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My $100 pair of cheap sandals
While I still hold that sandals are the only footwear I’ll ever buy, I can’t say that cost savings will be the reason. I purchased my current pair of leather sandals in Mexico last year for about $15, much cheaper than it would cost me to buy a high quality pair of Western sandals. I…
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Reducing plastic water bottle use by using a sterilization pen.
I’m not sure what people in Thailand drank before bottled water came along. Nowadays, almost every Thai drinks bottled water of one sort or another, and all of it comes in plastic. I’ve been on a personal mission for almost a year to rid myself of as much plastic as I can, and this is…
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Almost abandoning ship
I had a romantic notion of island hopping through dramatic karst rock formations by ferry when I opted to take the ferry instead of the train from Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok, but I had begun to sour on the idea. As I mentioned in a previous story, the high speed ferries of Thailand required that…
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Do it now
Don’t “just do it”. Do it now. This is all the time you have. Don’t waste it. I can’t tell you the number of times my retired tourists have validated my decision to travel while I’m young. They’re happy to share that while they have enough money now to live comfortably and travel as they’d…
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You’re so lucky
People often tell me I’m lucky to have the life I have. For instance, the other day in the elevator a guy offered me a voucher for a free drink after we had ridden together for 30 seconds. Some would say it is luck. I say it’s attitude. I had chosen to engage the man…
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Bahía Asunción: A secret revealed
Last year, I wrote of my secret getaway spot in the Philippines, a destination I will continue to keep a secret. This year I will be a bit kinder and tell you about my secret getaway spot in Mexico. Not that it will help you. The journey to get there involves some of the most…
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The value of humility
I was discussing different cultures with a fellow traveler from the Philippines, and she asked me the question, “what do you think is the biggest shortcoming of Americans?” It only took a moment for me to reply, “humility”. A slow grin spread across her face. She was pleased and surprised that I’d come up with…
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Saving on Sunscreen
I’m adding sunscreen to the list of things I will remove from my pack in order to lighten my load. I brought it this past trip but hardly used it. I realized I’ve made several adjustments to the way I travel that allow me to do without it. I grew up in an era when…
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