At the Microsoft conference in Slovenia
byThe Slovene driver sped along the autostrade, disco crackling on the radio, fast-chomping gum, taking and making phone calls as if he runs another…
Travel
Street crime in Buenos Aires
byWhen my friend, Stephen Kane, described what he witnessed on a recent afternoon in Buenos Aires, I begged him to write it down for…
Small pleasures on the road
byA travel snafu brought us to Homer, Alaska, where the best joint in town is the Bidarka Inn. Population 5,454; minus children, that would…
Commercial flight; no security
byWe flew from Anchorage to Homer on Alaska Airlines flight 4878, operated by ERA Aviation. No TSA. No screening; none at all. Liquids? Okay!…
Nigerian Nightmare
byThe moment Michael Griffith turned his back, his wife let out a bloodcurdling scream. He whipped around to see Nancy jumping up and down,…
Purse stolen off lap at restaurant
byShould Have Left it in the Hotel—Gisela and Ludvig Horst checked into their Barcelona hotel and immediately got into an argument. Gisela did not…
Thieves in airports
bySo you’ve made it through security. Does that mean you’re in a secure area? Not secure enough to relax your attention. Thieves have been…
Eat shit
byMala Mala, South Africa— Our mischievous rangers convinced some in our safari group of an old “African tradition” while out walking in the bush….
Alexandra Township
byJohannesburg, South Africa— I spent a day in Alexandra Township last month, where half a million people live in organized squalor in three square…
Observations of Japan
byJust back from Japan with a few shallow thoughts: I like the Japanese philosophies of beauty and simplicity, love the food, but can’t get…
Confessions of an airport thief
byKharem’s Lucky Haul Kharem, a pickpocket in Spain, sometimes chooses Barcelona’s airport over the rich pickings of the city. When Bob and I again…
Airport danger and the strategist thief
by“Did you know you’re wearing mismatched shoes?” a well-dressed Englishman said to our friend, Brooks, at London’s Heathrow airport one day. Brooks was talking…
African safari
byJust back from safari in South Africa—21 of us on a family trip. My sister Shari wrote this report: We’re driving along a dirt…
Golden silk orb weaver spider
byMala Mala and Kruger National Park, South Africa— Spiders were an everpresant danger to a number of our safari group, to the extent that…
Ragged right
byCoogee Beach, Australia— I spend a lot of time on our hotel balcony because the view is spectacular. The weather is glorious and the…
Necessity is the mother of…
byCoogee Beach, Australia—From our hotel, we walk around the corner to The Globe for “brekkie” every morning. We’re regulars on the stools at the…
Singapore ice cream
bySingapore ice cream What sounds more scrumptious that “bread ice cream?” Scallion pancakes, Dutch waffles, and durian come to my mind, along with a…
At large in Rome
byWe spent some time observing this woman in Rome. She carried a child in a sling and walked with another woman. We thought we…
Taxi trickery
byAfter an eventful overnight train journey we were disgorged into a very foreign Sunday morning. Not a single sign in Prague’s main train terminal…
Hotel oddity
byTo wash, but not to dream… A full-length, fully-opening glass window in the marble shower allows me an expansive view while washing. I can…
Yet another generic paradise
byParadise is paradise, I’m not complaining. Lunch in Naples, Florida Tuesday was a delight. You know: balmy breezes, swaying palm trees, gentle surf lapping…
English as a second language
byHeard at the front desk: “Checking out, sir?” “Yes.” “Hope you enjoyed your stay. Your bill, sir…” “How can I owe $670?” “It’s only…
Dutch prostitute raves about Bob Arno
byWalking through Amsterdam’s red light district, we reminisced about the three months we lived at the Krasnapolsky, around the corner. As we wandered, Bob…
Windows Mobile 6.5 demo phone stolen at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona
byMessage to Telsta executive pickpocket victim: don’t beat yourself up. It happens to lots of visitors to Barcelona. So many, that events are starting…
The making of counterfeit fashion
byCounterfeit fashion If you’ve been to Europe, you’ve no doubt had to walk a wide berth around a sheetful of counterfeit handbags laid out…
My 2008 travel stats
byMid-08, I noted my travel stats year-to-date. Here’s how the year wrapped up. I made 105 takeoffs and landings during the calendar year. I…
Gomorrah: The Camorra of Naples
byI wonder if Bob and I should have bodyguards, like Roberto Saviano does. We, like Saviano, write about and expose the Camorra, Naples’ infamous…
Bus garden
byWhen was the last time you were delighted by a public bus? This one, in Mykonos, did it for me. The driver had turned…
Violence in Mexico
byA few days ago, a foreigner arrived at Mexico City’s international airport and exchanged money there. What he didn’t know was that he was…
Dead zone
bySeeking answers, or shared experiences: On a first class cross-country flight last weekend, the trackpad of Bob’s MacBook Air refused to work. His cursor…