Tulum was a Maya city from around 1200 AD to little after the Spanish conquest. I have a fascination for walled cities, and this was no exception. I especially loved the Temple of the Frescoes, where there were handprints…showing six or seven fingers.

Behind me is the watchtower where the Maya kept watch in case the gods came back from across the ocean. Five hundred years later, when they spotted the Spanish, they thought the moment had arrived. Well, not so much. The beach is where the Spanish first landed. It's a protected sea turtle habitat now.

Street performer in Waikiki

The street performer, who had been mobbed the first time we saw him, whispered, “Let’s do this before anyone else sees and comes over. There’s an art to it, you know.”

An artiste!

Well, an artist I am happy to have supported because people who buy newspapers keep me in business. Even if they do use the paper as a suit.

On the way to the branch (aka stream) by the house on the road, near Rock Camp, West Virginia.

From infancy to the time I worked (and thus had few vacation days), I have visited West Virginia. I still try to visit at Christmas. My mom’s from there, and my grandmother still lives there “in the house by the road,” not to be confused with our pre-Civil War “house on the mountain,” which is–as to be expected–on top of a mountain.

Some of my fondest memories are riding on the tractor with my grandfather and picking green beans with my grandmother. My cousin Laurah and I had “cow sticks,” though what we thought we were going to do with them is a mystery! Whenever I had free time on the house on the road, I usually could be found by the branch (aka stream). I made a little swimming area by damming it up one summer. One year I even found a crawdad in the water.

I think this is why, as a person, I am so full of contradictions. I love the city, the things to do, the diverse people…But I dream about having a garden. I joke (but not really) about getting a goat, and I dream about having a beehive.

Wild, Wonderful West Virginia is in my blood.

A lighthouse in Nassau, Bahamas.

Either Amir or I took this picture when we took a cruise to the Bahamas for Florida Press Club business. (Believe it or not, it’s cheaper to meet on a cruise because everything is inclusive. It would cost much more to pay for food, lodging and transportation to a central city.)

I do love a good lighthouse photograph. I’m sure there will be more lighthouses on my blog.

In other news, I wrote my first negative book review. Stay tuned!

During the Ireland/U.K. trip of ’08, my best friend Jessica and I took a Black Taxi tour through Belfast to hear about the Troubles, the strife between Catholics and Protestants that, sadly, continues.

This particular picture was taken in the Catholic neighborhood, where there are murals all along the wall by Falls Road. Some murals are meant as a show of solidarity with other troubled people around the world (Palestinians and Basques), while this one is a criticism of America’s Iraq policies.

With that said, I’d like to introduce my new blog feature, Off the Wall, where I will show some of my travel photos, whenever/wherever I might have taken them. Guessing is part of the fun–plus, a shameless ploy to get non-spam comments in my blog!

First up, Cà d’Zan Mansion in …

Cà d’Zan Mansion, as seen in the 1990s film version of “Great Expectations” was the home of John and Mable Ringling. “Cà d’zan” translates to “House of John” in Italian.” The house is beautifully ornate and overlooks the bay. I sit there all day with such a view.

For more information, visit Ringling.org.