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Dallas Smith's Blog

The Magical Kingdom of Bhutan

March, 2016

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How much can a tourist learn about a country in five days? First impressions count. One can draw conclusions from even a short visit that merit more research perhaps through a future visit. Having just spent five days in Bhutan. . .

Witnessing Global Warming

June, 2023

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Global warming is happening every day. I happened to witness it firsthand during our recent visit to Svalbard.

I Love My Job

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My chosen professions have not required the type of concentration required by those who hold the lives of others in their hands. . .

Turkey: Religion and Politics

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Our Turkish tour guide, Mehmet, has a college degree in English literature.  He spent his military service working as a translator.  Obviously, his English language skills are outstanding.  Having been a tourist guide for twenty years, he has visited these Turkish historical sites hundreds of times.  Thus, he has refined his narratives over the years to be immensely content-rich, historically informative, and culturally aware.  Therefore, besides my own reading and observations, much of the information I will recount in this blog is derived from what I've learned from Mehmet's daily cultural and historical descriptions.

A Quick Glimpse of Rome

December, 2019

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We spent two tourist days in Rome prior to boarding the Viking cruise ship.  Our hotel was located in the Trastevere section of Rome, an older residential area across the Tiber River from the central city, home to Rome’s most famous architectural landmarks.  

My travel blogs are intended to provide my readers with the vicarious pleasure of my sharing my travel experiences. 

Murano-Burano Photos

March 2022 - World Cruise

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Murano is famous for its unrivaled glass designs. Burano is famous for its historic production of lace as well as its brightly colored buildings. Below are samples of both islands.

Discovering Dubai

March, 2016

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This week marks my second visit to Dubai following an initial visit two years ago. Susan is traveling with me this time. We are being hosted in Dubai by my dear friend, Dubai resident Lajo Gupta, who is originally from India, and is the daughter of the great Indian music master, Ali Akbar Khan. . .