On the way to the Antarctic.

March 4, 2025

On my way to Trinidad in January 2024, I realized how much I like sea days. Sea days are exactly that. The days that the ship is at sea between destinations. Many passengers can’t wait for the arrival at the next port. Not me. It is rare that one has the opportunity to have a completely unobstructed view, yet with the exception of sighting flying fish and a school of dolphins only the grandeur of the endless horizon is your view on sea days. It makes me feel small and grand at the same time.

Do you know what else I like about traveling the world? Meeting taxicab drivers. Taxicab drivers are the polyglots of the world. Their ability to master multiple language phrases in order to communicate with and make a living from numerous nationalities has always intrigued me.

As a seasoned traveled let me share with you some advice. Most taxicabs throughout the world are not metered so don’t ask the taxicab driver “What’s the price?” That’s like asking a barber do I need a haircut? In both instances you are going to get a scalping! I do some research find out what a fair price would be and hold some local currency up to the window and announce my destination. If I get the universal acceptance response of “OK” the taxicab driver and I have already established a relationship. He got the fare he wanted and I’m going to where I want to go. What could be better.

I always try and sit in the front seat of a taxicab whenever I can. It is better for my 6’2″ frame and I get to enter the inner domain of the taxicab driver’s universe. This is his living room, the place where he spends 8+ hours a day and it immediately reflects his personality. Some are messy, some are clean, some are high tech, some are old school, and his affiliation is front and center. Be it a cross, rosary, Buddha, the Star of David or the om symbol of Hinduism proudly displayed on the center of the dashboard I instantly know my travel companion’s religious beliefs.

The photos, pinned to the sun visor, stacked in the console or neatly arranged across the dashboard (sometimes unfortunately covering up the speedometer) tell the story of the taxicab driver’s past, present and future. Vintage black and white photos of grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles reveal rich heritages. The required children’s graduation photo always has a position of prominence. And if old enough, the brand-new grandchildren’s photos in some cases competing with the children’s photos for prominent position on this mobile wall of legacy.

I’m always comforted to know that he will not travel alone. He always has his family with him. I wonder if he has silent conversations with them as he waits for his next fare. I wonder if they encourage him to keep going when his day is long or signal to him that it is time to go home and call it a day before they take off together again tomorrow. That’s what families always do offer encourage and help maintain balance.

When I was a boy, I dared not ever think of looking in my father’s wallet. That was grown up stuff, something a man carried in his back pocket no less. All my worldly possessions seemed to fit in the two front pockets of my dungarees (jeans for you younger readers) And this was the place, when opened that money came from. A dollar could open the wonders of a soda and a long 2 cent pretzel from the candy store. I’m sure the store had a name, but we boys only knew it as the candy store. Or better yet, an ice cream cone from Howard Johnsons, butter pecan my first choice. And there was always plenty of change left over that was swiftly returned to Dad.

My parents retired to Glenns Falls in upstate New York at the foot of the Adirondacks. I was completing an internship in Albany New York, and I would visit my parents staying for the weekend when possible. One Saturday morning, my dad left his wallet on the kitchen counter and my curiosity got the best of me. I do not think that this was the wallet of my youth, but the content seemed not to have changed. What did I find? A social security card, a Pioneers membership card (the fraternal organization of New York telephone company employees) and photos of my mom, sister, brother and me far removed from each of our current ages. Mom and dad were dating, my sister looked to be high school age, me about 12 and my brother Brian about 7 years old. And one picture of my dad. His returning home from World War II in his navy chief petty officer uniform. My mom had the same photo, and I made a copy of it after my mom passed away. I always thought it was the photo where my dad looked the most handsome.

By no means was my father a lazy man. He could have surely updated those pictures. Were they his best years or our best years? I’m not sure. I never told him I looked in his wallet. I never recommended he change the photos.

Now I think I understand. Every night I take my cell phone to dinner for one purpose only. To take a picture of my wife sitting across from me. It is my pray that ten years from now, God willing, twenty years from now I will be able to look at those pictures and remember what seems like some days, the best years of my life.

I’m sure the same as my dad did.

Here are a few of my favorites photos of Chongae taken at dinner.

(Some sound advice. If your parents or grandparents want to take a picture with you-Let them. Years from now, you will be happy you did.)

Wow, the readership of this blog is really increasing! You must be recommending it to your family and friends. Thank you. We love having them travel with us. I purposely have the blog start from our first entry The Journey Begins so that new readers can catch up on our travels. For your interest the blogs that received the most comments were from May 28th and May 31, 2024, where I shared how to save for travel and how to travel cost effectively.

Thanks for traveling with us.