This post concludes with photos of birds.
It was a rather nice hotel we stayed at in Kochi. But it was indeed a hotel; and we'd booked it through Airbnb, which was designed for travelers to rent out rooms in people's homes. And it's one of our pet peeves that many hotels and hostels also list their properties on the site -- … Continue reading Navigating Kochi’s Light Rail and Waterfront Adventures
On our first full day in Kochi, India, we decided to take a tour of the Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary, which is, among other things, a sanctuary for migratory birds. And one of us has a passion for shooting birds -- with a camera, of course -- and combing through thousands of photos of them to … Continue reading Going Batty at Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary
On Sunday we decided to take our rickety bikes for a spin out into the countryside somewhat, with hopes that we didn't end up having to carry them back. The destination was a hill that offered an overview of the community, as well as some historical markers of interest. But we never made it all … Continue reading Avoiding Scammers and Seeking Chocolate: A Bike Ride in the Indian Countryside
With our new WorkAway position volunteering at a small school in Chengannur in full swing, our schedule would run from about 10:30 to 3:00, minus a break for lunch. For the students, each day began with their National Anthem, their National Pledge, and the song that they called "the prayer". When the school director learned … Continue reading Encountering Familiar Faces in India
With several days to spend in and around Istanbul, we decided that we'd like to venture outside the city and see a bit of the rest of Turkey on at least one occasion. And being nearly surrounded by water, with numerous boats at our disposal, the best option seemed to be taking a marine excursion … Continue reading In and Around Istanbul
Istanbul is the only city on the planet that straddles two continents. Most of this sprawling megalopolis of 15 million souls is situated in Asia. But there's also a chunk of it across the Bosphorous Strait, in Europe. That chunk is where most of the historical points of interest are located, and it's where we … Continue reading Istanbul Birthday Weekend
On May 3, the driver for British Language Academy, Khalil, picked us up at the campus in Berrechid where we'd been volunteering, and drove us back to El Jadida to teach for another three days. Actually, he didn't take us all the way there, but dropped us off at the bus station, where we caught … Continue reading El Jadida take II
After teaching a few days at British Language Academy in Berrechid, Morocco, we were picked up, along with fellow volunteer Jason, and driven to Casablanca, where our van collected two more volunteers – these brand new, freshly arrived in town. From there we had a drive of about another 45 minutes to El Jadida, site … Continue reading Escape to El Jadida
world travel with a theatrical flair 