Best Countries For Expats Part One

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Best Countries For Expats Part One.

“In any given moment, we have two options, to move forward into growth or to step back into safety.” Abraham Maslow

There are somewhere around nine million American civilians currently living abroad. Where to go is an open question. Mild weather is the most important thing for us. Whether a country has a lot of English-speakers, a favorable cost of living or an immigration process that’s (relatively) navigable are other considerations. Here are some of the possibilities we are thinking about. These countries make a pretty compelling case to leave everything behind. I think no matter how much research you do and how prepared you think you are, there will always be things that surprise you when you’re finally there. Some are good, some are bad but that’s what the experience is all about! Here are five of the ten countries that we are considering in no particular order.

New Zealand would be an easy place to move to because everyone is friendly and speaks English. It has a lot of outdoor activities, great air quality, Lord Of The Rings scenery and wineries. Wellington is a cool city. There are many areas with milder temperatures year round. It is extremely safe with no violent crime. We can really travel around Australia and Oceania. The downside is that it is a full day’s flight from America and the cost of living on an island far away from everything is high.

We visited Uruguay for the first time last year. I loved it. Uruguay has a stable economy, large middle class and a very low violent crime rate. There are no homeless camps. People live simply. It has a functional political system with little corruption and a highly educated population. Marijuana is legal to grow and to possess for personal use. The wine, the beef, and the national soccer team are all world-class. The Atlantic beaches are among the best in the world and the temperature in the winter never falls below freezing. It is relatively easy to buy property and establish residency without bribery. Uruguayans on the whole are welcoming, friendly and helpful. I love South America so traveling around from here would be great. It is not as cheap as other Latin American countries to live in but is still less than the US. Thefts and muggings are common in the cities. There is not a lot of English spoken here so I will need to improve my Spanish.

Greece is sadly expensive for the Greek people but a bargain for Americans. The food is delicious and fresh – think feta, lamb, fish and tzatiki. The scenery is breathtaking and the weather is similar to California. If you want a city, avoid Athens and try Thessaloniki. I have spent many summers there and love this country and the people I have met. The islands are dead in winter and ferries don’t always run so it’s important to pick an island like Naxos or Crete that is agriculturally self sustaining. I’m familiar with the culture, the beauracracy, and the slow way of doing things. There is terrible unemployment due to their financial crisis and as long as you are not going there to work you will be ok.

Peru has some of the best food in the world. No country with 5000 varieties of potatoes is anything but deadly serious about food. The food in Lima is a mix of Chinese, Andean, Japanese and Incan influences. The landscape is beautiful, diverse. and filled with history. Macchu Picchu is one of my favorite places on earth. There are plenty of Pacific beach towns as well. At the moment, the government and the economy is stable. Good health care, cost of living and travel is very affordable here if you are coming from the U.S. A tourist visa lasts for six months so it will be easy to try it out and Peruvians seem to like Americans. You do need to speak Spanish and crime is high in the cities. Some parts of Lima are not safe.

Portugal has a mild climate, panoramic seaside views and endless beaches. The American dollar does well here. It is a relaxed way of life and there are many English speakers in the cities. The people are warm, welcoming and helpful which is good when trying to deal with the language and bureaucracy. Health care is good and affordable even if you pay out of pocket. Violent crime is very low and theft is mostly pickpockets in the tourist areas. It is considered one of the best places in the world to move to. The downside for me is that the language is very difficult. It looks like Spanish but is pronounced so differently. I have been to Portuguese speaking countries four times and still can only say Thank You.

Stay safe,

JAZ

Countries I Have Been to With The Best Food So Far

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Countries I Have Been To With The Best Food So Far

“I was at this restaurant. The sign said “Breakfast Anytime.”So I ordered French toast n the Renaissance.” Steven Wright

My food experience when I am traveling totally impacts the experience I have in the country. Sometimes I make trip destinations based on food. Other times, it is a complete surprise how much I love the food. Here are my favorite countries for food so far.

