My first impression of India came at the airport. I remember sitting in the Bombay Airport (now known as Mumbai) waiting for our next flight. Across from us there was a counter that offered water to those passing by. From my perspective the attendant had two glasses. Someone would come along and grab one of the glasses, drink the water, and put the cup back down. The attendant would take the empty glass, dip it below the counter, and then…
Around the World on a Mission: Egypt
My first impression of Egypt was smelling the sweet fragrance of flowers, jasmine I think. It was a soothing odor as we disembarked the plane. My second impression was of guns, big machine guns carried by men in military fatigues as we entered the terminal. I had never been in a situation where there were so many military men around guarding a location. It made me nervous. I felt like I was entering a war zone. Egypt was our first…
Around the World on a Mission: The Beginning
I was 20 years old when I traveled for the first time on an airplane. That was 49 years ago. However, it wasn’t just any airplane ride. It was the beginning of a mission, a mission that would impact my life for years to come. For the next month I would travel around the world and see some of the most famous locations in the world as well as see what poverty really looks like. It would be my first…
Continue Reading “Around the World on a Mission: The Beginning”
Discovering Washington’s Record Setting Beach, Long Beach
Long Beach, Washington claims their 28 miles long beach is the longest beach in the United States. That makes it a good place to visit because in reality Washington does not have the greatest of beaches. Those in California and Oregon are generally better than Washington’s. Part of that is because a major part of Washington’s coast line is in the Puget Sound region. Here you don’t normally get the crashing waves one thinks of when going to the beach.…
Continue Reading “Discovering Washington’s Record Setting Beach, Long Beach”
The Lights of Hong Kong
The Hong Kong lights glows at night. The many buildings brighten the skyline. From our hotel room we enjoyed wonderful views of the lights of Hong Kong. The rather shabby apartment buildings around us looked different at night. Their shabby exteriors were darkened by the warm lights from the many apartment windows. To get the most enjoyment from these lights, there are a couple of night time activities that show how much Hong Kong lights up. The first experience is…
Hong Kong Shopping Opportunities
As I stated in last week’s blog, Hong Kong may not be the same as it was nearly two years ago when my wife and I visited. The political situation has altered the calm of Hong Kong. This post is a description of the Hong Kong I saw in July of 2018, not necessarily as it is today. For many years Hong Kong has been one of the major shopping centers of Asia. Under the freedom and influence of the…
Hong Kong Impressions
It was just last summer that Hong Kong nearly dominated the news media. There was considerable political unrest going on in the city. Protestors in Hong Kong were upset with concerns about losing freedoms which they have enjoyed that the rest of China has not. News reports showed protestors invading the airport and shutting down the light rail system. With the daily news reports about significant clashes between protestors and the police, tourism was definitely in decline. Our visit to…
Discovering Seattle: Volunteer Park
This coming Friday (4/10/2020) my daughter and I were supposed to leave for the Netherlands, but we are obviously not going. She had wanted to see the tulips, and next week is her spring vacation. However, the COVID-19 has changed so many things including travel. It has ceased, and since I am writing a travel blog, that’s been a bit tough. Fortunately I live in a beautiful area that I can share about with others. Also I have memories of…
Discovering Seattle: The Boeing Plant
Often it is the things in our own backyard that we never get around to seeing. We make a point to visit specific places when we travel, but often we fail to visit the attractions in our own hometown. Such was the case with the Boeing Plant. I knew the company offered tours, but in 40 years I had never visited. I finally changed that after a friend recently told me about his experience. The tour of the Boeing Plant…
Zambia: Travel with a Purpose Part 2
While most teachers take their students on field trips from time to time, imagine taking 16 high school students half way around the world to the third world country of Zambia. This was no ordinary field trip. It was a week long trip to help students experience a third world culture and learn how they could respond. In last week’s post I shared that one of our main tasks in Zambia was doing children’s programs. However, there were other types…