The pandemic clearly restricted my international travel. I had to cancel travel plans to Amsterdam and England, but not all was lost. I found myself in Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, in July of last year. I joined my brother and his friend from Kansas City there. I was able to absorb the culture of Old San Juan for a few days and then move on to Rincon, getting a taste of coastal life.
It was a decent trip. The absolute highlight was a visit to the municipality of Loiza, which is a known for its rich Afro-Puerto Rican culture. There, we visited the studio of renowned artist Samuel Lind and actually met, conversed with him and purchased some prints (notice I said “prints”) at a reasonable price. On a scale of I to 10, I’m giving this trip a “7.”
Breaking with tradition, I now travel to cities within the U.S. during Thanksgiving. Alexandria, Virginia was my place of choice in 2022. A girlfriend of mine joined me on this excursion. It was a great experience. Our hotel was in Old Town and the trolley and walking were our modus, operandi for getting around. We strolled along King Street, visited a couple of museums, the waterfront and the Torpedo Factory Art Center.
We even worshiped at a local church. Shopping was great, too. I bought a pair of the most beautiful red boots I have ever seen. Of course, I’ve only worn them once. Rating for this trip? This trip rates a “10.”
I took my first international trip since the pandemic this April to Lisbon, Portugal. It was something to get me back in the saddle. Honestly, I was a bit rusty. I found it stressful to think about what to pack for this short, six-day journey that had me in the air for about 12 hours each way.
I had to push myself to go. I chose an independent package with my travel company, which included only my flight and hotel. I didn’t like my hotel because it was not centrally located, so I had to Uber around in a strange country, which was unsettling. Once, I refused to get in an Uber car because there was no door handle on the outside.
The Hop on Hop Off Bus was disappointing because a live person was not on board to explain the sites. I didn’t see many people who looked like me in Lisbon either and couldn’t find any Black art or anything culturally specific to purchase. The one highlight was the Black History Tour. I will give this trip a mere “5” rating.
Have bags will travel