Japan applies the same precision to their food as they do to their engineering. You can get a lavish multicourse kaiseki meal that presents the seasons in a spread of visual and culinary poetry..

I dream of the sushi bars in Tsukiji market and the tofu restaurants where everything is made from tofu. You can eat something random in a train station or risk your life and try Fugu (poisonous blowfish – delicious). I love yuzu and green tea desserts. Cold soba noodles is my go to Japanese lunch.

It is impossible to eat badly in Japan. This country is officially one of the best culinary destinations in the world.

Spain has long been characterized by eat, drink, sleep, work a little bit, eat, drink, sleep. They munch on snacks throughout the day (tapas, pinxtos) with intervals of big meals. The food is different from the Mediterranean sea to the Pyrenees.

Paella, churros and chocolate, gazpacho and anything from the Basque region (pinxto bars to Michelin starred restaurants) show how much the Spanish love good food.It ranges from the Medieval Jamon Iberica to the insane molecular gastronomy of Feran Adria and his followers.

The food is timeless and modern.

It’s impossible to write a short list of Turkish food. It is a combination of Central Asian, Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisine and any other conquering nations. It was a big surprise to me that Turkey turned out to be one of my favorite countries to eat in. Turkish food is about the freshest ingredients and technique. There are meze – small dishes that start the meal based on seasons and locale.

Some of my favorite foods are pide (boat shaped flatbread with fillings), pastirma (ancestor of pastrami), borek (small filled pastries),kabob, hummus, eggplant cooked many different ways, any dessert made from semolina, fresh halvah, pomegranate juice, fish cooked with olive oil and lemon, simit (Turkish bagels), ayram (drink made with yogurt ice and salt), fresh cheese ( beyaz peynir) and honey, kofta (meatballs), (mincemeat pizza) and just about anything I have eaten in Turkey

I’m not even a huge fan of lamb but in Turkey it is delicious.

The food in Israel is reason enough to visit the country. Israel is a young country, but its food goes back thousands of years. The cuisine is a melting pot of North Africa, Mediterranean, Eastern Europe and its Middle Eastern neighbors.

It is healthy and delicious. There is freshly made hummus with hot pita bread, falafel (made from fava beans or chick peas), tahini, schwarma, kebob, shakshouka, salads, and labneh,(yogurt cheese.)

The food tastes so much fresher than anything that I’ve eaten at home. Israeli breakfast is one of the best things about Israel. It is usually served buffet style with an array of European, Israeli and Mediterranean dishes.- They are the biggest breakfast buffets I have ever seen.

This is the country that gave us pizza and cappuccino. Italy’s simple comfort food has become the food of every country. Each region has specialties that they are very proud of. The best pizza is found in Naples and Spaghetti Bolognese does come from Bologna. Parma ham and Parmesan cheese come from Parma. Olive oil is the only real Italian condiment.Wine and coffee vie for being the national drink. Freshness of Ingredients is very important to the Italians.. Dining in Italy is always a delight for your taste buds.

Olive Oil is the most Greek of all the Greek food. A Greek salad is very simple with feta, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and olives. It will never taste the same way here. I have it every day in Greece and it is always amazing. Greeks do it better. There are many high quality ingredients to choose from in Greece that we don’t seem to be able to recreate here. I have spent a few summers here and figs, honey, olives, lamb, seafood, fava beans, tiropita (cheese pastry), tzatziki (yogurt dip) Avgolemono soup (lemon chicken soup) and baklava are always delicious.

I love seafood and except for Iceland, no one in Europe eats more of it, than the people of Portugal. If you love tuna and sea bass, this is the place. The national dish is bacalhau – dried, salted cod. The Portuguese have been obsessed with it since the early 16th century. Sardines, mackerel, lobsters, shrimp, oysters and crabs are plentiful. The ‘arroz de marisco” is a delicious seafood rice.

Other national dishes are “cozido à portuguesa,” a thick stew of vegetables with various kinds of meat, “leitão assado” Roast suckling pig and tripe with beans. young Portuguese chefs are making a name for themselves with their more modern approach to the classics. Pasteis de nata is my favorite dessert – Small custard tarts with cinnamon are found all over Portugal The most original recipe comes from Pastéis de Belém in Lisbon a pastelaria that dates back to 1837. I was lucky enough to go there.

