Travel Stories - Marie-Claude Arnott

When I first traveled to places I’d likely never go back to—the world is a big place—I was frustrated and even sad to leave beautiful and interesting sites behind. Sure, I’d bring back photographs galore, souvenirs and other mementos, and books, but they weren’t enough. They wouldn't keep my memories alive.

But writing stories about these places would let me keep them forever. And since everything is better when it’s shared, I am sharing them here, in an uninterrupted reading format that, I hope, will let your mind drift to those places and engage in the experiences. I hope the photographs will then visually take you back there, as they never fail to take me.

Most articles were first published at Buckettripper.com, a multiple-award-winning digital travel magazine - no longer collaborative. Other original travel articles appeared in my travel column in the West Vancouver Beacon. More stories will follow as I format them for Writing is Living.

Hawaii – The Future or Fate of Seahorses

For marine biologists, the intriguing ‘horse of the sea’ is like the canary in the coal mine. Wild seahorses are disappearing at an alarming rate. Yet, the same unsustainable fishing practices endanger other sea life too.

I am getting acquainted with seahorses in Kailua-Kona, on the volcanic.. →

Morocco – Vintage Textiles and Jewelry

We leave the grayness of Tangier’s bustling medina at 66, rue Les Almouhads where the open massive front door no longer repels assailants. Boutique Majid owner welcomes us by a trickling fountain. We immediately fall under the charm of a vivid ensemble of colors, textures, and shapes, all from generations.. →

Morocco – Made in Morocco

When in Morocco, buy all you can afford and take home or ship. Designers like Morocco because nothing is mass-produced. Besides, you will support the traditional skills that personalize a décor.
The Kingdom of Morocco protects its traditions—under the Ministry of Tourism, Air Transport, Handicrafts,.. →

New York City – Urban Life in the Big Apple

Numbered streets run into numbered avenues, except for those with names. The thought is on my mind, if I can make it here, I can make it anywhere. Interesting bridges connect neighborhoods to the waterfront. All of this could remind me of Vancouver, except that New York is a bigger, multi-faceted.. →

Hawaii – The Aqua Farmers and Apple Snails

I am standing at the lookout of the Hanalei Valley and enjoying another day in Kauai, the oldest of the Hawaiian Islands. Decade after decade The Garden Island pleasantly looks as if nothing has changed.

Pristine pastures, continual warm rainfalls, isolation from industrial pollution, and fertile.. →

Bali – Teeing-off at Nirwana Golf Course

My caddie briefly scouts the fairway and points to my ball lodged in the narrow berm of a soggy ditch alongside a rice paddy. Her encouraging smile offsets the outcome of my first drive and all eyes are on me as I give it my best shot. Mud flecks my face asI hear the cheers of my entourage.
Here,.. →

England – Cart Marking in London

What do Montgomery’s Rolls Royce and a butcher’s handcart have in common? On that day, they appeared in a London ritual dating back to 1667.

I admit that the first time I heard the name of the ceremony—Cart Marking Under the Worshipful Company of Carmen—I wondered who Carmen was. We.. →

Mexico – Sand to Sky Adventure

“No special skills needed,” the young man says. Never mind that I’ll be ‘sailing’ 200 meters up in the air, suspended to a parachute, and connected by a rope to the boat that will pull both the parachute and me—so we stay up over the Bahia de Acapulco.

After watching people parasail.. →

Australia – Learning Aboriginal Survival Skills

Should we ever get stranded in the Australian Desert, we might have a better chance to survive than I thought. My husband just showed surprising skills at throwing a spear.

This walk in the bush gives me plenty of food for thought. As it turns out, survival in this harsh environment is.. →

Italy – Capri and the Blue Grotto

The tour guide says it’s impossible, but I couldn’t give up the hope that there might still be a chance to see the Grotta Azzura.
We are on a cruise from Monte Carlo to Venice on the Regent Seven Seas Voyager. Today’s port of call is Sorrento, on the Amalfi Coast, where we’d visit the.. →