The Write Brain

Around the World in a Single Blog, Part I

2011-12-09T05:46:00.226-08:00

"Minds are like parachutes.
They only function when they are open."

~Sir James Dewar, Scientist (1877-1925)

2011 Thailand Writers Retreat in Chiang Mai, Thailand

I'm no stranger to airplanes. By my best count, I've been on 14 this year, starting with a 17+-hour KLM jaunt from Arctic-like Amsterdam to sun-baked Bangkok on New Year's Day 2011.

After that, I could hardly stop moving. Rather than settle down in frigid North Europe to write the memoir I started at Wendy Goldman Rohm's inspired Thailand Writers Retreat in Chiang Mai, I flew off to California in February for the Bicycle Club of Irvine Banquet and daunting task of cleaning out my Sunset Beach studio. You'd be amazed how many tschotskes, love letters and can't-part-with miscellany a girl can collect in 29 years!

With Brooke in A'dam

March brought sunshine (and Brooke) to Amsterdam and there was no reason to leave town during glorious tulip season. By May, I was off to South Africa to ride with the rhinos—a feat that cost me three front teeth after a freak accident on the Savannah Wildlife Preserve. Humbled, I flew home toothless from Johannesburg and licked my wounds (and gums) for a few months.

Man meets beast on the Savannah Wildlife Preserve

By October, I had something to smile about: Biking Through the Legends of Colonial Villages based at stunning Hacienda las Trancas in colonial Mexico. Lovingly restored by a North Carolina couple who gave new meaning to "early retirement" when they purchased the 450-year-old presidio in 2003 (after googling "haciendas for sale"), the once crumbling property now resembles one of Mexico's great castles. Visit over Presidents Day Weekend 2012 and enjoy exclusive use of the premises!


Margarita time at Hacienda las Trancas

After all this moving about, I can tell you this: travel takes its toll. There are wondrous, magical places on Earth, but visiting them requires planning, packing, endless waits in security (when you REALLY have to pee) and umpteen hours in cramped airline seats when you'd kill for a bed. So I'll save you the trouble! Strap yourselves in and come with me on a vicarious adventure, through highlights of my 10-month, around-the-world journey.

Karen Longneck Tribe

First stop: Thailand

The land of smiles and sin drew me to its mystical north, chaotic capital, seedy ports and seductive islands. After commiserating with fellow authors in Chiang Mai on works-in-progress about everything from happiness to racism, I took off for the Karen Longneck Tribe, an elephant camp, orchid farm, Doi Inthanon National Park and classes at the Pad Thai Cookery School, of which I am a Master Chef graduate!

Doi Inthanon Nat'l Park,
the "roof of Thailand"

Thai carving

Highlights: Wendy Goldman Rohm's Thailand Writer's Retreat, watching elephants paint, long-neck women (locally fashionable, medically barbaric), Thai carving class, night markets, street food, pot-bellied men in Pattaya with "rent-a-girls" on their arms, beaching it on Ko Samui

Best bargain: In-room, two-hour Thai massage at the Sakulchi Palace in Chiang Mai for 600 baht (about $10)

Watch out for: Tuk-tuk drivers who change the rate mid-route (get it in writing before taking off); Thais who bow, smile, tell you kap-kun-kah and anything you want to hear without understanding a word you've said

Overlooking Prinsengracht

Dam Square Carnival

Gareth in the Monkey Chair

Rod and Mir Heydon

Stop #2: Amsterdam

With the spring thaw, tulips bloom, days stretch, tourist season begins, boats ply the canals, carnivals fill Dam Square and Dutchies flock to outdoor cafés to soak up the lekker (delicious) sun.

When Brooke visited, we toured the city and its waterways, had a pasta party and ate traditional Dutch food (think boil, dry and mash!) at Moeder's, (Mother's), a 20-year-old establishment filled to the rafters with Dutch kitsch, offering such specialties as stamppot (potatoes mashed up with endive, carrots or any other root veggie, topped with a plump sausage and gobs of rich gravy).

Highlights: BBQs on the deck, 14+-hour days, flowers everywhere, street entertainment, Queensday in April, Gay Pride in June

Best bargains: People-watching, break dancers in Leidseplein, Dam Square entertainers, Vondelpark skaters

Watch out for: Pickpockets, tourists on MacBikes, Dutchies riding with no hands

Stop #3: Cape Town

Spectacular Chapman's Peak Drive
links Hout Bay with Noordoek

You can count on Doug Lofland and Bike Beyond Boundaries to

deliver culturally enriching, thoughtfully planned cycling tours. On this mission, we scouted two new itineraries: Bike Beautiful Cape Town, the Cape Winelands and Western Cape Province and South African Biking Safari: The Savannah Game Preserve.

The country that charmed Paul Simon, Bono, Angelina Jolie, Madonna and other celebrity philanthropists first revealed its magic to us at the serene Makuti Lodge in Hout Bay. From here, we ventured into the Mother City's hectic City Bowl heart and explored the Cape Riviera and resort-style beaches of Clifton, Camp Bay and Llandudno.

Adopt a
Jikeleza Dance Project dancer

Nestled on the back slopes of Table Mountain in a stunning natural harbor, Hout Bay is adjacent to Imizamo Yethu Township, where children's smiles belie living conditions that would make any Westerner pale. The joy is palpable at the Jikeleza Dance Project, a nurturing environment for self-expression and the development of discipline, confidence, poise and team spirit.

A few kilometers away, multi-million-rand mansions owned by Leo di Caprio, David Beckham, George Clooney and other celebs, plus those of a few "buppies," South Africa's newly moneyed black professionals, drape Cape Peninsula hillsides.

World of Birds, largest
bird sanctuary in Africa and
second largest in the world

On the Western Cape, World of Birds offered immersion into the home of 3,000 birds and small mammals―from neon flamingos and giant ostriches to indigenous barbets and weavers. Rescued inhabitants are part of a captive breeding program designed to reintroduce them to their natural habitat once they're fit to survive.

It's all black and white at Boulders Beach,
where 2,300 Jackass Penguins thrive

In a community room that doubled as a church, we raised our voices with an African Gospel choir, singing songs recounting the struggle for freedom. Our cycling safari began in earnest on Chapman's Peak Drive, a stunning stretch linking Hout Bay with Noordoek. Peddling along a winding road overlooking sandy bays and the rocky Atlantic coastline, we rode rode through tunnels of sheer rock, past foraging baboons on the highway and a Jackass (African) Penguin colony at Boulders Beach.

Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden,
world's first botanic garden devoted
to a country's indigenous flora

A tour of Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, on the eastern slope of Table Mountain, took us by dazzling white ginger, fluorescent birds of paradise and the wild almond hedge established by Jan van Riebeeck in 1657 as the boundary of the original Dutch outpost. Established in 1913, the UNESCO World Heritage Site is the world's first botanic garden devoted to a country's indigenous flora.

Resisting the urge to climb Skeleton Gorge, a popular route to the summit of Table Mountain, we moved on to Constantia Valley Winelands, oldest wine-making region in the Southern Hemisphere, to sample some of the fine reds planted by Simon van der Stel, then governor of the Cape, in 1685.

Climbing Chapman's Peak
Drive with Doug Lofland

Highlights: roadside picnic overlooking Table Mountain, getting tipsy at Groote Constantia, playing with penguins at Boulders Beach

Best Bargain: Long Street Backpackers, a great place to meet fellow travelers in the heart of Cape Town

Watch out for: Street beggars, credit card scams

Coming soon: Stops #4 (Johannesburg/Savannah Wildlife Preserve), #5 (Brussels), #6 (Chicago), #7 (SoCal) and #8 (Cycling the Legends of Colonial Mexico)

Now it's YOUR turn. What exciting places did you visit in 2011? What did you see, hear, smell, taste and experience...in your home town or much distant parts? Where will you go in 2012?

.

Nature's Miracle at the Top of Italy

2011-07-01T03:44:00.004-07:00

Balcony view: Lagació Mountain Residence, Alta Badia

"Our happiest moments as tourists always seem to come when we stumble upon one thing while in pursuit of something else." — Lawrence Block

My eyes were open but could I still be dreaming? Shuffling sleepy-eyed onto my balcony at lovely Lagaci ó Mountain Residence in Alta Badia, armed with a cup of steaming latte, I found an electric-green carpet spread before me. Plush with pines and dotted with medieval churches and tiny rifugi (mountain huts) clustered in fairytale villages, it was something out of a Disney flick—Pinocchio meets The Sound of Music—or a postcard from a tiny alpine hamlet. The crystalline air slipped down my lungs like cool refreshment as I wondered at snow-laced vertical reefs glowing pink and golden in the morning light.

Lagació Mountain Residence

Legendary Olympic town
Cortina d'Ampezzo

I'd come to the Monti Pallidi, the Pale Mountains as they were originally called after the limestone like-rock that forms their spires, for outdoor adventure and respite from the hubbub of international capitals. What I found was a pristine mountain playground and 2009 UNESCO World Heritage site that hides secrets for those fortunate enough to visit.

Giro d'Italia, May 2010

Agustina Lagos Marmol,
Dolomite Mountains founder

Dolomites Tip 1: Find a reputable company, e.g. Dolomite Mountains, to custom-tailor your trip based on interests, fitness, budget and time. Whether you're a foodie craving rich venison and soft polenta at a Michelin-star restaurant, an athlete stalking bragging rights for climbing a via ferrata (iron path, one of the man-made narrow climbing routes between Italy and Austria used to navigate this treacherous borderland during World War I) or someone just lusting after alpine serenity, you'll find it in a melting pot of Tyrolean, Ladin and Italian cultures. A knowledgeable guide will help you choose from infinite possibilities while getting the best value for your time and money.

