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Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/books/item_id/2032403-On-The-Write-Path/sort_by/entry_order DESC, entry_creation_time DESC/page/6
Rated: 13+ · Book · Travel · #2032403
ON THE WRITE PATH: travel journal for Around-the-World in 2015, 16, 18.
For there are many paths.

Visitor's Center of Woolaroc in Oklahoma, Osage Nation. Tribute to Native America.



A tlog. A travel blog. A keeping-track of my trials, er.. travels.

February 26, 2015 until ... June 18,2015.
January 12, 2016 until February 15, 2016.
November 13 to 30 2018 ... 2019,

2020: Taiwain.

I went nowhere in 2021.

2022: Portugal, Thailand.

Will include: Hawai'i, Japan, Australia, South Africa, Untied Arab Emirates, Portugal, Norway, Ireland and... (2015) ... Norway and Estonia (2016), México (2018), Taiwan, Balkans, Baltics, Turkey, Costa Rica, Nicaragua.

Vi får se. *Delight*

"Where I have traveled, stayed and visited. Over 181 places.
Yellow cheer from sarah

Previous ... 2 3 4 5 -6- 7 8 9 10 11 ... Next
October 17, 2021 at 8:48pm
October 17, 2021 at 8:48pm
#1019565
I was in deep anguish at a school in the Great Lakes. I will not mention it. I despised my roommate; the feeling was mutual. I couldn't drop out unless I wanted a one-way ticket to Viet Nam. My draft number was #49. I was a goner. I decided to switch schools.

I had been invited to visit Yale that January (my only stay in Connecticut) and I knew I wanted to move to a university that was a ... university. I voraciously consumed college brochures. Oh, how naive I was!

I told my father I was going to visit Kansas. My parents must've known how desperate I was. I had never been west of Ohio Rte 7.

My father changed his vacation to March and he drove there in the '68 Dodge Polara (a car I really liked). This was special because we weren't that close (my father tried; I was just unreachable).

So... first time: Indiana, flat as a pancake Illinnoy, Misery, to Dorothy's home where the highway signs were marked by sunflowers, then back through Oklahoma, Cotton Plant, ArKansas, loooong Taenihseeee, West VA and the cold cold Spring of the North.

I only got to visit U. Kansas. My father refused to stop when we drove right past U. Tennessee. So with no other option I chose to become a Jayhawk.

I showed up at Kansas University in August. Can't anyone say heat stroke? My family dropped me off while they continued to the Grand Canyon. I've never been there.

This road trip may have saved my life. I couldn't stay where I was in spite of how lovely the region was with it waterfalls and walnut trees, the lovely view of the Beautiful Valley.

My first semester as a Jayhawk was basking in the sun and healing in the warmth of the friendly people that called Kansas their home.

~310 words
Posted in "Blogville
October 7, 2021 at 8:22pm
October 7, 2021 at 8:22pm
#1018905
I'm practicing my breathing today. I'm not all here.

I'm a ghost moving among grandchildren unseen and left to my musings as I sit in the guest house, the hosts young enough to be my children, their own children full grown. I'm invisible, watching time eddy around street vendors and travelers frolicking in groups. I gather my thoughts, as if I could hold them, pretend that the movement around me could be woven into a new life, one full of the promise of tomorrow.

I'm in Bang Saen dreaming of crabs hidden in the mangroves of Ang Sila, the monkeys of Khao Sam Muk, the walk to the temple of Wat Ko Loi in Si Racha. Or I'm in Phimai taking photos among the ruins of the Khmer. A ghost with a camera. Or I'm wherever there is life ... I'm just not here.

I listen to Radio Rad (FM 89.5) in Khon Kaen to try to stay wake. The dishes are washed and I started on the refrigerator. Angie thinks I really need to get back to cleaning. So does Travis. Dalton wanted to visit yesterday; but, I said no. I'm not ready for visitors.

I just don't want to be here. My friend Ann from Washington is in Paris. Anna Maria from Estonia is there too, visiting Isla. Cecilie from Tromso is in Oslo (but I know she'd rather be in Paris). If I left tomorrow could I see them all? I'd settle for Portugal.

I'm practicing my breathing but I did eat. And I've had a couple cups of coffee. I guess I'm not going to have much trouble finding coffee in Thailand (chorreado like in Costa Rica). The culture has some passive/aggressive aspects in common with Costa Rica. This isn't good news; but, at least I know from experience how important it is to not share what I think.

Do ghosts have voices? I'd love to find out. I'm in Maha Sarakham on a rainy day reminiscing about Wat Photaram and its Thai Noi inscriptions as I write my name in centuries old cursive. And I'm drinking coffee at Elefin in Roi Et gazing across the lake. Do ghosts drink? Do they remember their name?