Portuguese cheeses are delicious and should be more well-known and for a small country, they produce a number of varieties of very good wine.

Mexico is a go to country for delicious cuisine. There are moles, tacos, tamales, enchiladas, guacamole, tostadas, flan and Mexican chocolate.

Lime and salt go with everything.

You will not get bored with the food in this country. It is a fiesta in your mouth.

Cambodian food is delicious and often overlooked but should not be. Insects are always on the menu in Cambodia. Beef with red tree ants should not be missed.

Tarantula and deep-fried scorpion are not my thing but you see a lot of people eating them.

Fish amok is a fish mousse with fresh coconut milk, Khmer spices, turmeric, garlic and ginger,

It is served in a banana leaf and is my favorite lunch with fresh coconut juice served in the coconut.

Khmer beef salad, Khmer noodles, Khmer curry, fried crab and grilled squid are a must try in Cambodia. There is always rice. Try the pork and rice which is only served for breakfast.

Street food is the attraction in Thailand. The complex combination of spices and flavors can make your favorite dish be spicy, sour, salty, sweet, chewy, crunchy and slippery. With influences from China, Malaysia, Indonesia, ,Myanmar and a royal culinary tradition, Thai cuisine is the best of many worlds.. Thai coffee with condensed milk and mango with sticky rice is my favorite dessert. The various curries, soups, noodle dishes, rice and salads encompass the unique flavors of Thailand.

The food in Viet Nam is insanely good.Traditional Vietnamese food is all about the balance of fresh ingredients, intense flavors, and ease of cooking and preparation.

.Many of the dishes have a rich history and represent a regional specialty.

The most famous street food is pho which is a bit different in the North and South. It is rice noodles and slices of beef cooked in a beef bone broth with complex flavors. It is the most popular food for breakfast and lunch.

Banh Mi is my favorite street food. This sandwich can also be traced back to the French colonial period, even through the roots of the name; Banh is pronounced similarly to the French word for bread, pain.Today the typical Vietnamese banh mi consists of mayonnaise, pate, sliced ham and pork, pickled vegetables, coriander, and hot sauce.

Fly safe,

JAZ

Travel Pinch Me Moments

Posted on June 24, 2017 by jaynezak

“You have to travel to see new light, find new hope, renew the mind and revitalize the soul.” Lailah Gifty Akita

It was summer in January on a beach in Napier, New Zealand. The weather was hot and the sun was setting at 930 PM. The moon was out at the same time. My new friend pinched the fingers of both her hands together and said, “This is a pinch me moment”. I had heard of pinch me moments when someone wins an Academy Award or accomplishes a dream but I had never heard of it standing on a beach watching a sunset. She explained that, “You pinch your fingers to save the moment. When I am sitting in my kitchen in England and I look out the window at the dreary weather, I will remember this moment.”

As I watched the moon that night, it made sense that it is also the small moments that resonate in our minds. They are part of the story making events of our lives. Here are some of my travel pinch me moments. (photo by Cordula Reins)

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Looking out at the balloons in the air over Cappadocia, Turkey.

Watching the sun set over the Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia

Rainbow over Iguazu Falls, Missiones, Argentina

Angor Wat, Cambodia

Walking on the beach in Varadero, Cuba

Cuba 3

Sailing on the Mekong Delta, Viet Nam

Machu Picchu .

Seeing the elephants up close in Kruger National Park, South Africa

The Tori Gates on Myajima, Japan

The view of the volcano in Santorini, Greece

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Fly safe,

JAZ

Seven Wonders Of The World

Posted on September 27, 2013 by jaynezak

Seven Wonders Of The Ancient World

“There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million,”

Walt Streightiff

I’ve seen two of the Seven Wonders of the World – the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus and the Colossus of Rhodes. I hope to see them all one day. Most of these wonders of ancient civilizations are not there anymore. – except the Pyramid of Giza.