A culturally diverse landscape
encompasses Italian Gothic towers
and Tyrolean steeples

Dolomites Tip 2: Pick a season that suits your interests. With their network of trails and scenic passes, The Dolomites draw hikers, climbers and cyclists in spring and summer, when pink rhododendron and creamy edelweiss dress the mountains. In colder months, when snow blankets jagged peaks and roaring fireplaces warm welcoming hostelries, skiers and snowboarders descend, drawn by more than 5,000 vertical feet of ideal ski terrain and miles of back-country trails.

Regional specialties are served in local
inns and Michelin-star restaurants.

Dolomites Tip 3: Discover ancient Ladin (pronounced lah-deen) traditions, reflected in a language, cuisine and culture unique to the Dolomites. Locals speak Ladin, a language descended from Latin, preserved by isolation and protected by nationalistic pride. The culturally diverse landscape encompasses Italian Gothic towers, onion-domed Tyrolean steeples and signs written in Ladin, German and Italian. Local gastronomy includes such specialties as game marinated in wine and juniper, canederli (dumplings made with salami, served with a rich sauce), turtres (spinach pancakes), strudel da pom (apple strudel) and speck, the flavorful cured, smoked ham often served with indigenous cheeses and a glass of local Teroldego or Marzemino red. Prost!

Please vote for my iExplore entry about The Dolomites!

Seductive Spring

2011-04-03T08:37:01.118-07:00

ThinkExist.com Quotes

“A house is made of walls and beams; a home is built with love and dreams.” —Anonymous

Lovely Claire @ Rokerij on Elansgracht;
does she want a kiss or a tip?

Spring in bloom on my terrace

Spring is surely a woman, for she is flirtatious, seductive and capricious in A'dam. When I returned to my new hometown in March, she was flitting about, here one day, gone the next. This, of course, makes her more desirable when she comes around. Like Shakespeare's Hal, who tells his drunken pal Falstaff how he'll imitate the sun covered by "base contagious clouds" so people who miss its light will rejoice when it reappears, Nature creates desire through elusiveness:

...being wanted, he may be more wondered at
By breaking through the foul and ugly mists
Of vapours that did seem to strangle him.
If all the year were playing holidays,
To sport would be as tedious as to work;
But when they seldom come, they wished-for come,
And nothing pleaseth but rare accidents.
—1 Henry IV, I.ii.173–195

Overlooking Prinsengracht

Touring with Brooke

Although this transitional season is neither here nor there, my boxes of clothes, books, recipes, docs and other California treasures were HERE when I returned to my apartment on Groenmarktkade, so I had lots to unpack before my daughter Brooke visited from Chicago. She brought a warm spell with her, inspiring Amsterdammers to shed mittens, scarves and jackets for the first time since last November.

On bright spring days, party boats float down the sparkling canals, people flock to sidewalk cafes and everyone smiles about the end of the long, cold winter. Dutchies love to complain about the weather, but for a few days in March, they had nothing to complain about. My new HTC Android phone (which offers Internet access via a portable WiFi hotspot), tells me today will be partly sunny with a high of 14⁰C/57⁰F, dipping to 44⁰ by dusk, around 21:00.

We still have blustery days when the wind whips my patio lanterns against the windows overlooking Nassaukade Canal and the old merchant

Po-Paul

houses seem to tilt a little further to one side or another with every blast. Those are perfect times to stay in for gezellig (cozy) moments with friends like my British pal Gareth or PoPaul from Montreal, who travels the world on a Greenpeace research vessel that docks serendipitously in A'dam.

Keukenhof near Lisse

Tulip season is now in full tilt, with gorgeous blooms spilling out of window boxes and flowers of all hues available for a few euros in shops around town. Although Brooke was early for the blooms, she vows to return to visit Keukenhof near Lisse, where seven million bulbs bloom in neon splendor each spring. For a native California who's never lived with seasons, it's magical to witness the reappearance of colors after months of gray.

Sightseeing via canal boat

On Brooke's visit, we packed in city and canal tours, a pasta soiree in my apartment and a traditional Dutch dinner with 5th floor neighbors Hank and Gary at kitschy Moeder's (Mother's) Cafe on Rozengracht. While Dutch cuisine is far less haute than that of many other cultures, this popular bistro turns slow-cooked comfort food, e.g. traditional stampot (potatoes mashed with carrots, kale or endive, usually served with a smoked sausage and dollop of rich gravy), into delectable fare.

Victoria and Alfred Wharf

I'll be heading to South Africa on a Beyond Boundaries cycling press tour in May, right after Queensday 2011 (April 30, when A'dam goes berserk in a sea of orange*). South Africa is of special interest to me, not only because I've never visited, but also because it was settled by the Dutch. To solve a labor shortage, Cape Commander Jan van Riebeeck imported slaves from West Africa, Madagascar, India, Ceylon, Malaya and Indonesia in the 17th century, setting the stage for today's racial melting pot.

Gospel music tells stories about
South Africa's troubled past

Our adventure will immerse us in Cape Town's gospel music scene and impoverished townships, created as living areas for non-whites under the old political system of Apartheid, where much of the Mother City's population still lives. We'll visit the Victoria and Alfred Wharf and ride a cable car to cloud-shrouded Table Mountain.

Cape Point

In Table Mountain Nat'l Park, South Africa's floral bounty will welcome us to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, where the original almond hedge boundary for the Dutch outpost still stands. At the Cape of Good Hope, we'll spy on elands and zebras, then snap photos at Africa's most southwesterly point.

Jackass penguins at Boulders Beach

More photos will follow at Boulders Beach, home to the only penguin colony outside Antarctica. Of course, no visit to Cape Town is complete without a pilgrimage to Nelson Mandela's cell on Robben Island** or a trip to Constantia Valley Winelands, oldest of South Africa's wine-growing regions.

Savannah Game Preserve

In Johannesburg we'll peddle around the Vaal River to Parys Game Lodge, where we'll sleep in tents on the Savannah Game Preserve, hoping no cheetah or rhino eats us for breakfast. Berry-picking, Zulu dancing, a bonfire BBQ and visits to Jo'burg's Apartheid Museum and flea market will complete our cycling safari.

Savannah Game Preserve, home
of some 27 species

I'll be in Cape Town for several days prior to the press tour and in Jo'burg and environs for two weeks following, hoping to visit Kruger Nat'l Park and other must-see sights. I welcome itinerary suggestions from anyone familiar with South Africa.

I hope you all are enjoying spring as much as I am, wherever you are. Please stay in touch via email, Skype, Facebook and/or landline!

*Although the Dutch flag is red, white and blue like the American and French flags, orange is the color of the Dutch Royal Family, which hails from Huis van Oranje-Nassau, The House of Orange.

**In 1961, South Africa's most notorious prison was established on Robben Island. Political prisoners of the anti-apartheid movement were kept here together with hardened criminals. The most prominent inmate was Nelson Mandela, who later became the first President of the new democratic South Africa. Here Mandela spent 27 years of his life in a tiny cell of 5 square metres. Today it i s a World Heritage Site, a poignant reminder to the newly democratic South Africa of the price paid for freedom.

Traveling the World with No GPS

2011-03-01T13:34:00.013-08:00

ThinkExist.com Quotes

“Tourists don't know where they've been, travelers don't know where they're going.” —Paul Theroux

At the oldest of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World

I was born with no sense of direction. What I did enter the world with is a whole lot of wanderlust. It was hardly in my DNA; my doting parents were middle-class folks whose idea of foreign travel was a jaunt up the California coast, say from L.A. to San Fran.

My plan to backpack around the Continent midway through my quest for a college degree came as a shock to my father. “If you can afford to go to Europe, you can afford to pay for your college education,” he raved.

Rather than counter with something like, “No one will believe I went to college if I didn't backpack across one continent or another,” I called on St Augustine. “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page,” I told my dad. He continued to fund my higher education until I earned a degree that led to a career as a travel writer.

Beautiful Budapest

In the decades since that parental debate, I've learned an important distinction. There are two kinds of people in the world: tourists and travelers. “Tourists don’t know where they’ve been,” explains Paul Theroux, “Travelers don’t know where they’re going.”

I like to think I´m one of the latter. After all, even without a GPS, what tourist would wind up in New Orleans after boarding a train bound for Mexico? Armed with a boyfriend and $500, I´d headed south in my 20s, clueless we'd wind up in the Big Easy after a dispute in Guatemala landed us in jail. Our best option, after a friend made bail, was to fly due north, to the closest U.S. city, we figured.

And so began my love affair with the world. I lost the boyfriend but remained enthralled with the planet. As in any romance, we've hit some bumpy patches. But like John Steinbeck, who took the pulse of the country he wrote about by driving across it with his French poodle, I realized, “A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.” Having ditched the road to marital bliss after 23 years of fruitless trekking, I had no delusions about control. So I let the universe—and a few Dutch con men—take over when I set off down a warren of post-divorce trails.

Crazy Bangkok

These journeys have cost me more than a few unanticipated bucks. And a lot of embarrassment. Indeed, those slanty-eyed stares virtually screamed “crazy farang” when I overturned a trash bin in a Bangkok hotel, sending eggshells, food wrappers and Hong Thong whiskey bottle shards across the room. But how else could I prove my innocence to a hotel clerk who tried to convince me I'd consumed mineral water (60 baht), not drinking water (15 baht), from the mini-bar—an attempted 45 baht ($1.50 or €1) heist?

