Where In The World #4?

What country claims this baked treat as its own?

This is a traditional European pastry made from sweet yeast dough. This unique treat is crafted by wrapping strips of the dough around a conical baking tube, which is then grilled usual over coals till it achieves a golden brown color and crispy exterior.

Answer • It’s Hungary and they’re called Kürtőskalács and if you visit you must try one…

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Are Bloggers Victims of Social Media Algorithms?

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Standing Watch Above The Rhine

People, places and captured moments selected from The Intentional Travelers photo collection. Marksburg Castle on the Rhine River Marksburg Castle, a majestic fortress located above the town of Braubach in Rhineland, Germany. This castle holds the unique distinction of being the only hilltop fortress on the Rhine that has never been captured or destroyed. Originally…

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher

The History Behind The Celebration Of Easter Without question the holiest site in all of Christendom is located in the Christian Quarter of Jerusalem. It represents the location where Jesus was crucified and where his body was laid to rest. Today there is a high level of certainty that the location has been actually identified.…

Exploring South America

with From Cartagena, Columbia to Ushuaia, Argentina the South American continent is an amazing land of natural wonders and human accomplishments. Explore the islands of the Galapagos or hike around Iguazu Falls, climb up to Machu Picchu or cruise through the Panama Canal. You can even cast off for a trip to Antarctica or walk…

Where In The World #5?

It seems so other worldly, like Mars or the Moon but it’s right here on Earth. It’s so alien that the NASA space program uses it to test rovers and other equipment. Find the answer HERE. Here Are A Few Of Our More Recent Postings You might Find Interesting…

Civil Unrest, War, Natural Disasters and International Travel

We’re asking for your opinion…

I think Clint Eastwood said it best; “If you’re looking for a guarantee in life, buy a toaster.”

We have, over the years, visited over one hundred countries and on a few occasions we’ve found ourselves in some touchy situations, but we have always been cautious in selecting when and where to travel. We also have always carried what we believe is the right insurance from “trip cancellation” to “medical evacuation” but even with insurance there are still no guarantees.

One of our bucket list items has been to visit the wonders of ancient Egypt and over the past few years our attempts have been frustrated:

One trip was cancelled by Covid travel restrictions but we did recover most of our expenses with a portion being credits.

The next trip would have been less than a week after Hamas attacked Israel and major fighting broke out. The U.S. Embassy in Cairo was recommending not to travel (threat level of 3). We cancelled and did eventually got much of our travel package expense posted as a credit (no refunds) but even that was a struggle. Cancelling that trip did cost us about $1,000.00 because our travel insurance held that our excuse was not a covered event? The U. S. Embassy cautioning not to travel isn’t apparently a covered excuse?

You see most insurance policies clearly state that they do not cover you for “war, insurrection, civil unrest and natural disasters” and with most travel insurance not paying if you just change your mind (newer policies now offer canceling “for any reason” as an option).

Now it’s February 28th 2026 and we’re traveling to Egypt and Dubai with our flight in six days. We believe that considering the “war” and an increased risk of radical elements seeking to attack Westerners, particularly Americans, there is considerable new risk in traveling to Egypt and Dubai (Iran has already attacked Dubai with Americans told to stay in place).

The U.S. State Department has today raised the Egypt travel advisory to a 4 (risk Red/High) for many areas (S…, Red Sea coast and western desert). The current statement suggests that traveling in Egypt with a licensed guide in a group and staying mostly in high tourist areas has a reduced risk (level 2) as the Egyptian government will be providing additional security to tourist areas.


The images above were AI generated

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Atacama, One of the World’s Greatest Deserts

The Atacama Desert

This desert in northern Chile, renowned as the world’s driest non-polar desert, stretches between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains. As you drive into the desert you are struck by a landscape dotted by what look like volcanos. They are volcanic cinder cones and are  created by short-lived, explosive eruptions of basaltic lava fountains. They are common worldwide but one of the largest regions is this area in Northern Chile, part of the Central Volcanic Zone of the Andes. The Atacama Desert features dozens and dozens of these cinder cones with many still active within its 40,500 square mile, high-altitude plateau. Averaging an altitude of 7,900 to over 13,000 feet the cinder cones are mixed into a rocky landscape with small salt lakes, extensive salt flats, geyser fields, and a moon-like valley.

If you overlooked it in one of the desolate scenes above there’s a Llama or perhaps one of its wild relatives, guanacos and vicuñas that are abundant in the high-altitude, arid regions of the Chilean Atacama Desert.

