We love to travel and for the past four years we’ve been doing just that – enjoying winters abroad and exploring the far flung bits of the world. Life is amazing and miraculously fresh when you travel. There are ancient sites, new wonders and remarkable people to meet all over the globe. There are fascinating new foods, the delicious tingle of other languages you almost understand and the puzzles, the confusions and the fine art of getting lost – all of which must be savored with patience and a dash of fun if you are to enjoy traveling. Yet in all my years of globe trotting I can honestly say there us one part of traveling that I absolutely abhor.
Are You Pulling Your Weight in the World?
There are many images of India that I will carry away with me, but one of the most outstanding is of the thin, sinewy, obviously strong women walking along the side of the road carrying enormous bundles of wood on their heads. These bundles consist of 30 to 50 lbs. of 2″ to 3″ thick sticks of between 10′ to 14′ in length.
How do I know?
Around the World with Tommy T
I’m off on a big adventure: spending the winter months on the far side of the globe. I have several intentions: 1) to get away from the rain and cold of Vancouver, 2) to travel to places I’ve always dreamed of going to and 3) to spend some downtime writing a new book. Michele and I flew from Canada on New Year’s Eve and it took 2 full days before we arrived at our destination: the tropical beaches of Goa, India. We felt it would be an easier intro to a land of hugely different cultures and languages.
The following video is a compilation of impressions within the first few days where the friendly Goan people mix with the millions of foreigners who arrive every winter to bask in the sun and enjoy a bit of hedonism before heading back to their own cold countries and the daily grind. Traveler’s often keep a dairy or take notes and nowadays we blog. I am particularly blessed by the intricate talents of my partner with her tenacity, patience and ingenuity with web creation, writing and video production. Thank you so much Michele for bringing this alive for everyone back home. Great job. Here’s Michele’s take on what we thought we’d find, and what, in fact showed up for us.
Priceless!
As we neared the tiny shop sitting half a block from the main part of town, Michele cringed visibly. The grey wooden storefront had caught my eye as soon as we turned the corner in the charming seaside town of Sidney-by-the-Sea on Vancouver Island. It had been a blustery, rain-lashed crossing on the morning ferry from Vancouver and we were searching for a second hand store where she might find an almost new rain jacket to enjoy the long beach rambles we were planning. But I could tell from Michele’s crossed arms and defiant manner that this was definitely not the kind of upscale consignment store filled with trendy, but reasonably priced clothing she had hoped to discover.
Got that Sinking Feeling
Every summer my job is to pick up people who sail into Montague harbour on Galiano Island and ferry them on a big yellow school bus five miles inland to the Hummingbird Pub where they can enjoy a meal and a few pints. I’ve become a bit of a legend on the Pacific northwest for the old time tunes and fun ride.
One evening I got a phone call and a very excited voice on the other end of the line said, “Someone at the pub has a boat that is sinking at the dock.”