The list of the Seven Wonders Of The Ancient World that we use today was put together in 200 BC. by a Greek Historian names Antipatros who wanted to commemorate the achievements of the ancient world. He picked them for many reasons . They were chosen for grandeur and prestige. They were well-known unique constructions at that time. They stood unequaled in size, design and craftsmanship. He chose them for the vision and the purpose that inspired them. This was important to the Greeks. Did it serve as a tomb? Was its purpose to bring beauty into the world? Was it a monument to an ancient religion that no longer exists?

Completed around 550 B.C. to honor the Greek goddess of hunting and nature, the Temple of Artemis was built during the Achaemenid Dynasty of the Persian Empire. Arson destroyed the temple in 356 B.C. The ancient author and philosopher Pliny described the temple as being 377 feet long and 180 feet wide (about 3 times the size of the Parthenon), with 127 Ionic columns measuring 60 feet high, and made solely of marble. Used as both a marketplace and a place of worship, the temple housed many works of art and sculpture. There is one column from the Temple of Artemis on site and the rest are in the British Museum in London.

The Colossus of Rhodes was actually an enormous, looming 100-foot tall statue of the Greek god Helios, built on the island of Rhodes, Greece around 280 B.C. The statue was erected to commemorate the island’s patron god Helios.

The Great Pyramid is the largest of the 3 pyramids built in the ancient city of Giza, now part of greater Cairo, Egypt. The pyramid is believed to have been built around 2560 B.C. as a tomb for the Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu, and likely took 20 years to build. (Egyptologists argue over man-power numbers, and estimates have ranged from 14,000 to 360,000 men). When built, the pyramid measured nearly 480 feet high, with the sides each measuring about 755 feet long. In addition, each side is oriented with one of the cardinal points (north, south, east and west). Nearly 2.3 million blocks of stone, each weighing about 2 tons, form the pyramid. The pyramid remained the world’s tallest building for 4 millennia after it was built .

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon are said to have been built by Nebuchadnezzar II, a ruler of Babylon, around 600 B.C. Though historians often debate the real existence of the gardens, because there’s no physical evidence and Babylonian documents never mention them (Greek scholars first described the gardens), accounts state that the gardens consisted of vaulted terraces raised above one another and supported on pillars – an artificial rising mountain of gardens. The amazement over the gardens stems from what would have been an extraordinarily complicated irrigation system, which brought water from the Euphrates to the gardens in an otherwise arid environment. The gardens are thought to have been destroyed by an earthquake around the first century B.C.

This enormous statue honoring the God Zeus was built at the Temple of Zeus in Olympia, Greece around 450 B.C. Designed by the Greek sculptor Pheidias, the statue of a seated Zeus measured 40 feet tall and was carved from ivory with gold-plated accents.

Scholars estimate the Lighthouse of Alexandria, Egypt measured between 383 and 450 feet high and was built in the third century B.C. to act as a landmark for Pharos, a small island off the coast of Alexandria, Egypt. The lighthouse’s tower was built using light-colored stone. At its highest point, a mirror was placed to reflect sunlight during the day and at night a fire burned to give off light. Some historians believe that the light given off could be seen for some 35 miles. The lighthouse was damaged by 2 earthquakes in 1303 and 1323, and its remains were destroyed in 1480, when a fort was built on the site.

The tomb built to hold the remains of the Persian King Mausollos and his wife, Artemisia, was designed by the Greek architects Satyrus and Pythius and constructed around 353 B.C. on a hill overlooking the ancient city of Halicarnassus in Western Turkey. The tomb stood 135 feet high, and its exterior was surrounded by an ornamental frieze. Numerous statues, bas-reliefs and columns decorated the exterior of the ornate and enormous tomb, and eventually the term “mausoleum” became used to describe any large and impressive tomb. Multiple earthquakes ultimately led to the destruction of the tomb in the 14th century.

