TravelswithCharie

Though most states are reopening after the months long quarantine period, it looks like we may have to shelter-in-place a few more weeks if we are to keep the number of Covid19 cases at bay. With five million infections worldwide and no vaccine available, normal travel will not resume in the near future. In the meantime, we can travel vicariously through movies, travel videos and books. On week 8 of my armchair travel series, let’s check out some books that will transport us to the places we’ve dreamed of visiting. The Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux Dark Star Safari, Happy Isles of Oceania, The Old Patagonia Express Paul Theroux doesn’t just travel. He immerses himself in the culture of the places he visits. He lives like a local and with locals, tells things as they are and makes no attempt to gloss over the bad and ugly experiences. “The trains in any country contain the essential paraphernalia of the culture: Thai trains have the shower car with the glazed dragon on its side,

I recently finished reading "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho. It's the first book of his that I've read and I was hooked. Now I'm reading his other novel, The Pilgrimage . The Alchemist inspires. "And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it." It reveals a secret: "The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times." It explains why we can't follow our dreams: "There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure." And how do we deal with heartaches?: "If I am really a part of your dream, you'll come back one day." There's more. You have to read the book to find out. Mr. Coelho also has a super blog where you can find out more about his works. Here's the link: http://paulocoelhoblog.com/ .  *  *  *