Thai snacks; do they bug you?

While contemplating bins of fried insects in Chaing Mai or haggling over bejeweled camels in Cairo's Khan al Khalili, I swear I heard James Michener whispering in my ear, “If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.” Although I never tasted any of the crunchy arthropods, I did buy a few golden dromedaries.

Overlooking Jerusalem

Hardly the reluctant traveler, I've always wanted to stray far from home, to learn and grow from globetrotting, taking risks and embracing the unknown beyond the land of ubiquitous Starbucks and McDonald’s. I've found plenty of American fast-food joints along the way, but I try to resist their lure until only a big gulp or a giant burger can satisfy my appetite for Yankee fare.

Even with such indulgences, I've lost inches while broadening my world perspective, for independent travel entails a lot of work. And a lot of decisions. You walk a lot and talk a lot. You call on resources you never knew you had. But it all makes you smarter and sharper, even while you're flailing about, trying to communicate with folks who speak Arabic. Or Italian. Anything but English. And engaging in commerce with cents that make no sense in a wallet familiar with American dollars. On such occasions, I remember Henry Miller´s point, “One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of looking at things.” And hearing things, I might add.

Yup, IAmsterdam!

When I finally landed in a city that made my soul sing, I pulled up my California roots for good and bought an apartment in Amsterdam. Asked why I traded sunny SoCal for a soggy patch on the European continent that might be underwater were it not for Dutch ingenuity, I quiz back, “Have you been outside today? Met any people in this chilly lowland or lost yourself along its twisting canals?”

The real Dam Square

Watching the tourists roll down Damrak in those climate-controlled coaches, I marvel at the comfort they enjoy in their plush seats, taking in the world through giant panes of glass. Escorted by a tour guide who explains, in their native language, what time the bus will depart after their prescribed visit to Anne Frank's hideaway or the stately Rijksmuseum, they hold no scrunched maps or Lonely Planet guides—reminders of confused meanders in search of must-see piazzas or must-have falafel.

Then I return to my computer and gaze at photos posted by a friend who spent three days with me on an “If this is Tuesday, it must be Belgium``-style romp. “Dam Square,” the caption reads below an image I recognize as A'dam's Central Station. Damn! I love my friend dearly and we had loads of fun when she visited. But now I know how different we are. At least when it comes to travel.

My Thai: A Month in New Siam

2011-01-23T00:10:00.016-08:00

A'dam welcomed 2011 with a bang

Please Vote for Me in the BootsnAll Indie Travel Challenge!

"Tourists don't know where they've been, travelers don't know where they're going.” ~Paul Theroux

On the first day of 2011, while frigid A'dam recouped from a night of neon, I slipped through Little Beirut bound for The Land of Smiles.

Landing at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport in aptly named Nong Ngu Hao (cobra swamp), I headed for the laid-back North, where Thailand's marketing tagline materialized: smiling Thais, bowing in prayer-like wais were everywhere, chirping sawat dii KAH (greetings) and khawp khun KAH (thank you). So this was the copywriters' message: serenity, spirituality, respect and humor are the foundation of Thai culture. In this gracious land, harsh words and boisterous behavior are unknown.

Tea at the upscale Veranda

Watch for Barbara's Ceiling People

First stop: Chiang Mai Writers Retreat orchestrated by Wendy Goldman Rohm (the writer who blew the whistle on Bill Gates with The Microsoft File). At the lovely Nugent Waterside, the bestselling author and literary agent held nine writers captive.

For five days we peered at laptops, unraveling the manuscripts


Honing our craft over a catfish pond

in our heads. Among us: a gentle monk from Cambodia, a South African woman railing against post-Apartheid racism, a Thai widow/single mother (happily remarried) who recouped a $4 million debt with an inspirational bestseller and a Kentucky Wild Cat who regaled us with tales of his three-year stint training Afghan militia. What a page-turner Dave Kaelin's book will be!

Oxcart riding in North Thailand

Mae Sa Elephant Camp

I can't forget American expat Barbara Franklin, whose generous spirit shone at both the retreat and her Chaing Mai home, where her househould includes an adopted Thai orphan, a physically-challenged teen with a prosthetic leg. Over spring rolls and Chang beer, Sean charmed us all.

Bamboo rafting in the Thai jungle

My head reeling, I did what any sane writer (no, that is not an oxymoron) would do faced with developing a manuscript or exploring a foreign land: let the former marinate while wat touring, elephant trekking, oxcart riding, bamboo rafting and shopping for handicrafts in villages inhabited by long-necked women who lead simpler lives than my own.

Ever the hedonist, I indulged in a few Thai massages (a sometimes brutal combination of yoga and acupressure) in my room at the Sakulshai Court—a bargain by Western standards at 300 baht (about $10) for two hours of prodding. Revived, I was ready for cooking and carving at Pad Thai Cooking School.

Pad Thai Cooking School

Alas, my honeymoon with Thailand ended when I returned to Bangkok. While the chaotic capital was no surprise, its residents made me eager to depart shortly after I arrived at Best Bangkok House. Here's what went down in 20 hours:

Doi Inthanon Nat'l Park

First sign I've arrived at Worst Bangkok House: elevator to 6^th floor room is broken and advertised WiFi is nonexistent. Welcome drink is ½ glass of Fanta; complimentary slippers are cardboard. OK, I'm only paying 850 baht (about $27), but palatial spreads in Chaing Mai ran me under 600 baht.

Ubiquitous tuk-tuks and scooters

Grand Palace, Bangkok

Tuk-tuk drivers descend, offering rides to MBK Shopping Center. Do I look like I need new clothes that badly? Squeezing past street stalls and masked Thais shielding themselves from city fumes, I wander into a Siam Square mall. Child pinches me, I whirl around and slap her, Mom returns the slap, then shoves me into adjoining stall. "Insane farang," Thai stares scream.

Alcazar Cabaret, Pattaya

I find an interesting blouse. When I ask to try it on, wondering if I can squeeze into a garment meant for tiny Thais, shopkeeper looks at me as if I'm crazy. “No try on,” he says. I walk.
No Bangkok visitor should miss Wat Phra Kaeo, holiest Buddhist site in Thailand, advises Rough Guide to Thailand. I negotiate 100 baht for 5km ride, but tuk-tuk driver arrives at his “sponsor,” NOT the Grand Palace. Here he wants me to buy new duds. For him. I refuse. At MY destination, he demands a tip.
Tour buses stretch for blocks, disgorging tourists herded by sign-toting guides. With four inches of leg exposed, I must secure a wrap to cover offending skin. In the mid-day heat, lunch suddenly seems more interesting than a palace visit.

Girl or boy? Hard to tell in Thailand.

I dine on dragon fruit and saté sticks from the pushcart queue, then negotiate a 150 baht return fare. On the road, rate changes to 200 baht. “Rush hour traffic,” tuk-tuk driver explains. Come on, it's rush hour 24/7 in Bangkok! But I'm in no position to argue; I've booked a minibus to Pataya.
Final outrage: check-out clerk asks if I've consumed anything from the mini-bar. Yes, one bottle of drinking water, 15 baht. Apparently the customer is not always right in Thailand, so clerk checks, then wants 60 baht for mineral water. Incensed at attempted heist of 45 baht ($1.50), I sprint up six flights, overturn trash and produce drinking water bottle. Not sure how long it took staff to mop up eggshells, food wrappers and Hong Thong whiskey bottle shards, but I suspect the rape of unsuspecting tourists' wallets will continue at Worst Bangkok House.
Of course, this all could have been avoided on an organized tour, but did I really want to hide from the real face of southern Thailand?

Ladyboys with show-stopping looks

I head south for party town, aka Pattaya. An outgrowth of the Vietnam War, when American servicemen transformed a tiny fishing village 150km southeast of Bangkok into Sin City, this poster child of tourism gone mad is now a modern-day Sodom and Gomorah strewn with go-go bars, transvestite cabarets and happy-handed masseuses. No one minds the glammed-down Riviera vibe...WASPS and Asians flock here for the SEX, not the palm-fringed beaches. There's plenty to go around, whatever you like, and it's common to see fat old guys with Thai wisps on their arms—"rentals" for the night...or the week!

Needing a taste of the islands, I journey to Ko Samet on Thailand's East Coast. Known for its ivory beaches and crystalline sea, the 6km island was declared a National Park in 1981.

Diamond Beach, Ko Samet

So here I sit at a beach bungalow, watching the snorklers and decompressing as the end of my Far East adventure. Tomorrow I return to Bangkok, where I'll take a second stab at a Grand Palace visit. Will I make it this time? Who knows...the quote at the beginning of this post says it all.

I return to my beloved Amsterdam for a single night, then on to Chicago to visit my kids and SoCal for the BCI banquet and my February 23 general meeting presentation: Over the Hump: Egypt by Bike.

I look forward to seeing all my OC friends on the flip side!

Scents, Sensibility and Holiday Magic

2010-12-28T07:04:00.000-08:00

Scents and Sensibility

"All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware."

—Martin Buber

Jane Austen might raise an eyebrow. Unlike her Victorian fables, mine is set in Amsterdam 2010. And it's not a fabricated yarn, but rather a true tale of friendship, betrayal and ultimate justice. I aim to write and publish it as My 'Dam Betrayal, An Expat's Tale of Scents and Sensibility.

