Amy Laughinghouse
The author possesses great cultural insight, which she conveys with admirable wit. I look forward to practicing the dainty "mouth fart" on my next visit to France.
Superb writing. It was as though I was reading a novel. The photography was absolutely top-notch, as well. Fantastic piece.
A terrific reminder to experience our travels using all of our senses.
This is a trend I had never heard of--and I LOVE reading about cultural traditions that are rather unique and not very well known.
Jeannie does a terrific job of putting us right there in the action with her and building a great sense of suspense. Even though we know she "lived to tell the tale," she gets your heart racing with an exciting narrative.
Sounds like a marvelous, and quite relaxing way, to get an overview of what might otherwise be a rather intimidating city.
Insightful and well-observed article. I especially like the part about sometimes returning to a place and finding that your original perceptions may have been misconceptions, or at least only a part of the greater whole.
I had a similar experience with Istanbul. My first was a flying two-day visit, where I attempted to "hit" all the key attractions without really having an opportunity to interact with the locals. My verdict? "Meh." I could take it or leave it. Then I went back about two years later and absolutely fell in love with the place. Why? Mainly, it was because of the interactions I had with the people, whom I found to be incredibly generous with their time and extremely helpful.
My main advice would be to try to go slowly and be open to unexpected moments. Learn at least a few rudimentary phrases (as Robert Reid noted), chat with the locals, and most of all...smile. Exude a good vibe, and very often, the folks you meet will respond in kind.
Four things I love about these four curious facts: 1) An introduction that grabs you from the first sentence 2) Humorous writing throughout 3) Interesting observations 4) Genuinely useful information--especially the toilet paper tip. For this, you will thank Helen Anne, I promise you.