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.

Tahiti – A Wet Walk in Polynesian Waters

“It will be weightless underwater,” I am told as I stare at the eighty-pound helmet that will encapsulate my head. On my mind is that a stingray had accidentally killed the Australian diver and conservationist Steve Irwin. Our guide tries to reassure us about this shark-related fish, “If.. →

Australia – Sunrise at Uluru

I feel as if I am part of an entourage waiting for the awakening of the Sun King. Except that here at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park—aka Ayers Rock, in the Australia Red Center—cameras, tripods, binoculars, and phones are contemporary evidence that the real sun is rising and the event not limited.. →

Morocco – A Shopping Marathon in Tangier

I am rushing through the crowded streets, minding my steps, keeping up with the pace. Our first day trip to Tangier has turned into a shopping marathon with a guide we nickname ‘Speedy’ Mustafa.

Morocco is one hour behind Spanish time, so we arrived before the shops opened. Never mind… →

Morocco- Tangier for Foodies

A labyrinth of streets in the medina, haggling in the souks, spices, antiques, a sputtering moped, Moroccan wares aplenty, a loaded camel, these are the sights and sounds of Tangier. But its pulse is truly taken through the taste buds. When in Tangier, I never miss the food market.

Tangier’s.. →

Australia – Interpreting Aboriginal Dot Paintings

Dots are everywhere in Sydney and seem to follow me like curious eyeballs. They peek from every shop through vibrant boomerangs, didgeridoos, and other crafts and souvenirs. Surely, there must be more to them than polka dots.

Back to School in an Art Gallery

The first thing the art gallery.. →