But let me set the stage for you now as I recall, for the record, its drama, violence, outrage, cat and mouse hijinks, Facebook war and even a chase up Leidsestraat in which I pursued Professor Stinky, a friend-turned-criminal, to Dam Square, where the search continued via videotape in parked Dutch Politie mobiles. Names have been changed to protect the guilty, but you know who you are.

It all began when my doorbell rang three days after I moved into my apartment in the Jordaan, once Amsterdam's district for the desperate, now the haunt of artists, intellectuals and fashionistas. It was the shoarma guy; he was unexpected.

Mixing visuals @ Supperclub

"You did not order shoarma for 12?" the strange voice demanded. "Met garlic sauce?

"No! Nay!" I banged down the intercom.

The bell rang again, more insistently. "Hahaha," the familiar voice chirped in a Dutch accent. It was Jan, a 40-something aroma jockey I'd met through a mutual friend in 2008. An olfactory artist who mixes aromas in nightclubs, restaurants, museums and other special event venues—just as DJs combine tunes and VJs mix visuals—Jan (aka Professor Stinky) and his Ministry of Nonsense aim to make scents at dance, food, art and fashion-related parties.

"My pole," Jan moaned, caressing it.

I buzzed my friend in, chuckling at his ruse—pure Jan.

When the elevator opened to reveal his shaggy countenance, I breathed in his earthy scent, turning my face for the traditional Dutch greeting: three kisses, alternating cheeks. He introduced me to Bill, an American expat who'd come along for the visit.

Bill

The two padded into a pool of fall sunlight. Like an alcoholic needing a drink, Jan headed straight for the pole in my living area. He wrapped his arms around it. He wrapped his legs around it. He caressed it like an object of desire. And it was! "My pole," he moaned, "my pole."

"OK, we'll negotiate," I laughed, wondering about Jan's vision. The evening ended with me handing him keys to my apartment. The deal: free room, board and PR services in exchange for decorating talent and assistance with schlepping around furniture, light fixtures and all the other things it takes to set up house and assimilate into Dutch culture.

I Smell a Rat

Howie and me at Supperclub

We embarked on a whirlwind of shopping, decorating and partying. Jan took me to A'dam's best clubs, introducing me to VJs, DJs and the world of techno-music—one that fascinated me so much, I was prepared to devote considerable energy promoting his Ministry of Nonsense worldwide. Sick with bronchitis and pneumonia, we partied on.

Alas, the signs of psychosis started early, but I could not see the red flags until it was too late. I'll save them for the memoir...along with the rest of the story about having Jan arrested at Supperclub for his stab at home terrorism, grand theft and destruction of property.

Travel Blogging in Copenhagen

Kings Gardens, Copenhagen

Lola and Urban

In November, I traveled via train to Copenhagen for Travel Bloggers Exchange (TBEX), where I joined over 200 fellow travel writers. They included Lola Akinmade, a talented Nigerian photojournalist I met on a cycling tour in Egypt, and her Swedish husband, Urban. What a treat! The Danes regaled us with local lore, Nordic cuisine and tours of canals, breweries, bakeries, trendy neighborhoods and Christiana (Copenhagen's hippie enclave).

Turkeys and Menorahs

When I returned, I tracked down a turkey—no easy feat in Holland—for Thanksgiving. Longtime friends Rod, Miriam and Zara Heydon; Nica (American expat/chef/sailor/luxury tour director) and her partner Christine; Bill (Hunter's Coffeeshop dealer/local bad boy) and Burt, my Surinamese friend, came by tram, foot and bike for the feast. A week later, we celebrated Hanukah with potato latkes and a menorah fashioned from votive candles. Zara's friend, Rachel, said the blessing.

Holiday Magic

Nica

By Sinterklaas' (the Dutch Santa Claus) arrival via steamboat from Spain in late November, several inches of snow lay on the ground. Unlike America's Santa, Sinterklaas is quite dashing with his white mane, crimson regalia, gold crown and hunky build. But he is not so politically correct; indeed, his alliance with Zwarte Piet, the young black helper who accompanies him down chimneys of well-behaved Dutchies, has caused considerable uproar. Innocent little ones may tell you his face gets blackened with soot, but contemporary folklore maintains Piet was freed from slavery by St. Nick and willingly chose to follow him.

Amsterdam is now magnificent with holiday lights, ice skating rinks, frozen canals, snow-filled boats, oliebol (Dutch donuts) and mulled wine. But the icy stuff is deadly. So I light a fire and watch the cyclists peddle by, making me dream of California where my friends are riding in shorts and t-shirts. Rod broke his arm, slipping on the ice and numerous friends have fallen from their fiets (bikes), riding on the slick cobblestones.

So I'm escaping to Thailand for a writers retreat on New Year's Day. After the five-day conference in Chiang Mai, I'll spend two weeks checking out temples, hill tribes and handicrafts in northern Thailand, then explore Bangkok and southern islands. I welcome suggestions for this upcoming trip.

I look forward to seeing many California friends at the BCI banquet on January 29 and at my "Over the Hump: Egypt by Bike" presentation at the February 24 BCI General Meeting in beautiful Irvine, California. Mark your calendars!

If you're traveling in 2011, I hope you'll visit me in Amsterdam, where I'd be happy to share my passion for what is still, for me, the most magical city on Earth. All the best for the New Year; may you follow your own dreams, finding peace and happiness wherever they may lead you.

Serendipity Rules

2010-08-19T01:35:00.000-07:00

“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” —Lao Tzu

Living Area @ 4 Groenmarktkade

According to Wikipedia, serendipity is “a propensity for making fortunate discoveries while looking for something unrelated.”

Hans (L) and Patrick

Voted one of the 10 hardest-to-translate English words by a British translation company, the word was allegedly coined in the mid-18th century by Horace Walpole, who was inspired by a Persian fairytale, "The Three Princes of Serendip." In the tale, the heroes "were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things they were not in quest of."

And so it was with my Amsterdam apartment. After my agent, Hans, showed me a ho-hum place in the same building, we bumped into Patrick, a KLM pilot and climbing buddy of Hans, outside the elevator. Patrick tells us he’s selling his place soon—he’s moving to France to climb the Pyrenees—but waiting until after tourist season to put it on the market. Would we like to see it? Of course we’d like to see it.

Clubbing, sultan-style

Fast forward a month and the deed’s been signed. Move-in is September 8. South of the Border Birthday Bash with Mexican beach-themed aromavisuals by my friend Andy Versteeg, aka Dr. Perfume, the aroma jockey behind Circle of Senses—is September 15.

Andy has titillated audiences around the world with his sensual artform, collaborating with some of the planet’s best video jockeys. If you can afford a trip to Amsterdam, you get free lodging, VIP party treatment and all the city tours and kvelling about the Netherland's capital you can handle. Or not. Find party details on the invite.

Supperclub Burlesque

I was Andy’s guest at Amsterdam’s swanky Supperclub last Saturday. Lounging on sultans’ cushions, we savored an evening of gastronomy, music and art in a sultry nightclub where the bathroom doubles as the smoking room.

There are seductive Toilettes Noires for gays and a heterosexual one where pissers mingle with potheads. Between five courses, we chatted with fellow guests in the marijuana clouds, all gushing about the wonder of it all. Check out photos in this album.

Floating down
Prinsengracht

The Gay Jewish Contingent

The week before, A’dam celebrated personal freedom with the Gay Pride Fest, a long weekend of parades, parties and dancing in the streets. Gays from around the world pranced about in outrageous costumes, reveling in their right to be and love whomever they wish. Hallelujah! Check out more pics in this album.

Today, SAIL 2010 begins, launching 5 days of nautical festivities with the arrival of some 500 tall ships and heritage vessels from around the world. I'm sure I'll hear many languages when I join crowds lining the harborfront near Central Station, where the sail-in parade on the Ij River happens this afternoon.

Amsterdam’s wealth and glory
stems from the Golden Age of sail.

In addition to influencing real estate exchanges, serendipity can introduce whimsy into travel plans. Operating on what my daughter Brooke calls “Melissa Time,” I’ve postponed my return to SoCal until early January. After hearing from friends how special the holiday season is here, I want to brave my first real winter—a rite of passage if you're going to live in Holland amongst true Dutchies.

So…I’ll be decorating my apartment, transforming it into a Bed and Breakfast, staying put in the Netherlands until early 2011 and welcoming guests to Amsterdam soon. The home page of the Bij Melissa website is up. Special friends get a special rate. Will that include you?

Crime? What Crime?

2010-07-29T16:57:00.000-07:00

"Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and celebrate the journey."

—Fitzhugh Mullan

David

I’ve done the deed. It’s over, fini! There was no violence this time, no visible bloodshed. That came in earlier chapters of My ’Dam Affair, Confessions of a Second Childhood, played out in that insane summer of 2008 when I romped around Europe with a charismatic con man, chasing fantasies of apartments, French villas and rich uncles. That manuscript is resting comfortably on my hard drive (and various other drives) but needs a rewrite with a new point of view.

Great Room

Unlike Raskolnikov, I have no mental angst about this deed. It’s the deed for a 2-bedroom apartment on Groenmarktkade, a street in Amsterdam overlooking Nassaukade Canal in the historic Jordaan, where Rozengracht and Marnixstraat intersect.

Roof Terrace

The Anne Frank House, A’dam’s most popular tourist attraction, is 4 blocks away on Prinsengracht canal. It’s 1K (about half a mile) to both Dam Square & Leidseplein, A’dam’s entertainment hubs. De Wallen, the city’s infamous Red Light District is across from the Dam.

