. . . and THAT should be an open, positive-thinking, compassionate person.Pack to give away: clothes, footwear, bungee cords, safety pins, and other convenience items we take for granted. Someone you meet may need them more than you do. Airline give-away paraphernalia (slippers, eye shades, toothbrushes) make great gifts, especially in undeveloped countries. Business-class travelers always leave these gifts behind, so collect them as you deplane. Kids love balloons. People who’ve never seen a…

I have so many electronic gadgets with a sticker on the bottom saying "Made in Taiwan". I always wondered what Taiwan was like.Well, today, I'm going to Taiwan to see for myself! :-)Guess what... the plane to Taipei leaves at 10:35 am at Chek Lap Kok... exact same time as the plane to Tokyo the week before. Coincidence? Well, 10:35 am sounds like a nice time to travel... but it also means I have to get up at 6:30 am so I have enough time to pack my stuff, check out of the hotel, and go to the …

Boarded the train at 6 pm yesterday and arrive in Katherine where we can get off for a bit . Did the Katherine gorge tour.Then back on the train to arrive in Darwin about 6:30pm. Get settled in at the Ti-Tree serviced apartments ,then check out the CBD and grab something to eat. Found an indian restaurant "Garam Masala" and tuck in to some really good Butter chicken. Very yummy. Back to the place ,chill and rest up for the next day. Spend the next few days at a more leisurly pace checking out C…

As a budding freshman at Virginia’s Lynchburg College, when term papers were still being pounded out on 30-pound typewriters, my fall break was a hitchhike along the entire length of the 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway, the meandering link between the Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains. I revisited an epic stretch of the winding, quieting two-lane road connecting Northern Virginia and Western North Carolina because this High Country is where wise folks still seek hills. BOONE (elevation 3,333),…

The train from Kyoto to Osaka is quick it only takes about 15 minutes and I get of the Shin-Osaka station. I should meet Chris and his son here at the station. But the station is pretty big - hence finding him could be a bit of a problem. So I figure I better find a phone so I can give Chris a call and we can decide how we are actually gonna find each other. While I am looking for a phone I suddenly hear somebody calling my name. And right there are Chris and Rei. This was pretty easy we…