“No charge,” said bike shop man in Mont St. Anne, Quebec. “You’re on a long trip, you need help, it’s no problem.”
“You’re sure?” I replied. “Thanks.”
And with a new tube in my rear tire, I pedaled off along the St. Lawrence in the general direction of Halifax.
This week’s edition features a mix of comedy and cultural insight.
You’ll laugh your way through a lesson on orgasm control and learn how NOT to deal with inflated charges for hotel room pornography, but like all great travel writing, these stories mix education with entertainment.
Why do Japanese high-school baseball players take the game so seriously? Is it really such a big deal to order afternoon cappuccino in Italy? And what is the secret of tantric sex?
What makes for a quality travel story? According to Ernest Hemingway, “good writing is true writing.” Honesty is especially crucial in travel writing, but it’s sometimes difficult for writers to achieve.
When we travel, we step beyond our comfort zones, into a realm of uncertainty. For a writer trying to capture the essence of a place, it can be tempting to assume a tone of artificial confidence. Jangly nerves, upset stomachs and genuine observations are lost in favor of breezy, artificial suavity.
Tags: Tales, From, The, Road, Japan, Colorado, Burma, New, Orleans, and, Long, Walk