped off, with a placard in front, proclaiming its holiness. Behind it, on the wall, was an all too familiar image. A monk, sitting on the street in Saigon, immolating himself, as the tensions were rising that would eventually lead to the Vietnam War.
In the famous photo, behind the flaming monk, sat a car. The same car he had driven down from Huế. The very car that stood in this place of honor.
Paris, France –
Yep, we were accosted, in broad daylight, in a crowded square in the popular Montmartre neighborhood, in front of everyone.
Sacre bleu! Who would do such a thing?
Well…
Siem Reap, Cambodia –
Eyes closed. Mouth open in anticipation of his next delicious morsel. The giant head sticks out of the ground, waiting for a child to come along. Why put any effort into finding his next meal, if they will come to him, eagerly climbing into his mouth?
What were they thinking? Is this some sort of cruel joke? Or is there some Cambodian folk tale about giants that are buried up to their heads? Maybe they are coming out of the ground, and that this is how certain mountains or other landscape features were formed…
San Francisco, CA –
“The whale watching is great this summer!”
“We guarantee you’ll see a whale.”
Nope, not happening…
Port Zélande, Netherlands –
“Which one of you is into cooking?”
It was the first thing out of Dore’s mouth the moment we first met our flat-mates for the weekend. No “Hi, good to meet you.” Not even any effort to feel them out and see if they cared about food, much less cooking it.
And from the looks on their faces, they didn’t. Or at least they hadn’t considered doing any while here.
Nope, Dore was determined to leap head first into recreating our flat-mate experience from the previous time we were here.
Chaing Dao, Thailand –
“Just give me the bananas and no one will get hurt…”
The trunk stretches through the fence towards me, grabbing the bunch of bananas from my hand. Any thought of not giving them to this particular elephant is gone. All along the fence, elephants are being fed bunches of bananas and bundles of sugar cane. There are signs posted asking that you give the whole bunch at once to the elephants, not to parcel them out one at a time, otherwise the elephants are likely to get frustrated and angry. You don’t want to get an elephant angry…
Somewhere in the Andes, Ecuador –
Sploosh!
Good thing…
Sploosh!
my eyes are closed…
Sploosh!
because these Yachak keep…
Sploosh!
spewing some sort of…
Sploosh!
alcoholic liquid across…
Sploosh!
my face as they…
Sploosh!
make their way…
Sploosh!
around the circle.
The air was crisp and cool. We were gathered in a circle around an altar in the yard that was covered in fresh fruit and other offerings as the Yachak, Ecuadorian Shamans, formed a circle between our group and the altar, performing a cleansing ceremony on us.
