Jill Will Go...

The taxi wound through the tight streets of Cordoba's old town. The white buildings seemed to lean into one another, sheltering the little plazas tucked between them. Little promises of things yet to be discovered. I arrived at my hotel / bar / restaurant and was greeted by a dog. He didn't speak English. Nobody there did, in fact. But it was cheap, well-located and conveniently, my room was just up the stairs from the bar. My first night there I was adopted by a British couple who had tried to park their car in Cordoba. The resulting dents were a topic of much discussion at dinner. They invited me over after seeing me eating alone with my copy of War and Peace. I gladly accepted their invitation. Nothing like War and Peace to encourage one to seek out company. When I talk to fellow travelers and I mention Cordoba and the Mezquita, many of them have no idea what or where I'm talking about. I find this difficult to understand, since the city itself is so beautiful, and ...

Spain was my first trip abroad alone. I mean, really alone. No spouse, no friend, no tour group, no contacts. Nothing. And I don't speak Spanish. Nada. Spain was about being alone, knowing that I was able to do it, and then actually doing it (always a key step). Why did I settle on Spain for my first leap into solo travel? I had been to Toledo and Barcelona once with family. It was with them that I discovered that Spain was delicious, that there were layers of history in this beautiful country, and that the people were warm and friendly. So I ventured forth...planning my grand solo Madrid - Cordoba - Granada tour. I was surprised that Madrid turned out to be all about art. Or rather, Art. The Prado, the Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, the Chapel of San Antonio de la Florida, and the Sorolla House and Museum. The Prado, of course, is huge and houses a wealth of Spanish and international art. One of the most famous paintings in the world, Las Meninas by Diego Velazquez is...

Rumi had it right. Swim out of your little pond, indeed! I had an idea of how big the world was, but I didn't know that I could participate in the discovery of it. Once I figured that out, all bets were off. Since then, I've been a traveling fiend. I want this blog to reflect where I'm going, where I am, but also where I've been. A reflection of my progress as a traveler and a photographer. So in the next few weeks, my goal is to post my photographs and write briefly about my memories of the very different places I've visited in the last two years. I used to make beautiful photo albums of my travels, but since I started focusing on more "doing it now" and less "remembering it then," I've given up on the albums and need a place to house these memories. This is that place. It started with Iran in 2011. That was where I met people who had seen big pieces of the world, and who encouraged me to see more. People who told me, "Just g...

India has certainly enriched my memory box. The colors, the religions, the people, the food. The food! A good reason to not go back - I'd be as big as a house. One new friend suggested I take an Indian cooking class. Nothing like bringing the temptation right to my doorstep. But I will go back. I fell in love with India. I'm thinking of a volunteer stint next time. It is time to do more. See you in Puerto Rico in May! Jill

My last day in India. A whirl of museums to start the day. The National Museum, where many of the interesting exhibits were closed. The Crafts Museum, which had some nice things, but we only stayed for an hour. Then another rickshaw ride into Chandni Chowk. Although a lot of the market was closed because due to it being Sunday and the Holi holiday starting soon, it still felt like complete pandemonium. As we drove on the freeway, there were two elephants just below us on the city street, getting washed by handlers. One of our group said, "I can't imagine getting used to something so odd." Then she paused and said, "Actually, there is no 'odd' in India, is there?" We finally made it to a spice market. Many spices and teas were purchased. The colored powder for Holi was on vivid display. The neon colors made the bags of spices look bland by comparison. I would love to travel with someone who feels comfortable in this setting. I wanted to walk ...

We are stuck in Delhi, but I'm determined to have a good time. Others are not. I'm not letting the loss of Nepal ruin things for me, and I'm not going to let others do it, either. I will get to Nepal - I'll just have to do it a different way. Madan is trying to appease everyone and people are throwing ideas at him. Everyone is reading their guide books suddenly and going online (I'm sure Madan is damning that free wifi at this hotel), then retuning with ideas about what we should be doing. Meanwhile, his office has other plans. We all protested a "Bollywood Showcase" that they wanted us to see. I expressed that educational things or sights that are different to what we have back home would be much better. We are in Delhi, for Krishna's sake! There have to be some temples, mosques, markets, or something. The other problem is that our "emergency" hotel is out in the suburbs, there is nothing but gated apartment buildings around us, and ...