by Shauna Billings Arriving at the top of Mt. Vesuvius is like landing on another planet. For a moment, the crushed rust-colored lava path beneath my feet is the soil of Mars. Vents release gases and steam along the paths and within the volcano’s crater; the distinct smell of metal permeates the air. It is…
You know those days when you feel so overwhelmed with all the information that is streaming through your every technological device? You sort of wish for the time when you were only paging coded messages to your boyfriend, who has now been replaced by your laptop. But then, the depth of your fatal attraction hits…
by Ana Maria Toro I knew it was time for a vacation when I felt my face getting red after a client interrupted me at a meeting. If something so insignificant could turn my face the color of a raw steak, then I knew there was only thing to do: get away from it all….
I was 21,000 feet in the air in the Himalayas, in a rattletrap plane even more flimsy than the Palm Desert skydiving tin can I had braved the previous month before, when I realized what I was doing. My guide, Dahn, grinned at me. We were headed for Lukla, a tiny mountain town that would…
by Adrienne Arieff Here are a few of my favorite spas and resorts in Thailand. And don’t forget to try a Thai massage—they alone are worth the trip. * * * * Sri Lanta Resort Koh Lanta Yai Island, Southern Thailand (on the Andaman Sea—arrive via ferry from Krabi or Phuket) www.srilanta.com Sri Lanta, located…
Beware the Brazilian consulate! I samba-ed into one the other day to apply for a visa (to Brazil- who knew?) expecting all the usual questions- have you ever tried one of our waxes? do you have proof of thong ownership? …etc. But sitting across the bulletproof glass from me was a young, utterly humorless Brazilian…
I am addicted to Google Earth. Every chance I get to play with this incredible program I will. It’s like flying across the globe sans the long lines, airplane food, lost luggage, and jet lag. All you do is type in a destination and the image of the earth starts to spin in the direction…