Why do we go to these places? I have been to a lot of ancient ruins in my life. When I look at a Greek column or a broken one, I see a civilization that gave us philosophy, science, art, economy, logic and democracy. It isn’t so much what I see but what I feel standing in the depth of history. I look at the ancient stones and wonder if they knew that what they were doing was so important? Probably not. They were just living their lives, going to the Agora, starting a war with someone over something that seems very important at the time, falling in love, fighting with their friends, going to work and taking care of their families and pets. Maybe it just emphasizes the human connection to the past. There are always stray animals at ruins. I like to think they have the souls of the people who lived there.

As I write this I am trying to organize my photos from all the ruins I have seen in Turkey. I know where they come from but I didn’t take good notes about what they actually are. It didn’t matter to me. I just cared that I was there. I stood where they stood. Maybe I was standing where Aristotle, Homer, Heraclitus or Helen of Troy stood. Did a girl who’s heart was broken, or a man who had miraculously made it back from a bad war stand on these steps? I always make these stories up in my head when I am standing there trying to listen to why this column or pile of stones is important. Since we aren’t leaving much stone, what will they find from us?

Fly Safe,

JAZ

Memories of Greece

Posted on February 25, 2013 by jaynezak

“When you set out on your journey to Ithaca, pray that the road is long, full of adventure and full of knowledge.” — Constantine

Memories of Greece

Greece is the most special place for me. When I was eighteen, I did the Europe tour with my friends and Greece was the country I connected with. I went back any summer that I could afford to after that until I was married. I never carried a camera when I was I young. I thought it made me look like a tourist. I was there again recently as well. I’ve never written anything about it. I thought I would start off by listing a jumble of memories old and new and see what happens. Maybe it will jog your memory of your travels.

Athens Landing in Athens first time at three in the morning with nowhere to go , meeting some new friends and sleeping at their apt in Kolonaki, Acropolis – when you could still walk around everywhere., Olympic Airlines, baklava , private cars with handmade taxi signs, something is always on strike in Athens, cats, Thodorakis concert at the outdoor amphitheatre on Mt Lycabettus, getting lost on the way down, Delphi on the hottest day ever, amazing feta cheese, drachmas, Nine Muses in Glifada, the Archaological Museum, trying to get the soldiers guarding the tomb of the unknown soldier to talk to us or laugh (you have no idea how many years I did this), sleeping every afternoon because everything closes from 12-5, watching the tourists throw plates in the restaurants in the Plaka, lamburgers, Cat Stevens, bouzouki places , more cats, worry beads, Voulagmeni, Monastiraki Flea Market, Parko restaurant , best hair dry ever, Port of Piraeus – no better feeling than taking the hydrofoil (flying dolphin) or ferry to any Greek Island. Happy.

Santorini – sunset over a volcano, black sand beaches, red sand beach, tavernas on the beach, How many bikinis can I wear in a summer? Walking up and down a mountain every day and night from the house we were staying at in heels, fresh bread with butter and honey and kafe megalo , a few hours later having fresh-baked tiropita (fried buttered phylo dough stuffed with cheese and egg) , Akrotiri ( famous Minoan ruins) , throwing up in front of the tour buses (all my drinking stories end up like this), dancing all night at the two discos on the island, eating fried sardines with bones in them for lunch in Megalohori after wine tasting at the vineyards , motorbiking everywhere, fishing early in the morning and bringing the fish to a restaurant to cook for us in Oia, coffee in town watching the tourists come up to Thira from the cruise boats on the donkeys, tired of eating lamb every day, ( Greek islands had only Greek food back then. It was pre cell phones.) Amazing.

Mykonos – Every day in Mykonos with Eva and George, Nine Muses, Remezzo, , Pierros, more friends from Athens , staying out all night , Paradise Beach , Super Paradise Beach, sitting in the town with our new drag queen friends and entertaining the cruise boats, shopping in the cool boutiques, (I needed new clothes by then) , tube tops, retsina and ouzo –yasas, 2am (the summer of the curfew), Mykonos Harbor, Beatles “Don’t say goodnight”, Love.