~370 words
Posted in "Blogville
2872
September 1, 2021 at 7:52pm
September 1, 2021 at 7:52pm
#1016527
Elfin Dragon-finally published asks: Time to let your Snail Mail friends know what you've been up to and maybe even what you're planning. And here are some other things we're putting in the newsletter as well... "The Snail Mail Forum

l) Let us know what (or how) you're doing.

18 months of not leaving town ... and you ask?

2) News Around the World - Are there any news items you'd like to share with us which caught your eye? Are there any COVID updates which we need to be aware of?

Numbers sky high in Montana. Hospitals filling up. 63% vaxxed here in Missoula. 43% outside of Glacier Park. Only 50% statewide. Please don't visit Montana unless you are young, healthy and vaxxed.

Lots of turmoil and uncertainty worldwide. Affects travel but not the mail so much.


3) Pen Pal Letter Ideas - Do you have any ideas to share with us on what to send/write for getting that new letter written?

Make a copy of a short story or poem (unless you want to write it out long hand) and include it with a card. Sign it, date it, number it, whatever... Consider stapling it to the card, using the card as a cover.

I may do this because international rates from the US are the same whether it's a postcard or a letter or a card. I have a thousand and one poems. I'm sure I could find a few to send. I could take a piece of paper fold it into quarters and have 8 pages. Or fold it in half. Why am I not doing this? I need access to a printer.

Stamps ... ask Sonali. She's known for postmarks. Pat Boutilier sent me a card with stickers. I just received a *Ladybug* rock. *Laugh*

DO NOT SEND FLOWERS internationally or anything that may upset Customs. Same with cards. Cultural sensitivities can create unwanted problems. For instance... I wouldn't send a postcard of the flag of Taiwan to China.

Don't limit yourself to English if you know another language. I accept calligraphy and watercolors. Make your own postcards.


4) New Addresses - Do you have a new address?

Nope. Same-o, same-o. I'm hidden after December, under "others", because I don't give my birthday out. Address? Sure: PO Box 9036, Missoula, MT 59807.


5) Do you have a suggestion for me, for the Newsletter?

Speaking to myself: if you are tired of where you are at, go elsewhere or do something new. This is an issue with covid. I'm learning some basic Thai these days. Plotting a trip.

~419 words
posted in "Blogville
August 30, 2021 at 4:09pm
August 30, 2021 at 4:09pm
#1016388
No Thai (or Taiwanese) ever stands alone.

I laugh at the naive notion that a foreigner may have that he can fight an Asian from certain cultures one-on-one. Ain't happenin'. Start a fight? Be prepared for a brawl and a beating.

Few Thais or Taiwanese travel alone. The 'Noble Survivalist' is a North American myth. People survive in family groups, tribes, circle-of-friends or gangs.

Yes, people do walk alone, take the bus alone, do many things alone; but, going in pairs or groups to a bar, a cafe, school, hiking, biking, is the norm.

Criminal gangs, like the Taiwanese triads, can be a problem if someone steps on their toes (as in business, power, or money issues). Travelers and tourists need only be aware that they shouldn't start fights... ever. But exchange-students and business people need to know more. Once a person enters a culture the rules apply. Ignorance is no longer an excuse.

I break rules in the USA and in Costa Rica because I understand the cultures well. When I travel elsewhere I try to mind my behavior.

~180 words
Posted in "Blogville
August 24, 2021 at 2:32pm
August 24, 2021 at 2:32pm
#1016061
Seen on the web: "More than a few Americans fantasize about picking up their lives and moving to some seaside villa in a country where your rent is less than a car payment. It's a fantasy because while it might be affordable, few people actually end up doing it. There are things to consider other than rent when moving to a far-flung beach town. Stuff like "does anyone speak English?" Or "is the food edible?" Or "is there Wi-Fi?" Miss these answers and your turquoise-watered fantasy turns into an experience so stressful you end up back in America before getting your first sun burn."

Color me livid, a bruising purplish puce. 😈

First of all...

Why would you move anywhere, especially abroad, without checking it out first? These silly questions, and yes they are silly, can be answered in three leisurely days.

So...

You have a car? You want to rent a villa? *Laugh* Must be nice. Because... most Americans (this article was aimed at Americans) never want to live like the locals. That would be beneath them. Hint: common folks don't live in villas; common folks don't use cars to go to WalMart every day... if they have a car at all.