View of Nassaukade Canal
and Rozengracht

The apartment is in a complex built in 1994. It has an elevator and a bike shed. It’s on the 5th and top floor, overlooking the canal and city below. I take ownership on Sept. 1 and will rent it out for the winter until I return next spring.

Entry Hall

Of course, this is a dream come true for me—one that began in 2007 when a visit to Amsterdam sparked my desire to move here. Certainly, there have been hurdles along the way. After all, emptying a 3-bedroom home crammed with belongings is no cakewalk. And “melba toasting” faux-painted, stenciled walls for renters is not fun. Thankfully, my tenants from NY have been there since 2008 and are happy, far as I know, to have escaped East Coast winters. Best clue: I see their Audi convertible parked in the Clay St. driveway whenever I ride by.

Kitchen

Dining Area

Other hitches included a medical catastrophe (now resolved) and (unrelated) social media/cultural differences-related A’dam drama that got me banned from my favorite bar. Returning earlier than planned from that 2008 misadventure, I broke my arm tripping over a suitcase, then got my heart broken.

The day after returning from Europe last spring, I totaled my RAV4, made the GR8 COPY license plate a wall decoration and vowed to move to A’dam for good. Again, romance got in the way. All these hurdles have taught me an important lesson: S*#% happens. Deal with it.

I return to SoCal Sept. 6. I’ll use the next 6 months to wrap things up in Sunset Beach before returning to Amsterdam in spring 2011.

Master Bedroom

Master Bath

This is good news for you. My new apartment has a guest bedroom and I love hosting guests. Nice combination if you’re a good friend who likes to travel and wants to visit a world-class European destination.

If you’re still wondering why I fell in love with Amsterdam, I hope you’ll tune in to my new channel on YouTube. Another video is too long to post on that site, but can be viewed from THIS site. If you like Alice in Wonderland, this one’s for you. It’s about 14 min. long, so settle in with a koffie before scrolling down and make sure your speakers are turned on before clicking play. View full screen for the best experience—nicer than a tiny moving box.

Me and Marlene, 2008

I hope all of you will have the courage to follow your own dreams wherever they might lead, even if they feel impossible, uncomfortable and obstacles get in the way. Don’t let fear of the unknown stop you from exploring paths leading to new experiences. It’s all worth it in the end. Trust me.

If you don't trust me, trust Frank Herbert, author of sci-fi favorite DUNE:

"Without new experiences, something inside of us sleeps. The sleeper must awaken."

Melissa's Adventures in Wonderland

2010-07-25T08:20:00.000-07:00

“Without travel I would have wound up a little ignorant white Southern female, which was not my idea of a good life." —Lauren Hutton

This picture slideshow generated with Smilebox

What Do Live Sex Shows and European Futbol Have in Common?

2010-07-21T07:29:00.000-07:00

“A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it." —John Steinbeck

OK, let’s not keep you guessing. I’m only crazy about one.

Me & Erin in my apartment

After nearly 2 months of writing and decompressing in Amsterdam, I’ve concluded I want to make the city my home. Since 2007, I’ve been spending extended periods in the world’s capital of tolerance and still wake up feeling like the universe is giving me a gift every day I open my eyes here.

Adventurewoman Agustina

Londoner Kathleen

Since the end of May, I’ve welcomed 3 visitors who’ve flown to Holland to experience the culture and ambiance of one of Europe's most international cities: Erin, my Sunset Beach, CA neighbor; Kathleen, a teacher from London I met at VaughanTown in Spain's remote mountains and Agustina, my host in the Italian Alps, who came with her fiancé, Nick. Charlie, a Dutchie from Rotterdam I met at Momo Hostel in Tel Aviv, will visit soon.

Highlights from these stopovers included a stroll through Amsterdam’s infamous Red Light District on which Erin and I peered at scantily clad ladies in windows, passing peep shows, brothels, adult toy shops, the Erotic Museum and the Hash, Marijuana Museum on Oudezijds Achterburgwal.

Casa Rossais the facade with the pink elephant.

On this lively street, sailors sought female companionship as far back as the 14th century. They’ve been replaced by curious tourists, lovers hooked arm-in-arm and roving bands of tipsy bachelors and bachelorettes including one about to lose his or her freedom. While all are enticed by the historic area’s carnal pleasures, no one can help but notice it's one of A’dam’s prettiest, with 300-year-old gabled buildings (if only they could talk!) hovering over silvery, tree-lined canals.

We couldn’t pass up a visit to Casa Rossa, one of 3 infamous live sex show parlors in de Wallen. Yes folks, only in A’dam can you see live couples having sexual intercourse on stage (some more artistically than others), as well as dancers performing parlor tricks with bananas, ribbons, dildos, vibrators and other paraphernalia. It’s more funny than erotic, especially with a little drunken audience participation.

Being a nice girl from Pennsylvania, Erin wasn’t up for the notorious Bananenbar, home of girls in barely there lingerie, who show off their penmanship and other skills, writing postcards without using their hands! Walking home in the moonlit night (we’d missed the last tram), Erin gave me her lollipop souvenir from Casa Rossa. If you can’t visualize what it looks like, you don’t have much imagination!

The ultimate drink 'n' drive machine

So what if we lost?

When Kathleen came to town, Holland was in the World Cup FIFA finals. The town was awash in Oranje fever, everyone running around in insane costumes, blowing on vuvuzelas, roaring with anticipation. Having spent significant time in Spain, my guest was rooting for España while I was clearly hoping for an historic Netherlands victory.

Some of those Spaniards were cute!

Spanish fans in Vondelpark

With their gold & red t-shirts, it was easy to spot Spanish fans. Kathleen embraced them all! Although Holland lost the 2010 World Cup, the town went wild when Team Oranje returned from Jo’burg for a festive parade down Herengracht canal and a celebration at Museumplein. Now passionate about European futbol, I look forward to Euro Cup 2012 and World Cup 2014. Anyone want to join me in Brazil? You’ve got 4 years to save!

Victory parade down Herengracht canal

As I’ve been penning and pitching stories about my travels, I’ve discovered Trazzler, a great site for sharing experiences. No matter what your life is like, you’ve surely had some peak ones—devouring that delectable pastrami-on-rye at Factor’s, snuggling with a sweetie in a romantic B&B, going on safari in Africa (or San Diego Wild Animal Park), discovering a scenic bike route, swimming with sharks in Hawaii, rafting a river (any river!) or just hanging out at your favorite hometown diner.

Snap a photo, write less than 160 words about your fav weekend getaway, boutique hotel, adrenaline rush, music venue, food market, museum, urban oddity…ok, you get the idea. There are more than 3 dozen categories for posts and it’s fun to share pics and stories.

Crazy Dutchies

I’ve posted 4 Trazzler trips to date, focusing on recent experiences on Eagle Island, Egypt, the Dolomites and window shopping Amsterdam-style.

And what about that nasty ref?

If you like my stories, I hope you’ll “save” them and vote for those entered in Trazzler contests. I encourage you to become a friend on the site and to submit your own stories about cool places you’ve visited and experiences you’ve had.

My doors on Da Costakade canal are still open to anyone who may want to visit Amsterdam this summer. I’ll be back in California in early September and hope to return to A’dam in spring 2011.

Love & peace to all!

World Cup Fever & Other Fun in Amsterdam

2010-07-06T02:41:00.000-07:00

Slideshow design created with Smilebox

Fire & Ice: Ancient Pharaohs to Alpine Peaks

2010-06-13T03:18:00.000-07:00

"Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey." — Pat Conroy

At last, I’ve landed. For the next 3 months (until Sept. 5), my address will be Dacostakade 114-1, 1053XB Amsterdam, NL. My apartment overlooks a tree-lined canal in the city’s quiet Oud West District. It’s an easy walk to Leidseplein, Dam Square, Vondelpark and all the museums. I welcome summer visitors.

I’ve been gone from California since April 3 on a trip that’s taken me from Eagle Island, a private sanctuary off the coast of Georgia, through Spain, Israel, Egypt, Hungary, Austria and the Italian Alps. I’ve kayaked with alligators, couch-surfed in Jerusalem and Vienna, snorkeled in the Red Sea, ridden a camel to the Nile Valley, cruised the Danube, cycled from Italy to Austria, and watched the world’s greatest cyclists climb 24% grades at the Giro d’Italia.

The contrasts in scenery and culture, from Southern bayous to cosmopolitan cities, alpine villages and the land of the pharoahs, have been staggering, visually and socially.

As a journalist on Egypt’s first organized bike-sail tour, I joined 9 other writers and photographers in Hurghada on May 1 for a 10-day, police-escorted Middle Eastern adventure sagged by an air conditioned van carrying snacks, juice, water, a doctor, bike mechanic...everything but a shrink.

If you think it’s crazy to ride a bike through dusty desert, you might not realize Egypt encompasses a coastline of azure water rimmed by rosy dunes, high-end resorts and scenic wadis (valleys), as well as ancient ruins, grazing camels, inspired temples and serene native peoples.

Here are some highlights from the second half of my trip:

* Egypt is not all barren desert. Along the Red Sea, bordering what ancient Egyptians called the Dashret or “red land,” we cycled through mangrove forests, spied on endangered species in Wadi Gemal National Park and sunbathed on Sharm Eluly beach on a stretch that looked more like Tahiti than a dry, Middle Eastern land to me.

