Happy Earth Day everyone! I thought about writing a post about how we need to protect our fragile planet, reduce, reuse, recycle and support political leaders and businesses that safeguard the environment. But I realized that all my readers are smart, environmentally conscious people who are […]
One of the downsides to living in Alaska, even though we technically have 24 hours of sunlight in the summer, is that we often get weeks of rain and don’t see the sun. It is depressing when it is 49 degrees outside in July with pouring […]
“Did you experience any anti-Americanism?” “Was it dangerous?” “Did you eat your body weight in falafel?” These are common questions I get after traveling to the Middle East.
I was all set to do a Top 2013 photos of 2013 post. I thought 2013 photos from 2013 had a nice ring to it, plus it would spare me the arduous task of narrowing down my favorite and best photos.
The muezzin’s call to prayer always reminds me that I am someplace exotic. Well, that and camels. More than veiled women and squiggly writing, when I see camels and/or hear the call to prayer over the crackling speakers, I realize I am a long ways […]
Before we took off for Europe in September, I posted my nine pre-trip expectations. Let’s check in to see how those expectations worked out.
We went to Pamukkale for the surreal landscapes and the Roman ruins. Although very beautiful and interesting, we found the tourists to be more entertaining. Pamukkale, meaning “cotton castle,” is a white cliff face formed by the calcified deposits of mineral waters that rush from […]
Here is a recipe for an incredible travel destination: Start with a whimsical, fairy-tale landscape of hoodoos, ravines, valleys, and crazy rock formations. Add in a series of 2000-year-old underground cities, places where Christians took refuge during times of war with the Arabs, Persians and […]
I was on the rooftop lounge of our guesthouse, looking out over a rain-soaked Istanbul, when I put the final touches on a post called On Not Falling in Love With Istanbul. Shortly thereafter, the rain subsided, the sun came out, and the wind changed […]
In order to fall in love, the timing must be right. Conditions must be perfect. Love is a fickle, volatile thing.
When this post goes live, I will be somewhere in the air on the way to Istanbul. At least I hope to be. If the Bells get on the wrong airplane like this couple, we could end up on the wrong continent. We have about […]
Planet Bell 