If you are worried about the language learn whatever the locals speak. In Thailand that isn't always Thai. It can be Pak-dai around Phuket or Lao in Isan (อีสาน). No... learning a language needn't be as difficult as it seems. Speak it every day and you get better! Mavis Moog learned Italian before moving to Italy. Hint: get over your attitude.

Is the food edible... so 24 million Taiwanese are dying because there's nothing to eat? You don't like noodles or rice? You're scared of msg? You want gluten free (eat rice and rice noodles)? You only eat what you recognize? You want to convert the world to Veganism? Hint: either become flexible or stay home.

Wi-fi... your grandparents lived without wifi. They did not starve or you wouldn't be here. However... it has become a modern necessity. For instance, there's a region west of where Robert Waltz lives, in West Virginia and Virginia (National Radio Quiet Zone (NRQZ) around Green Bank) where using wi-fi and microwave ovens is restricted or prohibited. But they don't have beaches. Beaches like mountains don't always have the same amenities as in town. Hint: learn how to ask.

In other words: Visit! Visit again! Preferably in mosquito or blizzard or smoke or drought season. Don't believe tourist bureaus or developers. Rent for a year before making life-changing decisions. Ask about water, crime, customs, taboos, whatever bugs you. Make friends. Advice: if you can't — go somewhere else.

To summerize: these internet articles are written by White Middle Class Americans who never miss a meal. If that doesn't apply to you, don't take their advice without investigating further. No one mentions the hostility towards people-of-color, those who are different, those who are gay or lesbian, those who are of the wrong religion (including Vegan Vigilantes). Visit and ask questions; you will know.

~505 words
posted in "Blogville
August 13, 2021 at 1:35pm
August 13, 2021 at 1:35pm
#1015597
McDonalds versus the World...

Shadow Prowler-Spreading Love got me thinking about food. I wrote:

Today: leftover chopped-up chicken with leftover rice and leftover pinto beans, green
salsa, finely chopped cashews. Wonderful.

Some animals can digest half-rotted meat but humans don't do as well. It's why smoking, cooking, salting, sugaring, fermenting and pickling were so necessary. Lots of disgusting food out there that's quite edible and harmless. Raw chicken isn't one of them.

McDonalds is quite edible. But is it food?

Disclaimer: healthier than what I normally eat.

But why eat at a fast food place when you have other choices?

1. Familiarity.
2. In Costa Rica = clean rest rooms.
3. Standardized. You get what you ask for.
4. High standards. Corporate HQ is very strict.
5. You're American and have no clue what real food looks and tastes like.

I can't argue with #2-4.

But it's time to get out of your comfort zone.

1. Start at home. Most towns have some sort of local foods, ethnic restaurants, markets. We have sushi, French pastries, Brazilian, Thai, Mexican (Jalisco) among others. At market: Belorussian, Syrian, Greek.

2. When traveling know the substitutes. Pljeskavica in Serbia (spiced meat patty mixture of pork, beef and lamb) will substitute for hamburgers. Batidos in Costa Rica is basically a smoothie (I like mine with avocado). Korean bingsu is shaved ice as is Costa Rican copos dos leches. Hazelnut spread is cheaper than peanut butter in Europe. In the Balkans use ajvar instead of ketchup.

3. Go to markets. You can see the food! In Taiwan try night markets. In Japan street vendors. If there's a line the food is most likely fresh. I've ordered deep fried mudshrimp in Lugang. Takoyaki in Tokyo and Chaiyi. Swiss rosti (think potato cake) in Tromso in Northern Norway.

4. Pasta and pastries are everywhere. From wheat noodles to rice noodles. Rice and bread are common as are caakes and crackers. The toppings, fillings and sauces may look strange and the spices different but 'sandwiches' are found around the world.

5. If you are in someone's home say 'thank-you'. If you have difficulties due to allergies it's okay to apologetically say no (tell them beforehand); same if you don't drink alcohol. If you are vegan... say a prayer and try to be flexible. Try everything if you can stomach it. Locals know how to properly prepare foods you'll never get a chance to eat at home.

~420 words
Posted in "Blogville

I made a list of prompts. This was number 29. No hurry. There are 362 days in most years. *Smile*
August 6, 2021 at 1:36pm
August 6, 2021 at 1:36pm
#1015234
I travel the world... or is that travelled?

Most everywhere I've been they accepted cash... except Sweden... which was going plastic years ago (cashless by 2023 they say).

Cash is actually easier. I give you 100 dinari you give me burek! I give you NT$100 you give me sushi. I knew my numbers when I was 10 years old. But plastic. *Sad* It seems easier until you don't have the right type of plastic, when you need one for buses, another for trains, one for food, a third to pay for the room... ah, Sweden... you're a p.i.t.a. Cash isn't universally accepted.