Any plan to visit Chile must include a few days in the Atacama Desert’s main town of San Pedro (Find additional information HERE)


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Download A Free Copy of CRUISE CONTROL, Our Essential Guide to Cruising

Over the past few weeks we’ve been working at updating our popular CRUISE CONTROL a guide to cruising, but we’ve run out of time as we are soon leaving on an extended trip. We also realized that while our cruise ship listings are a bit out of date*, generally the guide is still a useful publication to help you get the most out of cruising.

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SO FOR A LIMITED TIME CLICK ABOVE AND DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE ePUB PRINTABLE pdf COPY OF THE ORIGINAL

*Cruise Control contained a directory that included hundreds of cruise ships and featured their Cruise Line, ships specifications, general ratings and more but it hasn’t been updated since 2018, but it’s still useful information.

Cruise ships come in all sizes with hundreds of variations in things to do. There are also a number of different cruising groups with varied interests and expectations. Following is a bit of what you’ll find in CRUISE CONTROL…

Family Cruising

Families traveling with younger children and teens – Many cruise lines have special programs tailored specifically to teens, pre-teens and younger children with a number of notable standouts.

Royal Caribbean Flo-Rider

Royal Caribbean’s Adventure Ocean – Royal Caribbean kids clubs are the highest rated in the industry. Oasis-class ships are the stars of the fleet providing almost 30,000 square feet per ship dedicated to kids programs.

Disney Cruise Line’s Oceaneer Club – Disney’s kids clubs are different on each ship, creative themed kids spaces with hangouts for various ages. There’s a nursery with babysitting for children younger than 3. Of course the ships make full use of Disney’s lineup of characters from Micky to the Avengers.

Carnival’s Camp Ocean – Camp Ocean, Carnival’s kids club, is usually jumping, including ocean based activities and marine themes blending education and fun. This cruise line is a particular favorite with families because of its budget friendly fares and dedicated spaces for young kids, through teens.

Norwegian’s Splash Academy – The Splash Academy areas are lively, well designed and adaptable to activities from crafts to dances and pirate nights. Teens love their club Entourage, with a video jukebox, dance floor, foosball, video games and DJ equipment.

Princess’ Camp Discovery – Facilities feature The Treehouse for ages 3 to 7, The Lodge for ages 8 to 12 and The Beach House a hangout for teens. Activities include Skee-Ball, air hockey, video games, dance parties, educational programs like science experiments, scavenger hunts, and cruise destination puppet and maskmaking.

Young Adults, Couples and Singles – This crowd usually brings the fun with them and are looking for lots of dancing, poolside bars, lounges and onboard games. Their energy and excitement are contagious and they love Caribbean cruises. Their favorite cruise lines are Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian.

Holland America sails two ships with single staterooms and feature a Single Partners Program for like-minded singles to meet. The Single Partners Program is on most sailings and hosts cocktail mixers and group games so you can meet other passengers. Sign up for cooking classes, wine tastings or computer classes. Best cruises for singles over 40 and seniors.

Norwegian offers one-bed studios designed especially for singles on Norwegian Escape and Norwegian Epic. Allows cruising without choosing between paying a supplement and finding a cruising partner. The designated studio lounge provides a space to mingle with other solo travelers. Connect with other singles at nightly happy hours, deck parties and meetups. On ships without single studios, solo cruiser discounts are often available. Best cruise for young singles in 20s and 30s.

Virgin Voyages offers the Scarlet Lady cruise ship with 46 solo cabins so you can have your own space and it’s adults-only. The cruise line is looking for millennials and the top of Gen Z looking to have a good time. Its single staterooms are a bit more expensive but feature beautiful cabins, complete with mood lighting and on-demand streaming services. Best cruise for single cruisers in their 20s and 30s.

Retirees and Seniors – This group leans toward longer cruises and off-season itineraries. Trans-Atlantic and repositioning cruises are very popular providing a casual atmosphere and lots of time for relaxing and reading. To cater to these passengers cruise lines are often providing informative lectures and classes like painting, jewelry making along with more mature offerings in music and onboard entertainment. Three lines stand out for their appeal to seniors.

Celebrity’s upscale ships are noted for their cuisine and feature formal foyers, libraries, lawn games, lounges and upscale bars. These ships are favorites with seniors for their reputation of excellent music and entertainment, lectures and onboard classes.

