One of my favorite places to go relax and read was the Main Train Station, or Hauptbahnhof, in Frankfurt.

The trains run on electricity, which doesn't seem to pollute the air.

The roof contains transparent materials to allow natural light into the station.

There are plenty of kiosks for coffee and food, too.

In the video, I'm coming up from the subway, into the main building. Notice the large, airy expanse. It was very cool to be inside a gigantic, larger-than-life, man-made structure in which many people from around the region and world congregate. I enjoyed the positive energy inside there; good for reading and relaxing.

I like to think of myself a traveler--a person who enjoys traveling and being away from home. Seeing and experiencing other people, cultures, and places is fun, and educational, too. The opportunity to relax and recharge on a vacation far from my everyday, regular existence is a nice idea. The excitement associated with planning and anticipating a trip cannot be discounted, either.

The second best part of traveling is returning home. Home sweet home. A place where I can think about what I have experienced. An opportunity to put experiences into perspective. A time to merge relaxation with reality.
This (the image) is from where I returned: Nags Head, North Carolina, which is located on a parcel of land off the coast of North Carolina, on the Atlantic. It's called the "Outer Banks." It is in Nags Head I gathered for a week with my brothers, sisters, in-laws, nieces, and nephews. We swam, cooked, ate, played, and relaxed together.

I didn't rely on travel books (i.e. Lonely Planet or Rough Guide) during my last trip to Vietnam. (That wasn't the case in previous travels to Europe, however.) To me, travel books tend to suggest places where other travelers are to be found. I prefer to be surrounded by the local population, since I live among many westerners already. That's not to say I didn't pack a travel book for Vietnam, which I did (for use in "emergencies").

Today I read an article about a travel writer (for Lonely Planet) who said he faked, plagiarized, and made-up stuff. The article is here.

I'm currently blogging from the south central highlands of Vietnam in the city of Da Lat.

This is an interesting city of about 200,000 people. First off, she reminds me of an Asian-\ Denver or Taos, New Mexico in the United States because of it "Old West" feel. The buildings stand side by side on each side of these winding and hilly streets. Instead of horses, Da Lat sports motorbikes, and lots of them. Some might want to call it a French-inspired Asian city.

I'm walking around the city today to see what makes it tick.

First Impressions of TJ
Tijuana, Mexico is not worth the 25 mile drive south and the 1-1/2 hour, long-line wait to cross the border back to the United States. Unless you enjoy sports books, $50 hookers and beers costing the same as in the States, I suggest you don't visit.