If you are smart, prove it. That is the tagline for Cash-Tales, a new kind of competition I am building—one where creativity is the currency, imagination wins prizes, and everyone from kids to grown-ups can step up and tell their tale. This is not just a writing platform. It is a worldwide creative challenge. Today I want to take you behind the scenes and tell you exactly how it came to life—from a little idea in my notebook to a full platform powered by AI and built for the world. The Spark That Started It All For years I have…
I have talked about visiting Cyprus and I think I have covered every aspect of traveling from the US to Cyprus and how to do it with a budget and a list of how to get there, when to get there, and why you want to go there over other destinations such as the Caribbean. But let us recap some important points. Budget, you can get to the Caribbean for a fairly low price. But what will surprise you is that when you get there, the price of the hotel, food, and fun, meaning scuba diving, or water sports will…
Planning a trip is a lot of work if you want it to go off smoothly. But if you practice this a few times, it should get easier each time you do it. Especially if you plan to return to the same place. But even if you plan a trip to a new place, the process is the same. I will prepare a checklist to make the process of planning a trip easy. I think the most important aspect of a trip is the budget. So, plan accordingly. Keep in mind when planning a trip, you must consider paying the…
Why is North Cyprus the Perfect Travel Destination? I have been a diplomat for most of my life. I have traveled to a lot of countries in my career. There is no such thing as a perfect destination. Especially if you have not been to a destination before. If you want the most summer vacation for your money, I will book a trip to North Cyprus. It is not that busy, hotels are not booked. And life is a little slower on island time. I have been to North Cyprus many times. Most as a vacationer to the North side,…
I think the most important aspect of traveling is your passport. If you do not have one, go to the post office if you are in the US and a US citizen and get one. Please purchase at least six months before you plan to travel as the US Dept of State always gets slammed right before summer. Never surrender your passport. Make a copy of it before you leave the US and keep it in your luggage. If someone needs it, you can carry the copy, but I would leave the original in the hotel safe if you can.…
The beaches in North Cyprus I must admit are pretty impressive. I call them impressive as they are not packed like US beaches full of tourists. They are diverse in what they have to offer. Let me just get this subject out of the way first. I have seen nudism on some beaches, but they are not known as nude beaches. I am assuming that people just take their clothes off and sun bath. I personally do not sunbathe in the nude but there are some folks that are braver than I am. I can also assure you that the…
This is the third blog about North Cyprus and the focus will be about food and subjects effecting food. If I were to come up with one word about North Cyprus food, I would have to say it would be “fresh.” From the meat that makes the main courses, to the fruits and vegetables that are harvested locally and used in its recipes. The produce goes from the market to the seller extremely fast and I think they are the right size for their produce, so the crop sells and there is no more, no less for the island. The…
Second blog, I have learned a few things like adding pics and some other things. My developer explained now I need to add a feature photo to add to my blogs (let me know if you are looking to set up a blog or website and I can provide a contact for that). Can you tell, I am a big fan of word of mouth? So that is the next thing I need to learn and implement on my third blog, I guess. Hopefully, I will learn a few things each time I post. Again, please let me know if…
This is my first blog post, so please bear with me on this one. I hope after a couple of trips; this will go smoother and easier. Let’s talk about the first flight from Washington Dulles to London Heathrow. The first ticket was just under $500.00 for a round-trip ticket from Washington D.C. to Larnaca, Cyprus. That is $250 each way. I don’t think you can go anywhere in the US roundtrip for that other than Southwest. I upgraded a month or so after the first purchase to economy plus which gives you two bags of 51lbs. So, for under…