* With a resourceful Bedoin as human GPS, we bore into Egypt’s Eastern desert in 4-wheel drive jeeps. Bedoins welcomed us with gourass (bread) baked in ashes on the ground and bonn (coffee) made from freshly ground beans mixed with ginger, poured from a gabana (an earthenware container with a long narrow neck) into tiny china cups. At one camp, our snack included garlic-infused gibna gemeli (camel cheese), which tastes surprisingly like herbed goat cheese from Trader Joe’s! Alas, there are no Trader Joe’s in Egypt.

* While thousands have cruised the Nile since Thomas Cook Ltd. replaced leisure-paced dahabiyas with speedy steamers that fueled a well-oiled Egyptian tourism industry, travelers have been unable to savor the region on two human-powered wheels until now. Egypt Bike and Sail, a partnership between Colorado Springs-based Beyond Boundaries Travel and Cairo-based Flash Tour, now offers 2 itineraries providing insight into one of Earth's oldest civilizations.

* After Obama’s June 2009 speech in Cairo urging “a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world,” Egyptians are vociferously pro-American. Wherever we went, children stuck their thumbs up, beaming “Obama!” while adults pointed to stickers touting America’s leader.

* Nubians, known for their kindness and generosity, have earned their reputation. Stopping my bike to photograph a brown-skinned peasant herding goats to his village, he asked, “Bonbon?” While I rummaged through my backpack for goodies, he interrupted me. “I have wife, children,” he said. “You come, have drink.” He was not begging, as I had thought, but inviting me to his home! Needing to catch my group, I declined, regretfully. “Welcome to Nubia,” the peasant said, disappearing into his village to meet his family with his flock trotting ahead.

* Egyptians engage in social rituals involving shisha (waterpipes) from dawn to dusk. These smoke-infused interludes take place in fields,

cafés, night clubs, souks and any other spot where people gather. You can choose from many flavors; apple shisha has a sweet, tart taste.

* Driving is an extreme sport in Cairo, where turn signals are for decoration, lanes are mere suggestions and traffic lights are virtually non-existent. Full-body armor will be more effective than a seat belt; failing that, make sure your will is updated before strapping yourself in.

* Best transportation value in Europe: Orangeways bus . For less than $12 I traveled from Budapest to Vienna via luxury coach with big windows, comfy seats, free cappuccino, beer for a buck (200 Hungarian forints), movies...even a toilet. Routes are available to major cities.

* Couchsurfing is a great way to keep expenses down while connecting with locals. And it's not just for student backpackers. In Jerusalem, I stayed with a family who invited me to temple and Sabbath dinner; in Vienna, a local host loaned me slippers, maps, guide books, an umbrella and keys to his apartment while he drove off to his summer house.

* The Dolomites—achingly beautiful peaks towering above alpine villages in northeastern Italy (formerly Austria)—are horizontal as well as vertical playgrounds laced with bike paths and ski trails for cyclists, hikers, mountain climbers and skiers. Those not fearful of heights might try a via ferrata (not a ride in a fast car but a mountain climb/trek on an isolated route using fixed cables and ladders). Book a custom vacation at any level of activity with Agustina, a feisty, Argentinean-born outdoor adventure guide and founder of Dolomite Mountains.

* Looking for a special place for a honeymoon or anniversary celebration? Check into Lagacio Mountain Residence in Alta Badia, Italy, where the South Tyrolean Dolomites create a backdrop for elegance and ecological commitment. With fresh coffee brewing or champagne chilling, take a sauna and Jacuzzi, don comfy robe and slippers, step onto your balcony for a panoramic view of the stone towers, bite into chocolate plucked from a pillow and wonder if you’re dreaming, just like this guy, found in my bed on the Nile Diva, or if this is for real.

Life on the Road: the Deep South, Spain, Israel & Egypt

2010-04-30T07:55:00.000-07:00

"Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living." —Miriam Beard

After a month that’s taken me from California to the Deep South of the U.S., Madrid, Spain’s remote mountains, Israel and the Middle East, here are some observations from my life on the road as an American journalist:

• Travel as Hero has an evil twin who can sear corneas, crash laptops and wreak travel havoc with volcanic ash. Moral of the story: whatever doesn’t kill or cripple you makes you stronger (and poorer).

• On a private island off Georgia’s coast, you can romp naked on a beach, spy on resident bald eagles, daydream in a swinging bed, soak in an outdoor hot tub warmed by a fireplace, and kayak amidst alligators. Bring along a dozen friends and decompress for a week for $2,500. Order groceries online and have Captain Andy Hill deliver them by boat.

• Southern delicacies include sweet Georgia shrimp, blue crabs, oysters prepared every which way and low country boil—a savory blend of shrimp, sausage, corn, carrots and potatoes, served up on newspaper for easy clean-up.

• Alligator tastes much like chicken, as does rabbit.

• Gab with Spaniards for 10+ hours a day and enjoy a FREE vaca at VaughanTown if your native language is English. Go to Gredos, 3 hours west of Madrid for 4-star accommodations or stay in a rustic collection of houses in the remote mountains of northeastern Spain at Valdelavilla.

• Israel is a troubled land and diverse melting pot where people can be unsmiling and unaccommodating. Most telling comment, overheard on a walking tour of Jerusalem’s Old City: “Welcome to Palestine.”

• Find cheap digs at Sky Hostel and Momo's in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem Hostel in Jerusalem. Save more and gain priceless cultural insight by couchsurfing with broadcast journalist Idele Ross and her artist husband, Norman Slepkov, in Jerusalem's Arnona district overlooking the Dead Sea.

• Jews who dare buy property in Jerusalem's Muslim quarter may find themselves in prison-like conditions, under constant threat of terrorism in their own homes.

• Don’t expect to buy groceries, check into a hostel, catch a bus or even snap a picture of your observant hosts on the Sabbath in Israel, when everything shuts down. Of course, it’s lively as sin in Muslim quarters, if you care to engage in any.

• There’s no bus map for public transport in major Israeli cities, making getting around inefficient and confusing.

• Think you have problems? Visit Jerusalem's Yad Va-Shem Museum, where the suffering of millions of Jews during the Holocaust is memorialized and your schtick will seem very small.

•You can get a good burger and nice chicken in Israel, but mostly anticipate an endless litany of falafel, shawarma and hummus on your plate.

• Expect to be frisked and scanned at Israeli bus stations, malls and landmarks. Steer clear of soldiers with oozies on every corner.

• Allow 3+ hours for security at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. Be ready to answer questions encompassing everything shy of your favorite sexual position and what you’re going to name your illegitimate child. I arrived at 7:30pm and barely made my 11:30pm flight to Jordan for connections to Egypt.

• Hurghada, Egypt is a model for what seaside development should NOT be. On a more positive note, find great snorkeling here and stay at a sprawling resort, in a massive room overlooking the Red Sea, for $30/night, including lavish breakfast and dinner buffets.

• Don’t show any interest in any souvenirs in Egypt or Israeli souks unless you’re prepared to haggle for a LONG time. Of course, bargaining is half the fun and you can come away with some cute knickknacks for your time and trouble.

That’s it for now. Bike tour down the Nile to Luxor, starts tomorrow. Stay well and keep in touch.

Travel as Hero

2010-03-22T14:19:00.000-07:00

“There is no moment of delight in any pilgrimage like the beginning of it.” —Charles Dudley Warner

A long time ago, when I worked at an advertising agency as a copywriter, I learned about the genre of ads we called “food as hero.” In these snippets of salivation-inducing marketing, a giant hamburger can become an edible superhero in less than 30 seconds, driving hungry carnivores straight to Carl’s or Wendy’s in search of beef oozing with mouth-watering drippings. For vegetarian types, more tempting spots might feature ripe summer fruit from Chile, like the current one with the pop-off-the-screen, please-squeeze-me grapes and mellow-yellow bananas. For me, a 50-something freelance journalist who will eat practically anything, travel has much the same delicious, hypnotic effect. It activates something in my brain—endorphins, if you will—that makes me feel happy and at peace with the world.

So let me say a few words about globetrotting as I prepare to launch my next adventure—an exercise in cultural overload that will take me from Eagle Island off the coast of Georgia to Spain, Israel, Egypt, Italy and the Netherlands. It’s likely I’ll evolve along the way, for travel has a way of changing who we are and how we see things. “Without travel, said actress Lauren Hutton, “I would have wound up a little ignorant white Southern female, which was not my idea of a good life.”

Solo adventure travel has potent, drug-like side effects. It boosts stamina, improves powers of observation and makes operating on auto-pilot impossible. It enhances our ability to make decisions and solve problems. Most significantly, it shows us how other people live and see the world. According to author Miriam Beard, “Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.”

And so it has been for me. On all my recent adventures, I’ve become a cultural chameleon, embracing foreign customs and cuisines. Now I wonder if I’ll be eating with my hands in Egypt and gasping for air on a bike or on foot in the Italian Alps. On the plus side, I’ve become better at ignoring the inevitable potholes, enjoying the journey and turning situational lemons into traveler’s lemonade. I know a missed connection can become an opportunity to visit a new town and an overcrowded hostel can yield tips not available in guidebooks. Now certain I can’t control the universe, I accept the reality of flights at insane hours, long layovers and uncertain accommodations—all small trade-offs for the wonders of independent travel.