Paros – White rocky beaches , peace after the craziness of Mykonos, fresh fish, Greek salad and tzaziki, planning our future., swimming in the clear blue sea, movie theatre (outside), how tan can I actually get? Romantic.

Thessaloniki – Riding horses on the beach at George’s beach house outside of Salonika, walking on the beach to get anywhere, (town, clubs restaurants), going to market and getting fresh food every day, playing house, Greek music festival (Opa!), sailing every day, boats are a lot of work, more new friends, Greek coffee or Nescafe, drinking retsina on the beach,(tastes like turpentine) ouzo shots, more Greek words, promises. Spectacular.

Helkidiki – Jewish holidays at temple with Mendy’s family, the women sit upstairs, the service is in Greek and Hebrew –I am completely lost, picking lemons off a tree and smelling them when I fainted from fasting, , watching a Greek funeral as they marched through the streets to transport the casket from the home to the church and then to the grave site. I see a friend and join wearing short shorts and wedges. One of the old women ( always in black) gives me her shawl to wrap around me.. She alternates between crying and pointing out where everyone in the procession lives. I am strangely moved by this old woman and this whole experience. My friends are stunned to see me walk by in a funeral procession. They join. Surprising.

Spetses – mosquitos –It is the green island, we kill them with perfume, Reading Nikos Kazantzakis on a beach , Avgolemono soup for a cold( egg lemon chicken soup), horse and carriages, boat races, , Greek and British tourists, Peaceful both times.

Hydra – First time in Hydra – no cars only donkeys, rocks instead of beaches, second time in Hydra – many bars and clubbing, third time in Hydra – I finally have the money to shop –cute stores!. Very Different.

Aegina – We fall asleep and our bicycle boat ends up in the open sea . We are rescued by a yacht. We dont attach the rope well (we are city girls) and we turn over. My friends lose all their money. I don’t because my sportsac bag turns out to be waterproof and floats and I hang on. (why do we have all our money on the beach? There are no atms then and we are young and apparently stupid) I drift close enough to the yacht to get on. My friends end up in a small fishing boat with several octopi. They look really angry at me – I am drinking water and they don’t have any. I am in shock. I almost drowned, For the rest of the summer Mendy tells the story in broken Greek and English to someone every day. ‘We did not know the sea,” she begins. second time in Aegina –I don’t go in the water. I know that sea. Scary.

Samos – Having fresh caught Calamari, that had hung on a clothes line, waking up to drunk Germans throwing up every night outside, playing with Eva’s family on the beach, ferry to Kusadasi Turkey , taken away by the police upon re-entering Samos because they thought I was smuggling drugs ( I was really seasick and nauseous and I needed a coke, I forgot to go through customs first and walked into the store which was before customs. –. Eva spends a long time telling them I am another stupid American and they let me go. Dumb.

Naxos – taking a ferry in Greece after not being there for so long, Walking on the most beautiful soft sand beach in Naxos, grilled fresh caught calamari as much as possible., beautiful villas, beautiful sunsets, old friends. Wonderful.

Poros – Walking down to the town, back on a hydrofoil in Piraeus, No Americans, Having an amazing Greek salad with Eva on Poros 25 years later and realizing that it never tasted as good in the US, watching Greek families on the beach ( It was a Greek vacation area) Greek yogurt, boat to concert in outdoor theatre., dinners with Eva’s family, rocky beaches, clean water, gold bracelets, kids running all over, another summer and I am in Greece. Lesson learned.

Memories last longer than photographs.

Calo taxiti and fly safe,

JAZ

My Top Ten Sunrises

Posted on June 25, 2012 by jaynezak

“ Living on Earth may be expensive but it includes an annual free trip around the Sun.”

My Top Ten Sunrises

Sunsets are easy. You are usually awake and can make a plan. “Lets have a drink and watch the sun set over the Ocean, the River, the Volcano, the Old City, the Rainforest etc.” They are usually social. Sunrises in my life are fewer, accidental and sometimes seen alone. My goodbye to a city is often at sunrise. I take a lot of early morning flights .

