Without a doubt, most people from North America and Europe visit Mindo because they read that it is one of the world's top sites of biodiversity for bird species. The central role that ecotourism plays in Mindo can be observed in the pueblo's central plaza. In the plaza, you can see the stone statue of a hummingbird. Sitting on one of the benches, you can look around and see the famed cloud forests of Mindo in the mountains around you.

Is chocolate the way to a person's heart? It seemed that the iconic screen star Cary Grant thought so when he devised a romantic tryst during a stay at the downtown Mayfair Hotel (now the Magnolia St. Louis). Grant would lodge at the hotel after performing at the adjacent Orpheum theatre. When his eyes first set on the18th floor suite, he was charmed by its 1930-40s glamour and style, and it became his designated suite of choice.

The current T-Boy Society of Film & Music poll is devoted to our writers' five favorite albums of all-time. An album is a collection - in our case - of songs & music available in any forum; Vinyl, CD, Tape, etc. Initially, the theme of the poll was top five albums you'd take on a deserted island; but it made the poll a little confusing, plus we all understand the concept. It may be our most passionate poll, with some sending numerous revisions.

La Jolla (La-HOY-a) stretches out along Southern California's western coastline, just a brief drive north of downtown San Diego, and about 30 miles north of the Mexican border. It's famous for its small cove and its beach, surrounded by residential homes perched on its cliffs. Its fame also includes surfing, snorkeling and scuba activities. Free public parking is very limited --- mostly found on the street. There is a strong ecological movement, so it's a haven for sea lions, sea gulls, and various fishes.

Christmas carols originated in Italy, where history tells us that the earliest Christmas hymns took place in Rome in the 4th century. Later, St. Francis of Assisi helped popularize Christmas carols in the 12th century, as well as creating the first symbol devoted exclusively to Christmas with the advent of the Nativity Scene, complete with living figures.

There is a phrase in old Victorian slang, nantynarking, which denotes great fun. The beaches of a Florida island are blooming with the sounds of nantynarking on this warm December afternoon as I make my way around the Dickens on Centretheme festival that's rocking beneath the palm trees.

In Colonial America, Christmas was essentially a day of Spiritual observance. Carols were sung and church bells rang out to celebrate the commemoration of Christ's birth. Early Americans decorated evergreen trees with things from nature and homemade items. Christmas was a warm, family experience for Colonial America.

I have one sister. I think when I was born my parents saw me and said they thought they could do better and so my sister was born and then they realized it was best if they stopped. Joking aside, my sister is amazing and funny. She worked for many years as an administrator for several doctors and when she came to visit she knew just what to bring. You have probably heard of Gummy Bears. She brought Gummy Organs. We put them in a bowl and doctors would come in just to get liver or kidney to munch on. She and her daughter came dressed as birds, feathers and all. It is a great story and I have written it for Traveling Boy in the past and you can read it. It is a fascinating story that started with a smashed bird.

Just a pleasure visiting the wayback, remembering my daughter’s first far-flung travel. And a chance to reprise it for Christmas and New Years wishes from the original Santa Claus. Many lay claim to the origins of the Santa legend, but St. Nicholas, of the ancient city of Myra in Turkey, is the real deal. Trace them back, most other countries’ Santa legends are spinoffs.

The pastry chef aboard the Viking Vili had no fear of losing his job because of me. My pathetic attempt at making a gingerbread house during his lesson on board put my skills at the kindergarten level. His fanciful creations in the ship’s lounge looked like they were conjured up by a Christmas elf employing Santa’s magical powers.

I lived in a village in the Swiss Alps for two years when I was a little girl and I remember the delicious crunch of the new fallen snow under my shoes on a cold, still Christmas Eve when I was allowed to attend midnight Mass in the village church. The bells rang sharp and clear in the frosty air, the stars twinkled in the dark sky and I knew I would soon see my Christmas presents. All was well with my wee world.

The sweeping Maya culture of Guatemala, full of boundless mystery and intrigue, left behind in its ruins a complex enigma that can lay hold of the sensibilities, fulfill a longing for adventure and discovery, and inflame a strange sense of tragedy and lingering spirits. Never a single all-encompassing empire, the Maya flourished between AD 250 and 900 and, like creeping jungle vines, spread across the Yucatan, Guatemala, and Middle America. A culture developed in its own unique way embracing aspects of life that were unpredictable.

In Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey, the mythical Greek character Odysseus builds a raft and attempts to return to his home island of Ithaca. But Odysseus' enemy, Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea, unleashes a storm and the raft is destroyed. Half-drowned, Odysseus washes ashore on the island of Corfu. He staggers into an olive grove and collapses.

From the waterfront road, I could wander down any short side street and then pass through abandoned play lots, vacant volleyball courts, rows of empty changing facilities, shuttered beach bars and cordoned-off areas normally packed elbow-to-elbow. The tourist season was long gone, most of the waterfront was shut down and I felt like the only one around.

Naturally we started our trip off with a glass of wine at lunch. After all, it was too late for breakfast… Deux verres de vin rouge – um, uh -- pas sec. Un peu… Finally I just threw my hands in the air and laughed. I meant well but it seemed unfair to make our poor waiter suffer for my lack of versatility with the language. Our waiter obliged with two glasses of wine and a hearty, Welcome to Provence!

The latest T-Boy Society of Film & Music poll is devoted to our members' favorite international destination. That is, the first international destination we'd visit when the roadways, skyways and waterways are deemed safe to travel. You'll find members' selections to be illuminating, telling us much about their own personal preferences.

The clouds of Asturias roll in over the rocky shore from the Cantabrian Sea like fog, filling the valleys and cascading over the low hills to butt against the spikey ridgelines of the Pico de Europa mountains in the interior, causing them to look like islands in an inland cotton sea. We drove to this view early one morning on a winding mountain road, the only traffic a herd of cows coming down from their summer pasture, nonplussed by our presence, yet they skitter by, their cowbells echoing the change of seasons through the valleys long after they pass.

Years ago, as far back as the late 1960's, I was fascinated by a unique British TV show called The Prisoner. The series creator, Patrick McGoohan played the role of Number 6 who was jailed in a fascinating town called the Village.

An interesting, intriguing even, FACT regarding Top 20 Films for Halloween Viewing on Traveling Boy and the #3 selection, THE SHINING (1980). During my time (1972-1982) with Continental Airline (CAL), in our PR department, in addition to my responsibilities as Manager of Publicity, they also asked I take charge of all movie and TV requests.

I was strapped tightly into the front of the cockpit via an elaborate seat belt that made sure I couldn't damage myself from any angle. The pilot sat behind, flying with his set of master controls. A retired Rear Admiral, a champion stunt competition biplane pilot who teaches stunt flying, and a former teacher and practitioner of dentistry. Who would have imagined that combination? Maybe Doc Holiday. Bill Finagin, the 2008 inductee into the International Aerobatic Club Hall of Fame, has won stunt competitions all around the country. Years ago, after reading something about him, I called him on a whim and he kindly offered to take me up in an incredibly beautiful machine.

Near the stream are the park's teepees and covered wagons, which make for memorable family accommodations. The teepees are recreations of Sioux Indian dwellings. They are about 20 ft-tall and feature a queen and twin bed and a couple tables. They don't come with electricity, but offer lots of natural light.