So you like paying by phone? Nice! You're also paying fees and your phone knows where you are and that means someone somewhere knows what you bought when and where. It's funny that Americans who demand "freedom" are so willing to give it up when $$$ are involved.

And yes, I do have a debit card for major purchases. I don't have credit because it's too easily abused. Try buying a plane ticket with cash though...

I pay rent by old fashioned check.

When I travel I always hide a $20 in the bottom of my suitcase. I also tend to stash a bill or three elsewhere. I keep track of my foreign money because it cannot always be exchanged easily in other countries. Except in Serbia... where borders with Bosnia, Romania, Hungary, Makedonia, Bulgaria... means money exchangers (it seems at every corner in Beograd). The dinar (RSD) is the only currency acceptable in Serbia.

Dollars are not accepted everywhere. Euros are not accepted everywhere. But neither is Visa or Mastercard or UnionPay.

So... in a cashless society, how does someone, anyone, buy anything without a smartphone, internet connection or a piece of plastic? They don't. I imagine myself sitting on the street corner begging for food because the money in my bank is worthless.

You might want to think about that in a cashless society.

~325 words

Posted in "Blogville
June 10, 2021 at 11:20pm
June 10, 2021 at 11:20pm
#1011653
GROUP
Blogging Circle of Friends   (E)
A group for WDC bloggers.
#1901868 by House Florent is ready


You have an opportunity to distribute an etiquette primer to every passenger on your next commercial flight. What does it say?

1. Be courteous. None of us are getting off this flight without the others. Courtesy may vary according to custom. Know where you are going and be aware that passengers fly both ways.
2. Follow the rules. Do what the stewards or pilot tells you to do. Arguments are best settled in court, not at 30,000 feet in the air. Safety is truly their #1 concern.
3. Be prepared. Know what you need beforehand to get on the plane, what you need in flight (like medications), what you need to get off. What you may need if connections are missed. Worry may make you miserable. Most airlines try to make your flight as comfortable as possible. Consult your steward.
4. Be aware of others. Strong odors, loud sounds, inappropriate clothing... anything that impinges on your seatmates may create issues and delay your flight plans. Don't become a character in someone's horror story. Consult your steward. Don't fly drunk.
5. In conversations... know that others may hold views contrary to yours. If you can have a quiet civil conversation few topics are verboten but... never joke about hijacking, hostages, or make fun of fellow passengers. This is neither the place nor time. Eye masks and earplugs, a polite smile can be your friend. Faking sleep... or actually sleeping can resolve many issues.

Advice:

A. BOOK THE SEAT YOU NEED. If you need an aisle seat, book an aisle seat. Expecting others to get up a dozen times is not okay. On the other hand, if you book an aisle seat be prepared to get up. Practice the virtue of tolerance.
B. If you have personal issues make sure that the stewards know. However, this should be done before you get on a plane, not after. An example is peanut allergies or special food requests. If you weigh 400 pounds then you need to understand the size of the seats. 1st class may be your only option... or paying for two or more seats. This should be done beforehand. Some seats are 17" across. Be advised that this is uncomfortable for many average sized people. (It should be illegal imho, but hey...) As is 28" legroom. Try to book seats with 32" on long flights if this is an issue. Consult SeatGuru. Speak to the airlines. Once seated there is little that anyone can do. If you are literally scared of flying talk to your doctor and therapist beforehand. Or don't fly.

Posted in
FORUM
The Bard's Hall Contest  (13+)
MARCH on with an Acrostic poem!
#981150 by StephBee

2807
June 5, 2021 at 9:43pm
June 5, 2021 at 9:43pm
#1011372
In the last two days I visited Hungary, Syria and Lithuania before taking a flight home from Poland.

It started in Buda... or was it Pest?

Yesterday I talked to a lady feeding cats, visited the grandeur that once was Buda... and still is. I crossed the bridge to Margaret Island and watched the musical fountain for what seemed like hours. It must've been only 45 minutes.



We talked about how BudaPest was a blue dot in a sea of red. How people's fears made no sense. How a lack of education and contact with the outside world may be a factor. It sounded familiar.

But today it was Syria and harissa (basbousa) made with coconut, yoghurt and pistachios. I washed it down with coffee. The coffee didn't need sugar. *Angelic*

No photo! Therefore no evidence other than crumbs. It was a short but pleasant visit.

Then, it was off to Lithuania to talk about Vilnius, Šiauliai, and the Hill of Crosses. Jonasz sells sheep cheese and lamb. He was out of curds. *Sad* But... he knew about donkey milk! He smiled when I mentioned pink soup. Lithuanians seldom smile.



