Connecting Across Cultures
Meet Jody Van Engelsdorp Gastelaars from Haarlem, the Netherlands! She’s a good friend and fellow Rick Steves tour guide. She’s also a twin! (No, not my twin!) She’s got her very own identical twin sister, Ruby. And — although Jody’s nearly twelve years younger than I am — she’s been a great professional mentor for…
The stench of urine is noteworthy. And beware of the motorcyclists, forever zipping past impossibly close through mixed crowds of locals andΒ tourists alike.Β Wind in their hair. Cross, if you dare. Pedestrians, take care! Marrakesh, the Ultimate Gritty City The streets are steamy, with smoke coming from grills and burners and kitchen exhaust pipes. Fumes from…
I met Lena Papadopoulos through Instagram, a place to see pictures — lots and lots of pictures. And it’s a place to encounter personalities — very veryΒ BIG personalities. On occasion, it can even be a place to start friendships. I experienced this firsthand this summer, when two travelers I’d previously only known via scrollingΒ or comment…