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Ashley Cultra
Back home in corn fed Illinois for three months and counting; already my feet have a nervous twitch in them. Restless dreams filled with rice plantations, muddy rivers, brightly colored sashes and delightful smiles of grubby children follow me through the day. A plane drones overhead and I look up wondering where the lucky adventurers are flying off to ...and the wheels start turning in my own mind, thinking of where I'll go for the next trip abroad. It's a wonderful addiction. Ash
Travel Blog Posts
April 22nd 2012
I have been waiting ten years to visit Dharamshala. Since reading Freedom in Exile, an inspiring autobiography about the Dalai Lama's tumultuous life and escape from religious persecution in Tibet, I've been stalking the little guy around the United States. I tried to visit the mountain haven in 2005; however, the roads were closed due to snow and I had to put that idea in the too hard basket. Fast forward to 2012 and the weather was now crisp and clear and I was on my way to see the headquarters of the Tibetan Government in Exhile...and perhaps receive a hug from the Dalai Lama...or a pat on the head...or a blessing (I'm not too picky). The actual "touristy" hub of India's Lhasa is located in McLeod Ganj, a smallish city that towers about 5 kilometers ... read more
March 29th 2012
The cows are still here! So are the affectionate dogs, miniature cups of chai and delicious samosa vendors along the street. Ahoy, India! Here I am again, nearly seven years later; a little smarter, a little taller (I think) and a bit more travel savvy. Much has changed since I was a mere 23 yr old student, taking off to explore the great wide world out there with my best friend from university. Dear India has matched that growth and change step by step. The city metro is up and running through Delhi - blessed, blessed Metro! I nearly kissed the pavement when I discovered that I could take the train straight from the outskirts of Delhi, right into the squalid bliss of the Main Bazaar and Hotel New King! Memories of being tackled by taxi ... read more
In the Dusty Footprints of Che
Published: November 25th 2008South America » Argentina » Buenos Aires » Buenos Aires
November 7th 2008
There is a particular romance to travelling, a tingly excitement and sensory rush to beginning a new trip. The evolution of a random idea as it spawns into an ironclad decision, followed by the struggle of packing, planning, and finally cracking open that obscenely new Lonely Planet guidebook, is a sinuous dance of emotions. Actually the later can be a bit daunting, especially when thirteen countries are crammed into a mere 500 pages of must do´s and must-sees´, equally as frustrating as choosing between the black cardigan of the "extremely necessary" track suit pants that are just perfect for overnight bus rides. Only one will fit into the extra 2 cubic centimeters remaining in your pack...which to choose? All of the sudden, the smooth boarding pass in clutched between your fingers and you are walking down ... read more
October 5th 2008
Neiafu, Vavau, notorious for humpback whales, mounds of taro root and a church on every street and country corner is nestled along the tiny Port of Refuge, obscured from sight and protected from the ocean by towering hills and sheltered coves. The Kingdom of Tonga, the only sovereign monarchy among the island nations of the Pacific Ocean, is made up of a whopping 171 islands, only 48 of which are inhabited. Vavaú and her many breathtaking, surrounding islands make up the northernmost group of these "Friendly Islands", so named by Captain Cook for the embracing reception he received on his first visit so many years ago. Indeed, our greeting was just as warm and welcoming.....that is....after we were finally allowed to disembark and step foot on the island. Our arrival in Neifu was anticlimactic. QQ crew ... read more
Splendid Samoa, a few karaoke songs, and some American beer!
Published: September 26th 2008Oceania » Tonga » Vava'u
September 6th 2008
Gangly girls, hair tightly braided in plaits, swinging the skirts of their checkered button down dresses, giggle and clutch worn school books tightly to their chests. The boys, shuffling along in dusty lava lavas, carry crumbled cheeto's bags in one hand, IPOD's in the other, and bounce their chins to unheard beats of bass and drums. Nearby, a cluster of weathered men and a chipped concrete table coalesce in a dynamic social scene. Bent heads focus on the checker board before them while forgotten cigarettes glow faintly from soiled fingertips. Discarded newspapers, previously perused and critiqued, flutter underfoot. Observing the men is compelling. Periodically a grumble or shout rises from the group, followed by buoyant laughs, slaps on the back, and another round of cigarettes. They are serious afternoon gamblers, yet maintain their comrodery and brotherly ... read more
July 24th 2008
It's one of those traumatic childhood stories. We all have one. Moonlit graveyards, sock eating monsters under the bed, the Boogy Man, fluffy bunny rabbits, lumpy toads; there is a spine-tingling nemesis out there for everyone. Some are a bit more understandable than others, such as my strapping 6 foot 3 Scottish friend who has an apprehension towards turkeys (of the gobble gobble variety, not the sort found at the local pub, although both should understandably be feared). Well, when I was wee lassie, innocent and harebrained, (about sixteen year old), I discovered a four foot long bull snake draped lazily along our kitchen counter, calmly drinking water out of our tap. I stood for a minute, staring at his thick, spotted rope of a body and then ran outside to find the man of the ... read more
June 24th 2008
Slumbering, bedding down, bunking, catnapping, zoning out, catching forty winks, and hitting the hay. Normal people call it sleeping: a state of inactivity or unconsciousness. Somewhere between the hours of 8 p.m. and 8 a.m., individuals all over the world are sleeping and recharging their bodies and restless minds. Lucky them. I haven't completely slept through a night in several months for we sailors choose to spend our night time hours doing something totally different - welcome to the phenomenon of night watches. Yes, night watch. During the black, silent, night time hours when we ought to be lying in a semi-horizontal position, relaxing or snuggling with that special someone, many of us are wide awake. Even more silly is that we sit outside, sometimes in pouring rain and chilly winds, staring into utter darkness. I've ... read more
May 7th 2008
Life goal #132: Learn to shake my hips as swiftly and rhythmically as the dancing ladies on the Cook Islands. (This ambition comes right after #131 which is teaching myself how to play the ukulele). Ahoy Rarotonga!! Another landing for Queequeg, slap-bang in the heart of the South Pacific ocean, a startling sea side paradise and haven for the aspiring Jim Hawkin’s of the world (two points if you can guess which book that character belongs in.) We arrived dockside in Raro on a sweltering March afternoon, ready for a ice cold Coca-cola and some fresh veggies, the kind that are crunchy and green and not prepared with affections towards the Jolly Green Giant. My dislike for canned food items is growing by the hour with every tinned, boxed and pre-packaged meal we eat and there ... read more
May 5th 2008
Five days later and ten pounds lighter. Who would have known that one could subsist on mashed potatoes and saltine crackers for so many endless days at sea. I read six books and slept for approximately 80% of the trip, trying to put my mind elsewhere aside from the up and down, topsy-turvy motion of the boat. From my small porthole in my stateroom (bedroom), I went from seeing 6 inches of water to 6 inches of sky, to 6 inches of water to 6 inches of sky….and if that isn’t enough to turn one’s stomach, just throw in the acrid smell of alcohol from our galley stove, sticky 90 degree heat, and the sound of others throwing up into their personalized buckets. Poor Aunt Dedee laid in a horizontal position the entire time, ill from ... read more
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