Ellie Dias

CHAPTER 7… excerpt! When people plan trips, their course is usually more or less on target. Not mine. Despite being a manic perfectionist, and one of the best planners in the world, my travel adventure—my thirty-year dream—was more than a

Who does an illegal U-turn without checking to see if a cruiser is directly behind you? ME! Within seconds of the turn, the flashing lights go on and the siren blasts. Sitting in the car with my head down, I begin

“Be Prepared” ~ Boy Scout motto When I received the three separate ten-page documents about what to expect and what to bring on my adventure in Bhutan, Nepal, and Tibet, I had my work cut out for me. I approached

“In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight” ~ “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” by Linda Solomon At last, the long-awaited Elephant Safari Ride, where I will see lions, and tigers, and what, oh my! I have a dramatic vision

With Dawa driving, we leave Paro and head to Thimpu, the capital of Bhutan. We come to a pine-covered hillside bisected by a cluster of white prayer flags on huge vertical bamboo poles being erected by dozens of locals. Someone

Pit Toilets As we near the car, my GI tract starts making some unpleasant announcements. I need to find a bathroom, and soon. My guide, Yeshey, points to a cement wall a short distance up a grass hill. I bite

“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened” ▬Anatole France What is it about our pets that makes us love them so fiercely? Why do they leave us with a hole in our hearts and

“Your worst enemy cannot harm you as much as your own unguarded thoughts.” ~Buddha It’s doubtful anyone would question the desire to be less stressed in an age of distractions do to a hectic life of cell phones, text messages, computers, and