My upcoming adventure will blend planned stops with serendipity. The former will include a return visit to VaughanTown in Spain, where I'll earn my keep (just as you can if you're a native English speaker) by gabbing with Spaniards for 10+ hours a day; a bike-sail tour down the Nile; and a stay in the Dolomites (the Italian Alps) for hiking, cycling and watching pro-cyclists on the Giro d’Italia. I’ll couchsurf in Jerusalem, ride buses through Israel and return to my beloved Amsterdam for an extended stay.

Whether you’re a real or an armchair traveler, I invite you to become a follower and share my journey. We launch on April 3 and who knows where we’ll actually go, for as Jewish philosopher Martin Buber observed, “All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” Come along, share tips and discover the world with me!

Resolution for 2010: Take a Bike Tour in Europe!

2009-12-28T14:04:00.000-08:00

If you’re both serious and organized enough about self-improvement to be among those now busy listing their goals for the coming year, you might be thinking about such terminally boring objectives as losing weight, quitting smoking, embarking on a new career or finding any career, for that matter. But for cyclists with a taste for different cultures and cuisines, there’s no better resolution than taking a European bike tour in 2010.

For fully immersing yourself in a foreign country’s sights, sounds, scents and rhythms, a bicycle seat provides an ideal vantage point. With no glass or steel shielding you from sprawling vineyards and bucolic pastures, you’ll see Europe’s sights up close and personal. While some challenging climbing may be required to see majestic castles and forts perched atop islands or steep hills, you’ll be rewarded with local color like the donkey trains and families of gliding swans I encountered serendipitously on my 2009 tours in Holland and Greece.

While American firms like Backroads and Vermont Bicycling Touring specialize in making all arrangements for clients, their fees are often considerably more than what European firms charge. Even considering the weak dollar, an 8-day bike-barge tour in Holland booked through BikeToursDirect, a Tennessee-based firm that represents more than 40 European tour operators, runs about a third the cost of a similar VBT tour. The same is true of a 6-day cycling tour through Spain: roughly $4,000 for a Backroads tour vs. less than $1,800 for a tour arranged through BikeToursDirect.

Learn more about European tour options and booking at http://weuropetravel.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_book_a_european_bike_tour.

Amsterdam Must-See Attractions

2009-12-07T17:37:00.000-08:00

I'm now proud to be a contributing writer for Suite 101.com, an online publication fueled by Google AdSense. I'll be sharing information about my travels abroad, as well as my passion for cycling, writing and Dutch culture in my articles on this site.

I invite you to check out and comment on my first two Suite 101.com stories on Dam Square, the social and historical heart of Amsterdam, and Vondelpark, a 120-acre urban oasis that softens the energy of the Netherlands' capital city. Find them at http://netherlands-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/dam_square_heart_of_amsterdam and http://netherlands-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/vondelpark_a_breath_of_fresh_air_in_amsterdam.

Final Top Tips (#10-13) for Solo Adventure Travel

2009-11-10T12:28:00.000-08:00

If you've been following my posts on solo adventure travel, you may be experiencing a bit of wanderlust. Not to worry; a cure's as close as your nearest keyboard—one of your best tools for researching and planning an independent journey. Whether it's your first foray outside the world of organized tours or just another venture into the unknown, a trip embarked on without the help of travel professionals is guaranteed to give you a new sense of power, freedom and wonder.

It's a big world out there. To help you explore it, here are the final tips for solo adventure travel from my baker's dozen. Access all 13 in a picture-packed document from a link at http://wordgeisha.com/WGblog2008.html.

10. Break out of your comfort zone. When visiting a foreign country, things won’t be as they are at home. You may dine at midnight in Spain, hand-pick dinner from the kitchen in Greece and eat with your hands in Morocco. You’ll drive on the left-hand side of the road in London and forgo your bottomless cup of coffee in most European cities. By adapting to local tastes and customs and partaking of native specialties, you’ll enjoy the best quality and service for the lowest price while having the richest experience possible.

11. Be a citizen of the world. If you don’t like something, figure out how you can accept it. If you’re not enjoying a place, learn more about it so you can enjoy it to a greater degree. Remember that every culture and place has something unique to offer—something that will broaden your perspective and possibly give you something to weave into your own character and world view. Optimize your travel experience by stepping outside your ethnocentric cultural bubble and opening your mind.

12. Don’t be an ugly American! Europeans perceive Americans to be rich, rude, loud, naive and sometimes unrefined. Don’t give them any more ammunition than they already have: lower your voice and be respectful of cultural differences. Above all, be humbled by the fact that while millions of Europeans might be curious about America and alternatively amused and worried about Yankee ways, few would trade passports with you.

13. Bring your most extroverted self. You’ll meet more people and have more fun if you open up to folks you meet. Look for people you can connect with in hotels, hostels, coffeeshops, restaurants, bars, museums, tourist attractions, walking tours and anywhere else you find yourself in a foreign city. Opportunities abound when you’re waiting in line for breakfast, tickets and any attraction worth viewing. Be open and open minded in your communication. If excitement is waning on your trip, stir some up by talking to the people you encounter on your journey and making your own fun!

Top Tips for Adventure/Budget Travel, #7-9

2009-10-28T08:43:00.000-07:00

If you've followed my first six tips for solo budget travel, you can probably guess that I am addicted to creative adventure. For those of you thinking about or planning one of your own, here are the next three tips out of my top 13.

To access my entire photo-filled tip list, I invite you to visit my website at http://wordgeisha.com/WGblog2008.html. And now, tips #7-9:

7. Make the most of your budget. You can visit most major European cities for under $100/day per person. In many ways, the less you spend, the closer you get to the local culture and the farther you escape from your own. By living as locals do, you’ll have more opportunities to see authentic cultural differences and gain perspective about the ways things are done in a foreign place than you would on a big, organized tour. Rather than viewing a limited budget as a restriction, see it as an enticement into local markets, bistros, dive bars and front seats at street shows in world-class cities.

8. Relish the joys of solo travel. Independent travel allows you to custom-tailor your trip to your pace and interests. You can go where you want when you want. To maximize those freedoms, do your research and be creative with your itinerary. Put yourself in places where you can meet and communicate with locals rather than relying on service rendered with purchased smiles. If you allow yourself to be herded around like a school child to establishments offering plain-vanilla experiences to travelers and financial kickbacks to tour companies, you’ll diminish your chance to absorb cultural differences—presumably an important reason you’re traveling in the first place. By investing yourself fully, meeting people along the way, you’ll have a chance to see how other people live, think and look at the world.

9. Be a cultural chameleon. Forget McDonald’s, Burger King and Starbucks! Leave Holiday Inn and Ramada at home! Travel is a cultural Pandora’s box rife with new culinary and recreational experiences; to fully appreciate these, eschew American-style hotels and restaurants and patronize establishments that reflect the culture you’re visiting. Drink Guinness in Ireland, red wine in France, raki in Turkey and ouzo in Greece. Eat crêpes in Paris, gelato in Florence, herring in Amsterdam, octopus in Rhodes and tapas in Madrid. Wherever you go, look for places that cater to locals rather than corporate institutions. By sleeping, eating and playing like a temporary resident rather than a tourist, you’ll maximize your travel experiences.

Top Tips for Adventure/Budget Travel, #4-6

2009-10-12T12:44:00.000-07:00

With my next three tips for independent adventure/budget travel, I hope to inspire singles and couples to venture out on their own to exotic ports, without the safety and structure of an organized tour.

While this type of travel is a little more work, considering all the internet research and booking it involves, its rewards include a more intimate glimpse into a foreign culture than those giant floating cities offer. Travel through a foreign country on a cruise or American-style tour and the most up-close-and-personal view of a culture you're likely to get is via a random interaction with a clerk or waiter. Go it on your own and you'll be interacting with foreigners in a much more consistent and intimate way.

After you've tried it, my guess is that you'll agree with me: there's no better way to discover a foreign destination at your own pace, according to your own interests, than through independent travel. And with that I give you tips #4-6 of my top 13.

4. Spend your time where your dollar goes farthest. For the nightly cost of a standard room in London, you may be able to stay in a Turkish palace for a week. In Maramis, a nice room with wireless internet access and a balcony overlooking the Mediterranean cost me just 25 Turkish lira (about $17, including breakfast)—less than a third of what I paid for similar digs in Barcelona, London, Madrid and Paris.

There’s a side benefit to visiting places where your dollar stretches farthest: in cheaper countries where culture shock is greatest, e.g. Turkey, you can often find the most interesting gifts and memorabilia. If you have ample time, you can also save money by staying slightly outside of city centers. This makes especially good sense in places like Paris and London, where public transportation is so good, it's easy to get wherever you're going as long as you're near a Metro or Tube stop

5. Scope out FREE stuff. Take advantage of programs and volunteer opportunities that offer affordable and even free vacations, e.g. VaughanTown in Spain (www.vaughantown.com), through which any marginally gregarious and culturally inquisitive native English speaker can enjoy a FREE week-long vacation in four-star accommodations, all meals and wine included, just for gabbing with Spaniards (you pop for airfare). If you have skills to trade, try negotiating a deal with establishments in places you want to visit.

For fun, check out such free activities as the three-hour walking excursions offered by Sandeman’s newEurope in London, Edinburgh, Dublin, Amsterdam, Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Paris, Madrid and Jerusalem. In such cities as Amsterdam, Barcelona, Madrid and Paris, some of the world’s best talent performs on streets and in public transport stations. Enjoy the free shows and don’t forget to leave a generous tip if the performers are good; they make an honest living this way!

