Former Czar Nicholas II and his family were killed in Yekaterinburg on July 16 or 17, 1918. The whereabouts of their bodies was unknown for years until they were discovered in 1979. The bodies were exhumed in 1991, and today are buried in a special chapel in Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg. Nicholas…
Author: BashfulAdventurer
Cruise Ships: Where Smaller Is Better
Cruising always promised glamour and excitement for me. My grandmother, tired of being married and with an empty nest, ran away, not to join the circus, but to sign on with a cruise line. I have yellowed postcards from her from points around the world. Even that old ’70s TV show The Love Boat promised…
A Long Ride on a Slow Boat to Moscow
I had been in Russia less than 24 hours when I realized that the overused maxim—“It’s not the destination, it’s the journey”—would be particularly applicable to this trip. I was told the first day’s jaunt to the Hermitage was delayed for an hour or more because of the added chaos in St. Petersburg traffic caused…
The Mystery of Belize: Where Everyone Has a Back Story
Word that computer anti-virus genius John McAfee, of that McAfee, is in hiding in Belize after being accused of running a meth lab there brings to mind the opening line of Bruce Barcott’s The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw: “If you feel a need to escape the law, elude creditors, hide assets, or shed…
Please Don’t Make the Police Blotter on Your Trip
The Brawny Sherpa, accompanying me on a press trip to Hamburg, was supposed to be on his best behavior. Ever the polite escort, he would be the tourist—and occasionally carry my bags—while I learned about Hamburg’s environmental record as the European Green Capital 2011. All proceeded smoothly until he decided to dress well for dinner…
Never Be the Slow Zebra
The Youthful Adventurer and I were snorkeling in the Galapagos Islands when we saw the shark. He kept swimming; we kept swimming. It was exciting to see one and good that he was a distance from us and that the water was clear. Afterward, I teased my son that I didn’t have to worry if…
Why Belize? Why Not?
“How did you choose Belize?” is the question I most commonly hear, especially after I’ve been telling stories about my visit: the howler monkeys, jaguar prints, a jungle survival tour, bats at the window, a scorpion on the door, a snake in the bed, possums in the rafters, an “American crocodile” (A.K.A. alligator) by my…
Getting Going
I drove solo six or so hours to my high school reunion last summer and was surprised when I got there when one of my classmates said, “I would never have made that drive alone.” I remember thinking, Why not? I had first traveled solo for a vacation more than 20 years ago. I gave…