It's people that make my travels so memorable. And I don't necessarily mean the people I befriend. Sometimes it's a person I merely see on my travels, an exchange of knowing looks as we walk down the same lane, as we leisurely stroll the same route, as we nudge each other out of the way on a busy shopping street. Sometimes it's a person I meet fleetingly - in a souq, in a restaurant, on the road - someone I may never see again. And yet, that moment - a smile, a stare, a wave, a tear - may leave an everlasting impression. That sounds corny I know. But it's true. I'll never forget the slight smile and glint in the eye of the woman on the right as we passed each other in the backstreets of Alexandria. Do you have those memories from your travels?
Taroudant is a wonderful walled town east of Agadir on the way to Ouarzazate in Morocco. If you're doing a road trip from Marrakesh to the Sahara make sure you stop overnight. There's a small bustling souq that rarely sees foreigners, and yet the stallholders have a relaxed demeanour. The best buy here is handmade leather sandals. But that's not what I want to tell you. On the main square is a man - a man with a mouthful of shiny white teeth who is exceedingly generous with his smiles. He cooks up fresh hot potato crisps in a wok-like deep-fryer. He's just as generous with his servings - and with the salt. It was chilly the evening we bought our chips from him, wrapped in paper. But I'm not sure what I remember most... the chips or his smile. Both warmed our souls.
This is a little shop that's typical of many in Aleppo's atmospheric souq, selling everything from medicinal herbs and dried lizard skins to Clairol hair colors and loofahs for the hammam. it's a bit like a Boots pharmacy really, only the service is better.
Have you ever tried to carry your groceries on your head? What's the best strategy?
This is Marrakesh souq around midday Friday, when everyone is at prayers. It's the only time you ever really notice the light filtering through the roof and how wide the 'narrow' lanes are. When the souq is in business it's chaotic. A cacophony of colour, sounds, and smells. You can't think. You can't move. You can't do anything except get caught up in the chaos and commotion of the place. Can you handle it?
What do you think of her? She's beautiful, right? She's like the Mona Lisa, is she not? No matter where I walk, her eyes follow me. I want to tell you where to find her but I'd rather you discover her for yourself. That's the thing I hate about guidebooks... if I was was writing a guidebook I'd have to mark her out on a map, write an essay about signage/graffiti in Marrakesh, and create a walking tour so you could locate her. But don't you want to discover her for yourself? Go look. Do you know where she is?
I want to share with you the things I find cool when I travel. The things I can't share with you in the guidebooks I write. Take this scene from the Aleppo souq. It's two in the afternoon and this man's asleep at his shop. It's a cane shop. And they certainly look like nice canes. But that's not the point. I can't write about a cane shop in a guidebook. Who wants to buy canes? Canes don't make great souvenirs. And regardless, including this man's little cane shop would be a headache. It doesn't have a name. There's no phone number. I can't even remember which alley it was on, so how do I answer the editor's query about the practicalities (you know, that practical information in fine print). But what I want to tell you is to make sure you wander the Aleppo souq during siesta when the shopkeepers are taking their naps. You won't be hassled. You won't have to fight your way past boys on donkeys. And you'll witness these moments. A slice of souq life. Of humanity. They're touching. These are the moments that make travel cool for me. Tell me about your cool travel moments.
In the world of nude recreation, singles usually get the short end of the stick. Several nudist resorts limit singles in some way and others ban single men altogether. Why?
Well, you can thank a few bad seeds that have had a negative impact on the other 99% of singles who are true nudists. This is very unfortunate.
That's why I was glad to see Cypress Cove promote an upcoming singles weekend...not just a dance, but an ENTIRE WEEKEND.
Yes, you heard that right: an event specifically for nudist singles. Cypress Cove, in Kissimmee, Florida, near Orlando, is a good, safe place for this kind of event. A long time AANR member, I've heard many nudists recommend the resort.
Cypress Cove's Singles "Toga" Weekend runs Aug 17 - 19, 2007. A toga party themed singles weekend, here's the details from Cypress Cove:
Learn more on the Cypress Cove website."It’s a great time to come and meet other single nudists.
We start the weekend off on Friday, August 17th with a special extended happy hour, cracker-barrel discussion and icebreaker games, and then that night a Toga Streak at Cheeks with DJ Xavier.
Then on Saturday at noon we will have a pool party with DJ Xavier once again. He will be playing music and games that are great for singles to get to know one another. At 4 pm we will have another Cracker-barrel discussion at Lakeside Lounge that will coincide with an extra hour of Happy Hour.
When the sun goes down, the fun really starts to heat up with the Toga Party to end all Toga Parties with live music by Cove favorites, The Love Bugs, playing the tunes at Lakeside Restaurant that will help you get a little closer to your new friends. There will also be a toga costume contest at 9pm.
Make reservations now for what is sure to be the best singles weekend yet."