6. Be creative with accommodations. In many foreign places, there are many alternatives to big, expensive American-style hotels. These include small pensions where you’re likely to get a good dose of local culture for a price well below what you’d pay at a Hilton. Universities, nunneries and hostels like the ones I stayed at in Dublin and Chicago provide other good accommodation alternatives; most are open to people of all ages at prices that are a fraction of any hotel room rate. Staying at these places puts a kitchen at your disposal, as well as the opportunity to meet travelers from around the world. There’s also www.couchsurfing.com through which you can connect with hosts offering FREE accommodations and priceless cultural insight.

If you can't wait for future posts, you can access my baker's dozen of tips through a link at http://wordgeisha.com/WGblog2008.html. If you have some of your own, please share so we can establish a dialogue about adventure/budget travel. Stay tuned for more and please add your own tips with a comment!

Top Tips for Adventure/Budget Travel, #1-3

2009-10-05T12:42:00.000-07:00

Having spent nearly half of the past two years abroad, on trips to Italy, France, Spain, Greece, Turkey and my beloved Holland, I've picked up a few tips for independent adventure/budget travel. This is travel that doesn't involve travel agents, package deals or organized tours, on which all decisions are made by you. It's the kind of travel that makes me feel alive and creative; I hope you'll share my passion for it!

On all my recent journeys, I've traveled solo, but was rarely alone unless I wanted to be. My best experiences have been in Amsterdam, but that is probably because I love everything about the place and what makes it tick. What's your favorite city and why do you love it?

I'd like to share some of what I've learned in the past few years with other travelers, starting with my first three tips for adventure/budget travel of a baker's dozen. If you can't wait for future posts on this blog, you can access my 13 top tips for independent adventure/budget travel from a link at http://wordgeisha.com/WGblog2008.html.

Do you have a tip for solo adventure travel on a budget? I invite you to share it with me and my readers; let's establish a community of like-minded globe-trotters! And with that invitation, I give you my first three tips from my top 13:

1. Don’t be afraid to go on your own! With all the resources in print and on the Internet, planning and booking an affordable trip without a travel agent or tour company is now easier than ever. Whether you organize yours down to the last detail (not recommended) or leave some things open to serendipity, it’s simple to research and reserve transportation, accommodations and even entertainment via the Web and travel guidebooks—based on personal interests and stamina. For reservations on the fly, travel with a laptop or find Internet cafés throughout Europe and Eurasia.

2. Be creative with flights. It may be cheaper to book an overseas flight to London, Dublin or Frankfurt rather than flying directly to your final European destination. From any hub city, it’s usually easy to get to other destinations affordably via independent, no-frills airlines, e.g., Ryanair, easyJet and Pegasus. All these airlines have user-friendly websites that make online booking a breeze. Two cautions:

a. They often fly to small, out-of-the-way airports, so you need to factor in the time and cost of getting to your final destination;

b. You’re limited by baggage weight and amount restrictions, so pack accordingly...lightly…or be prepared to pay a hefty overage charge or be bumped from a flight (as I was) if you have more than one carry-on.

You can also save time and money by flying “open jaw” (into one city and out of another), avoiding a costly and inconvenient return to your starting point.

3. Use local transportation. Unlike Southern California, Europe is easy to get around via plane, train and bus. From Nice, I explored the French Riviera for pocket change, hopping on and off luxury coaches that travel between cities; in Turkey, I toured via comfortable, air-conditioned buses locals use, for far less than it would have cost me in gas or tour services for the same journey. Many European cities, e.g., Paris, London, Amsterdam and Madrid, are easy to get around via metro, tube and tram. By learning local transportation systems, you’ll save hundreds in taxi fares and/or escort-tour services.

Thanks for visiting. Watch for my next three tips soon!

10 Commandments of the Southern California Writers’ Conference

2009-09-29T14:32:00.000-07:00

My head is spinning like an out-of-control top, processing information gleaned at this past weekend’s Southern California Writers’ Conference in Irvine. Along with a few hundred other writers, editors, agents and publishers, I spent 2½ days in workshops, critique sessions and discussions on the craft of writing and the business of publishing.

For those unable to make it to the Crowne Plaza this year, here are my top takeaways—10 commandments for writers from top industry experts:

1. Thou shalt establish an online presence.
In a world now connected by social media, authors can’t afford to be offline. For promoting your book, creating and widening your audience and establishing intimacy with readers, an active presence on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other social and professional networking sites is essential.

Take it a step farther by communicating your message or platform through a utube.com interview. Have a friend interview you about your book or a topic that relates to it and post a link to it on several sites.

Websites especially good for writers, authors and people who love books include goodreads.com, shelfari.com and librarythings.com. Personally, I’m a FB addict, don’t understand Twitter and have a minimal presence on LinkedIn. Wherever you stand, remember the more times you appear on the Web, the better—if you’re serious about establishing an online presence. So integrate channels and post, post, post.

2. Thou shalt blog.
This is such an important part of #1 above, I’ve made it a separate commandment. A blog is like a phone number today; it’s a way to build and maintain a following and establish an interactive dialogue. In an age when authors are responsible for the bulk of their own marketing, blogging is a mechanism through which we can provide information to readers while building credibility and allegiance with an audience. Effectively done, it can even be a money-maker.

Consider “blog touring”—making guest appearances and posting video interviews on popular blogs, with the other blogger’s permission, of course. It can also be used to advocate other writers and their works.

If you don’t want to commit the time to maintain your own blog, join a group with like-minded authors; check out possibilities on yahoogroups.com and meetup.com. Whatever you post, make your content so valuable to readers, they will be grateful they get it for no fee other than a small time investment. Cross-pollinate by posting links to your blog on numerous sites.

3. Thou shalt master the art of query letters and synopses.
These are our primary selling tools, a necessary bridge from writing to publication. In queries, be confident, never cocky or boastful. Let your credentials speak for themselves. Single-space, with double spaces between paragraphs. Keep queries to one page. Include intro hook, book summary, author’s credentials and offer to send chapters or entire book. Get ideas from book jackets and flaps; editors know how to reel in readers. Find the right editors/agents from acknowledgement pages in similar books.

Single space short synopses (1–3 pages), with double spaces between paragraphs. End with author qualifications, target audience, marketing plan. Learn more from Maralys Wills’ Dam the Rejections, Full Speed Ahead.

4. Thou shalt write what you know…or what you want to know more about.
It’s logical you’re better equipped to write about a subject you’re familiar with or passionately curious about than about something that bores you. And nearly everyone knows something about one topic or another in a meaningful way. If you parent an autistic child, use your experience to deepen your writing. If you’re fascinated by the lifecycle of hummingbirds or the sex life of dogs, let your interest inspire your research and writing. If you’ve battled lung cancer or suffered other adversity and triumphed over it, use your experience to inform fiction or nonfiction.

5. Thou shalt get off Writers’ Island.
When we write, we sit on a deserted island. We do our job better when we get out of solitude to communicate with other writers, industry professionals and our audience. Good places to start include absolutewriter.com (a writers’ forum) and Writer Beware (the public face of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America’s Committee on Writing Scams) at www.sfwa.org/for-authors/writer-beware/.

Other ways to get off the island include reading industry publications, e.g. Publishers Marketplace and Publishers Weekly, entering contests, and attending writers’ conferences and meetings of local groups. For those in Orange County, CA, the OC chapter of the Southern California Writers Association (ocwriter.com) meets on the 3rd Saturday of every month in Fountain Valley. In L.A., there’s The Greater Los Angeles Writers Society (http://www.glaws.org/).

6. Thou shalt offer up back-story in small doses.
All characters come with baggage; back-story fills in the details, provides motivation and tells readers what’s driving each one. We’re writing about what happens because of back-story.

Be careful to break back-story up, like air in a balloon that you let out slowly, a little at a time. When writing it, ask yourself: why is this paragraph here? Does it further plot and/or character development? Have I used a transitional sentence to create a bridge from and back to the main action? Does it come from the point of view of the character who has the most to lose?

One trick for keeping back-story to a minimum is to inject description into the narrative, e.g., “He was driving a new, 1967 Mustang convertible” tells readers your plot begins in the year your character purchased his new car.

Back-story can be incorporated into characters’ memories and recollection flashbacks. If more is essential, consider an info-dump in the form of a brief (no more than 3-page) prologue.

Fluff is the evil cousin of back-story. While it can be used to set a scene, be careful not to let it overtake your narrative.

7. Thou shalt use dialogue to move your exposition forward.
Use comedy, sex, romance and anger in dialogue to smuggle in exposition that moves your story forward. Make your characters interesting as they talk and use speech to further your plot. Don’t try to capture an accent with misspelled words; simply state that your character has one.

8. Thou shalt show, not tell.
This is the mantra of good storytelling, but it can’t be repeated enough. If your character has a volatile temper, it’s more effective to demonstrate it through action and dialogue than to merely state a personality trait. Same goes if a character is meek, needy, shy, money-grubbing or psychopathic. The most effective descriptions come through actions and dialogue, not narrative words.

9. Thou shalt keep your story linear.
Editors don’t like flashbacks, dream sequences and openings starring a child-version of a central character. Use recollections—short recalled tidbits—to convey something that happened earlier, but does not further your plot.

10. Thou shalt write from the heart.
This is so obvious, it hardly needs to be a commandment. Yet many writers miss the boat by not digging deep enough into the recesses of their own hearts. Complications arise from not paying enough attention to emotional logic, not knowing your characters and being clueless about what sets you apart from other writers. When you figure out who you are and what makes your characters tick, you’ll be better equipped to find your voice and write from the heart.

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