We spoke about some people prefer cash, others plastic. Poland is plastic it seems; Berlin is cash. Tomorrow it would be nice to visit Wrocław before taking my flight from Warszawa. We shall see.

Note: I may not have left town for over a year but thanks to meeeting a Hungarian at an art show last evening and men from Syria and Lithuania at the farmer's market I felt like I had. I've actually been to Budapest and Lithuania. Unfortunately, not Syria.

For
FORUM
The Bard's Hall Contest  (13+)
MARCH on with an Acrostic poem!
#981150 by StephBee


2799
June 1, 2021 at 5:00pm
June 1, 2021 at 5:00pm
#1011108
Any trip to the Balkans is fraught with confronting an uneasy history. And one of the controversies concerns Mother Teresa.

In 2017 I visited Kosovo, Albania and Makedonia. It's impossible to move among Albanians and not be aware of Mother Teresa. But let's go back in history to Roman times. Even then Christianity was a potent part of the regional culture.

It began in Ulpiana, a Roman crossroads on the Illyrian plains rebuilt by Emperor Justinian (most likely an Illyrian) after the earthquake of 518.

Ulpiana, Roman city ruins, outside of Prishtina, 17.shtator.2017. Rebuilt after quake 518

[photo of basilica, baptistry and me]

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1812766338757982&set=a.1672757769425507

Christian Illyria was already established in present day Kosovo near Prishtina. The church ruins lay under Serbian cornfields for centuries, some still do, but the Illyrians weren't Slavs. Slavs came later and may have mixed with Illyrian peoples. But who cares you might say?

The Albanians, the Greeks, the Bulgarians...

Because of their arguing even the new cathedral (2017) in Prishtina was opposed by some.

Devotional altar in the Cathedral of Saint Mother Teresa in Pristina, Kosovo, 2017.

[bas relief of Mother Teresa inside the sacristy]

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1738525219515428&set=a.1672757769425507

Nënë Tereza did not establish peace in her homeland. Her mission lay elsewhere. She went to Ireland at age 18 to learn English and then India her adopted land.

Her life began in 1910 in a house in Skopje, now in Makedonia where Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu was born to Albanian parents. The house stood until 1963 when Skopje was leveled by an earthquake. The spot is outlined on the pavement.

Nearby they constructed a memorial house and chapel.

September, 2017 photo taken in Skopje, Makedonia.

[Memorial House and Chapel]

Memorial House of Mother Teresa, Скопје, 28. септември.2017 (also a chapel)

[another view]

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1731865290181421&set=a.1691460280888589
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1731862930181657&set=a.1691460280888589

Everyone writes about the missions and spiritual side of Mother Teresa but it's impossible to visit regions where there are Albanians and not know about her. She has become a cultural icon as well. The airport of Tirana, Albania (TIA) is called Aeroporti Ndërkombëtar i Tiranës Nënë Tereza. The main pedestrian mall in Prishtina, Kosovo bears her name and has a statue of her.

Statue in Mall Nene Tereza that bears her name, Prishtina, Kosovo, 2017.

[Mall Nënë Tereza statue]

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1639241332777151&set=a.1672757769425507

And you won't miss seeing her to the left as you approach the sanctuary in St. Stephens Cathedral in Shkodra, Albania either.

St. Stephens Catholic Cathedral, Shkodër, Albania, Note Mother Teresa on left. 2017

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1726100607424556&set=a.1691519717549312

Because most Albanians are Muslim, not everyone was eager to embrace her. Because she was Catholic this was a problem among Orthodox Serbians. So much for spirituality...

The entire region is still deeply divided into tribes which believe fighting over religion for the last 500 years is appropriate... except perhaps for the more peaceful Bosniaks, and Montenegrins. Then there's the Albanian concept of besa (a pledge of honor).

For instance, during World War II under German occupation, Albanians rescued and hid over 2000 Jews from Nazi persecution, motivated in part by the cultural institution of besa that emphasizes aiding and protecting people in moments of need.

Most assuredly, Mother Teresa grew up with this spiritual concept of honor and providing sanctuary.

So, it's sad that the legacy of Mother Teresa cannot bring the Balkans together spiritually like Josip Broz Tito did politically. Without a spiritual underpinning that too did not last.

© Copyright 2021 Kåre Enga [178.96] (29.qershor.2021)


~490 words

For
FORUM
The Christian Writing Contest  (E)
Featured in Schnujo's CONTEST CHALLENGE for June 2021!
#1376214 by ruwth

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