Aloha Oahu

Hawaii = Paradise. It's just beautiful. We were on Oahu for 4 short days and spent our time enjoying the beach at the hotel and driving around the island. We have been to Oahu twice before so we had already seen Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, Waikiki Beach, etc. One day we drove to the North Shore, another [...]

Advertisement

Tokyo–Not what I expected

I have never been to Asia so I was pretty excited to go to Tokyo.  Tokyo is a hugely populated, modern city. Turns out that it isn't that different looking than any other city. At least, I didn't think so. There are cars and stores and restaurants like any other place. Starbucks, McDonalds, Burger King [...]

Phuket

I was really excited about going to Phuket. It's known for its beautiful beaches and wonderful resorts and it has been one of the vacation spots I always wanted to visit while we lived in the Middle East but never got around to it. Phuket did not disappoint. It is a piece of paradise. The [...]

Bangkok

At night, the river that runs through Bangkok is lined with colorfully lit buildings and the river is filled with water taxis and dinner cruise boats lit with twinkly white lights. Bangkok is quite beautiful at night. Then the sun comes up. The modern buildings that were all lit up the night before are surrounded [...]

Dubai – Part 2

We lived in Dubai for 3 years and I think it rained twice the entire time. In the 2 weeks we have been here it has has rained or been cloudy more than half the time. Clouds is not something I expected to see a lot of in Dubai. Apparently, they are 'seeding' the clouds [...]

Dubai – Part 1

  It is so good to be back in Dubai. I already know my way around the city and it's fun to visit the places I used go when we lived here and see all the changes that have happened since we moved away. The first day here I met some old friends for drinks [...]

Basel, Switzerland

  Just a quick trip to Basel. It's such an easy city to fly or take the train in and out of. Old Town Basel is full of restaurants and shops along cobblestone streets. Along the Rhine River is Basel Munster, a large sandstone cathedral with beautiful carvings and stained glass windows. I've been to [...]

Paris

  First stop, Paris. John met me in the Basel Airport on Tuesday and we headed straight to Paris on the train. Wednesday morning, John went to the office and I hit the pavement. It was raining so it was a perfect day for the Louvre.  The Louvre is filled with vast collections of artwork [...]

Pre-trip to Playa del Carmen

Annie and I joined our friends, Carol and Claire, on a week long trip to Playa del Carmen, Mexico, a few weeks before my RTW trip.  Playa del Carmen is a busy beachside town with lots of shops, great restaurants and bars along the lengthy, walking only Calle Quinta Avenida. We stayed in a condo right on the [...]

The Itinerary