Author Archives: Jim

Too Much of a Good Thing

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Comfort corrupts the righteous traveler. In measured doses it can be a good thing, but after too much pretty soon it all starts seeming normal. You become accustomed to a new standard, which makes it difficult to return to the kind of travel that takes you interesting places, places where there is the possibility of the unexpected. And all of the best experiences are unexpected. Chiang Mai is well known among travellers and expats as a comfortable place to hole up for a while. Good accommodations, scores of restaurants with some of the best food on the planet, and enough … Continue reading →

Some Time in Thailand

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When we left home a week ago there was a blanket of snow on the ground, with more snow in the forecast. It was cold and calm. When we landed in Bangkok almost 24 hours later it was quiet the opposite–hot and hectic. Within a few minutes I couldn’t even remember what cold felt like. Or calm, for that matter. Thailand is vivid, a sensual smorgasbord. We don’t feel culture shock, exactly–we’ve been here before and knew what to expect. But the sensory overload takes some getting used to. And, I have to say, it seems to be taking us … Continue reading →

A Useful Expression

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There is a curious phrase in Guatemalan Spanish: fíjase que.. (FEE-heh-say kay). A sentence that begins with Fíjase que…never ends well. You know you are about to hear some disappointing news. In the three days it took for our luggage to catch up with us it was a phrase I heard several times. It is the kind of colloquial expression that can have many meanings. However dictionary definitions–such as “note that…” or “just imagine!” –completely fail to capture how it is used in Guatemala. It can mean “Go figure”, as in “Go figure, you arrived here but your luggage didn’t. … Continue reading →

Out of India

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As I write this we are sitting in the Frankfurt, Germany, airport, the first stop on our way home. Already India is receding in my rear view mirror. Before it gets too distant I wanted to write about some general impressions I had. In preparation for the trip we talked to people who had been to India, and I read a lot of information online from other travelers. One thing I have learned over the years is that everyone takes their own trip; one person’s experiences or opinions may be quite different from another’s. Nonetheless I formed some ideas of … Continue reading →

A Colorful Finish

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We’ve wrapped up our trip with two of India’s most iconic monuments, a festival so colorful and crazy that it is hard to describe, and a goofy ceremony. If there is one place that is identified with India more than any other it is the Taj Mahal, in Agra. It was built by Shah Jahan to memorialize his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to her 14th child, at the age of 38. Construction began in 1632 and took 20,000 artisans 22 years to complete. Had Mumtaz Mahal seen the monument while she was alive I am sure … Continue reading →