Lyn Fuchs's Blog, page 12

Smooth Getaway Postcard From Manilla

Over the past three decades, economic and political misfortunes coupled with natural calamities have kept the Philippines from taking a well-deserved place among the world’s most popular destinations. Pity, when these 7000 green islands contain some of the planet's best scenery.

The good news is “The Pearl of the Orient” (with growing economic strength and relative stability in this crazy world) is now emerging as a favorite spot for travelers seeking an unspoiled tropical paradise....<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>

Trekking the Birthplace of Food

Just got back from a cave where the world's oldest corn fossils were found. I'm researching my next book entitled Chocolate, Vanilla, Tortillas & Salsa: Trekking the Birthplace of Food. This work will transport readers around Mexico and over the story of American cuisine. Think Anthony Bourdain with an extra helping of fun and a side order of down-to-earth spirituality.

A university colleague of mine, who does animation for Marvel Comics, will provide sketches of all the foods referen...

Twisted Vagabondage Tale From Bohemia

On my first visit to communist Czechoslovakia in 1989 (right before the Velvet Revolution), I drove down in my rented Skoda to the legendary Bohemian locus of Cesky Krumlov, the most picturesque village in the country.

I realized that to be truly Bohemian, you had to actually be from the geographical region labeled Bohemia on the map. This charmed historical backwater in a jagged-jigsaw-puzzle-shaped demesne filled with dissidents, drifters and dreamers surely fit the bill.

The unconvention...

Wandering Mystic Meditation From Seattle Washington

His gravesite now bears reverential, thoughtful and loving tokens from a world unconsidered when the great chief lived. Tibetan prayer flags, beads, seashells, and a bouquet of feathers dominate the foreground of the enclosure. A silver triptych of Saint Joseph sits in the center, along with assorted dream catchers, polished stones, and oyster shells. Coins are scattered around the perimeter – copper and silver from North America, the unique brassy-gold of European Euros, casino tokens, Imper...

Smooth Getaway Postcard From Barcelona Spain

Most of the world’s major cities have an iconic attraction that identifies the metropolis in the minds of residents and tourists alike. In Paris it’s the Eiffel Tower, in New York it’s the Statue of Liberty, in Sydney it’s the Opera House. In Barcelona Spain, the iconic landmark is the Sagrada Familia - and it isn’t even finished yet.

The Sagrada Familia, more formally known as the Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family, is a spiritual and architectural masterpiece begun in...<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>

Primal Wilderness Rambling From Walla Walla

Nearly 50 miles stood between me and my final destination after landing in the sleepy Pasco Washington airport. Crouched near an electrical outlet in the baggage claim area with my dying phone, I got as much direction as I could from my friend in Walla Walla. When luggage began to trickle out on the conveyor belt, I hung up and noticed a man who had been listening to my entire conversation. I gave him a dirty look. He informed me that I was “definitely from LA”. Perhaps I have now adopted sou...

Wandering Mystic Meditation From Torun Poland

Here’s a question nobody, not even Steven Hawking (A Brief History of Time) nor Erich von Daniken (Chariots of the Gods), can answer: how large is the universe? How can it be infinite if it's simultaneously expanding?

I decided the only scientist worth his salt who could posit a viable theory of time and space would be none other than Polish astronomer Nicholaus Copernicus (1473-1543). Unlike the alchemists who were so popular in his day, attempting unsuccessfully to turn base metal...

What Happened Last Night: The Transcript

Let me send a hug (and a small harmless grope) to the many authors and readers who came out last night to hear my presentation: Travel Writing That Matters. We kind of rocked the house, didn't we? Those of you who snatched up all the copies of my books within minutes not only showed your support for fine literature but enabled me to get home last night without having to offer sexual favors to a passing trucker. My gratitude goes beyond words. 
After the presentation, a comely lass named A...

The Unofficial Uncensored Somewhat-Unstable Transcript

Let me send a hug (and a small harmless grope) to the many authors and readers who came out last night to hear my presentation: Travel Writing That Matters. We kind of rocked the house, didn't we? Those of you who snatched up all the copies of my books within minutes not only showed your support for fine literature but enabled me to get home last night without having to offer sexual favors to a passing trucker. My gratitude goes beyond words. 
After the presentation, a comely lass named A...

Get Drunk For Humanity This Thursday

On Thursday from 5 to 7, I'll be gettin' drunk for humanity. You should too. I'll be speaking to the authors' club at the lovely Posada de la Aldea in San Miguel de Allende (shown here) about how travel writing promotes cultural awareness and human rights. There will be wine. Come for the literary conversation; stay for the booze. Imbibe for a good cause. Drink until comparing the heft of a James Joyce novel with a nearby woman's ample breasts seems...