Holland America with its mid-sized ships that offer the charm of a classic cruise experience, appeals to seniors with world class-performers at night and lectures by topical and cultural experts during the day.

Princess Cruises is a favorite with senior cruisers worldwide with a number of activities geared towards an older crowd, Princess offers exclusive discovery at sea activities, art history lectures and a golf driving range.

Mixed Age Groups – Best cruise lines for mixed age groups include Royal Caribbean, Disney and Holland America for overall appeal to all ages. The thing that most people find particularly appealing about cruising is, most groups will find things that appeal to them regardless of age. The perfect family vacation.

What To Expect On Your Cruise

Food

A typical cruise ship offers a number of eating options that change throughout the day. Breakfast can by a sit-down affair, a plentiful buffet or a coffee cafe with a Continental breakfast. Many ships also provide a spa scene for those looking for healthier fare. As the day progresses there are a number of venues for full meals, buffets, cafes for tea, coffee and pastries. Dinner used to be a formal affair but that is becoming less common with the trend toward more casual atmospheres and options in the main dining room, buffets and now a growing number of themed restaurants (usually at additional expense).

Today ships are also outfitted with casual dining venues with recognized names and cuisines like Johnny Rockets, Guy Fieri, Mexican Cantina, Hibachi & Sushi. There are usually also outdoor grills for burgers along with pizza cafes that are open till late at night.

Entertainment

If food is a major attraction it shares that billing with a collection of entertainment offerings. Afternoons will usually find a number of musicians and singers performing around the ship at varied times and locations. Evenings feature theatre showtimes with Broadway musical reviews, magicians, comedians and singers. Most cruises fill evenings with club acts in any number of lounges around the ship with dancing. Afternoons and evenings usually include games like bingo and trivia with participation games common favorites along with scavenger hunts and game shows.

You’ll often also find any number of lectures and tours onboard. Popular lectures often involve the Captain and crew along with port visit programs and shopping lectures. Some cruises also bring on lecturers on numerous topics with many often focused on the cruises destinations. You will also find art demonstrations and lessons for adults popular along with instruction on using todays devices like tablets and cellphones.

Getting Bigger and Better

Each year ever bigger ships get launched and enter service, each with more incredible features and attractions. Newer offerings include amusement park rides, ice skating, surfing, go-kart racing, even sky diving simulators. Most ships include kids water fun areas that feature slides and flume rides with bigger versions on many for older passengers. Theatrical production areas keep getting bigger and more elaborate and newer ships can feature lawns, gardens, outdoor promenades and dozens of restaurants, lounges and clubs.


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Looking for Travel Inspiration?

This Intentional Traveler features thousands of pages of information on destinations, great maps, amazing images, detailed travel help and just a few stories for the fun of it. Chance are we’ve got what you’ve been looking for, so take a moment and explore this incredible world with The Intentional Travelers.

CLICK FOR GREAT TRAVEL IDEAS!

Find destinations from Antarctica to Alaska to Australia, information on over 150 cruise ports of call, valuable tips on cruising, great places to hike and our useful collection of printable maps. Looking For Ideas? They’re Just A Click Away…

If you’re interested in something specific the fastest way to locate it is to search our site here.

In The Lair Of The Milodón

In a large cave in Southern Chile is a prehistoric site famous for the discovery of a 10,000-year-old giant ground sloth. The park site features a massive 90 foot high, 600 foot deep main cave, alongside the “Devil’s Chair” rock formation and numerous hiking trails.

The sloth called a Milodón at this site, scientifically known as Mylodon darwini, is an extinct species of ground sloth that belonged to the family Mylodontidae and roamed Chile and southern South America during the Pleistocene epoch. This remarkable creature is closely related to modern sloths and could grow to a length of 9 to 12 feet.

This park is one of the most significant sites in the world associated with the Milodón and is called the Milodón Cave (Cueva del Milodón) in Patagonia, Chile. Discovered in 1895, this cave yielded not only the remains of the Milodón, including skin and bones, but also various other prehistoric human artifacts and fossils, making it an important site for understanding the region’s ancient wildlife. Today, the cave serves as a popular destination, attracting visitors interested in its geological and paleontological significance.

The Milodón Cave park is located about 21 miles outside of Puerto Natales on the route going to the Chilean National Park of Torres del Paineo. It requires an admission ticket of about US$25 and most regional tours include a stop at the cave. A link to the cave’s web page HERE.


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