Ramblings of a Restless Soul

Book excerpt: The book is a collection of travel related short stories. The stories are from real travels but the persons and exact situations are changed to protect privacy and prevent problems in sensitive areas. Some of the stories are situational. Others are about people or culture or places out of the ordinary. Others are newsletters written at the time and adapted later for a wider ranging audience. Yet others are dilemmas or frustrating situations turned to fiction to bring humor to the issue. You will learn about a hidden kingdom in Java, off limits to tourists without special permission of the king; take a ride on the Trans Siberian train from Moscow to Beijing and experience adventure along the way; visit Beirut a week after the suicide bombing; and experience what it’s like to work in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Africa will become more than a place for safaris when you visit countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi and Central African Republic, all of which have and still do experience conflicts, disease and poverty.