Reminiscing on my travels, I often look back at my starred places on Google Maps. Exploring the world outside the bubble of your hometown will certainly cultivate anyone.
It brings me great joy to observe from outer space and boast that I’ve been on so many vacations. That’s so many memories. So many stories.
Most of which circulate around the Atlantic Ocean, where I captured home videos and pictures for the albums, but there are some aspects of these voyages that cannot be understood without a caption.
Let me share some interesting notes from my travel journal. These are the most unique travel stories from places I’ve been around the world:
Panama
When I booked the Royal Decameron in Rio Hato, I had no inclination of the history that happened there.
The local airport receives flights that literally hover over the beach on the resort. That airport had been repurposed for tourism but not too long before I got there, that was the private landing strip for Manuel Noriega, the dictator that amassed a fortune through trafficking operations in collaboration with Pablo Escobar.
That was the smallest terminal I had ever seen.
Along the southern coast, facing the Pacific waterfront, was the remarkable beach. It was free to explore but was not always the case. Merely a couple doors down from the resort was the site of Noriega’s former home. By the time I got there it had been demolished due to trespassers but an inscription on the concrete barrier read, ‘La Playa Es De Todos’.
Off the coast, there was an uninhabited lone island. That was where the dictator sent enemies to be executed. It was jarring to stand where so many people feared to be when the dictator was a resident.
Sipping on a beer can in a pair of sandals, I wondered how much dark history could happen on such a beautiful landscape… probably a lot more than I wanted to know.
Vatican City
The holiest place on earth, or at least you would assume so, according to Catholics. Our cruise excursion took us into Rome before heading over to see where the Pope lives. We were awestruck to be there.
The bus dropped us off outside the city walls where we were enticed with souvenirs and religious knickknacks. I’m a sucker for junk so I bought some collector coins at a shop, needless to say. I left with some but not the whole commemorative collection since the price was out of my budget.
When we finally got within the city walls I discovered that the Vatican post office had every single coin for a fraction of the price that I already paid.
I got taken for.
Of all the places to get ripped off, the Vatican was the least expected. It was a lesson in shopping around before buying something at the first place you see.
I guess it all worked out in the end because later that evening, I found nearly 400 euros on the floor of the cruise ship. Perhaps it was God’s plan all along, they say there is a reason for everything.
Jamaica
One of the more eclectic choices for an excursion, the Bob Marley Tour promised everything you would expect. The full day took us up to Mount Zion where the world famous Rastafarian was born.
The legendary singer grew up in the community and wrote many of his hits there. The tour guide was one among the village and lived the religious values. Marijuana is a big piece of their culture, so cannabis plants and products were available and encouraged.
Our group was up in smoke for every step of the way.
Barcelona
When I discovered the beauty of European football, I was sitting in one of the most historic stadiums in the world, in one of the most passionate cities for the game.
FC Barcelona hosted Las Palmas at Nou Camp when I visited. The likes of Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr., and Luis Suarez defended their championship to play a heartfelt match.
They were victorious in front of a sold out crowd that cheered and chanted the entire ninety minutes. Billboards and advertisements were conspicuously absent from the stadium, with all fans closely watching the game itself.
That experience was euphoric. It made me a footy fan ever since.
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