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2 days ago
2 min

Humps and Lumps—Our Camel Safari in an Indian Desert.

Relax, don't hold on so tight, my camel handler advises me. Easier said than done. I’m white-knuckled and stiff as a board; gravity is wo...

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Cheryl

Aug 16
5 min

Varanasi

Indescribable is rarely a genuine descriptor; unless you’re taking about India’s most holy of cities—Varanasi. Nothing matches the comple...

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Phalluses and Fertility in The Land of the Thunder Dragon

Cheryl

Jul 4
11 min

Phalluses and Fertility in The Land of the Thunder Dragon

My husband has been scrolling through websites for what seems like hours, searching for the right tour company to make our dream a realit...

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Trekking to Bhutan's Sacred Tiger's Nest

Cheryl

Jul 4
2 min

Trekking to Bhutan's Sacred Tiger's Nest

I'm halfway through my trek and completely out of breath when I see it for the first time—The Tiger's Nest. Clinging to a cliff side 800 ...

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Foggy Recollections of an Armenian Village

Cheryl

May 14
4 min

Foggy Recollections of an Armenian Village

I’m wearing every last bit of clothing I packed, and yet, the dampness seeps through, chilling me to the bone. But the Wings of Tatev wil...

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Cheryl

May 3
4 min

The Disappearing Aral Sea

Hulking, rusting ships, part of a former fishing fleet, lie incongruously in their desert graveyard. We're in Moynaq, Uzbekistan, once a...

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Life Spills Out into the Streets of Centro Havana

Cheryl

Apr 14
4 min

Life Spills Out into the Streets of Centro Havana

The friendly baker next door shouts ¡Hola, amigos! as we leave our apartment each day. Four weeks into our stay in Centro Havana, we feel...

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The Daily Hassle of Buying Basic Necessities in Havana

Cheryl

Apr 11
4 min

The Daily Hassle of Buying Basic Necessities in Havana

Jostling for space, we peer through the window of a grocery store in Havana, Cuba. Seeing large containers of water we join the growing l...

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Escape From Spain-Yes, I'm a Boomer and Yes, My Kids Were Right-I Should Have Come Home Sooner

Cheryl

Apr 8
5 min

Escape From Spain-Yes, I'm a Boomer and Yes, My Kids Were Right-I Should Have Come Home Sooner

It doesn’t sink in until we see that our fellow travellers are wearing Tyvek suits, gloves, masks and face shields—we have waited too lon...

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Journey to Lahic, One of the Oldest Human Settlements in Azerbaijan

Cheryl

Jan 19
4 min

Journey to Lahic, One of the Oldest Human Settlements in Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan’s Baku International Bus Terminal, a massive multi-complex packed with stores, is more labyrinth than transit hub. The ticket ...

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Cheryl

Jan 3
4 min

Toro Toro, Bolivia

It's 7am, and we're waiting outside the Toro Toro National Park offices in a town of the same name. There are more guides than tourists i...

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Cheryl

Dec 26, 2019
4 min

Tunisia, North Africa

My heart is racing. It's day two of our trip and already I've lost two daughters and a son-in-law. When planning our trip to Tunisia, I ...

35 views1 comment

Cheryl

Dec 14, 2019
3 min

Baku, Azerbaijan

Baku is lush, verdant, green — and surrounded by desert. Home to 4 million people and a forest of giant trees set amid manicured lawns, t...

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Cheryl

Dec 3, 2019
2 min

Karni Mata--Temple of Rats

It's festival time and the small Indian town of Deshnok in Rajasthan, India is awash in colour as pilgrims, dressed in their finest saris...

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Cheryl

Aug 17, 2019
3 min

Salar de Uyuni (Salt Flats), Bolivia

Our oldest daughter, Shannon, is skeptical as she scans tour agency reviews. “This one is a no-go,” she says. “The driver got drunk, dro...

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Cheryl

Jul 14, 2019
2 min

Madidi National Park

Monsoon rains beat on our roof and flood the streets of Rurrenabaque, a tiny town considered to be the gateway to Bolivia’s rain forest. ...

58 views1 comment

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