1. Machu Picchu, Peru My plan was to meditate at sunrise on Machu Picchu. By 4:30AM , the road into Machu Picchu becomes Disneyland on a crowded Sunday. . It wasn’t easy to find a quiet place . Machu Picchu is in the clouds. The sunrise is cloudy and rainy most of the time. Still, the eery light hitting Machu Picchu in the morning feels very spiritual. We will never know why Machu Picchu was built and who lived there but we know that every morning they saw this same sunrise.

2. Mount Masada, Israel When I was in college, we climbed Mount Masada. It was very hot and very dark. At the top, there was water and a ladle that everyone drank from (I know we didn’t have Aids then, but we did have germs!!) It is still the best water, I have ever tasted. We sat down to watch the sunrise . The guide told us the story of the Jews surrounded by the Roman army. We reflected on their choice to kill the women and children themselves before the Romans got up there. It was a somber sunrise.

3. Venice, Italy My kids and I were taking a boat to the airport in the dark as the sun quickly rose over Venice. The colors change with every light and shadow and it is truly the most beautiful city in the world .

4. Havana, Cuba Leaving Havana in darkness, thirteen years ago, I was filled with a lot of emotions. My daughter had performed at the Cuban Ballet Festival. We had no information going in and had no idea what to expect. It turned out to be one of the most amazing experiences of our lives. The dark streets were filled with humanity going to work. They were crowding the bus stops to get on the few running buses . People were selling snacks. The sun rose over the busy streets and faded colors of the buildings. It sparkled off the water hitting the Malecon ( sea wall) and shined on the old cars from the fifties. I took an imprint in my memory because I knew when I came back and Fidel was gone it would be different.

5. Barcelona, Spain was the opposite experience. It was summer and the city was crowded with tourists. As I drove to the airport at sunrise, the streets were filled with students and young people who had been out all night, dressed in their club clothes. They were all on Las Ramblas, trying to keep the evening going.

6. Perissa Beach (black sand), Santorini, Greece I also had been out all night and now we were sitting on the beach . A large Pelican stood next to us, waiting for the restaurant to open for breakfast, as the sun rose over the black sand beach.

7. Gamboa Rainforest, Panama We came into the hotel at night and everything was very dark . At sunrise, I saw and heard the sounds of the amazing rainforest for the first time. The sunrise is nature’s alarm clock. I got up every morning to lie in my hammock and have a coffee (best room coffee called Puro –I brought some home) and listen to the sunrise .

8. Cervina, Italy Sometimes a sunrise involves a decision. I was seventeen and it was my first trip to Europe. I had gotten up to ski from Cervina to Zermatt, Switzerland. We had to bring our passports. (it was so WW2) As the light of day broke, all we could see was the white of a huge snowstorm. I went shopping in Milan instead. I can be flexible.

9. Bangkok Thailand The sun rose just as we pulled up to Suvarnabhumi Airport. There was no one outside except for two monks wearing saffron robes and sandals. They were leaning up again the modern steel and glass building of the airport. The sunrise reflected them in the glass.

10. Yufuin, Japan It was our last morning and we wanted to use the onsen (mineral baths) . I was the only American in the ryokan (probably in the town) I decided not to wear my kimono and just go in my pajamas and a jacket. It was outside and very cold. To my surprise, the pre dawn bathhouse, was filled with Japanese women in kimonos or showering. It was 32F degrees and I just couldn’t shower outside. .I jumped in as the sun rose in the sky. I made so many cultural mistakes that morning (including coffee before breakfast) Luckily, the Japanese are very polite.

Brooklyn, NY When I was growing up, my favorite place to see the sunrise was to go to Kennedy Airport and watch the planes take off . After the sunrise, we would have breakfast there. I wondered when I would be a person, going to some exotic location on an early morning flight.

Fly Safe

JAZ

Travel Well, Fly Safe

Travel

Category Archives: Greece

Best Countries For Expats Part One

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Countries I Have Been to With The Best Food So Far

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Travel Pinch Me Moments

Seven Wonders Of The World

Memories of Greece

My Top Ten Sunrises