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Celebrity Travel: Go Away With Richard Short

By Jae-Ha Kim, Tribune Content Agency on

A. The very toughest question of all. Let's say Istanbul, Tokyo, Berlin, Paris, New York and Rio de Janeiro. I know that's six, but what of Valparaiso? London? Salvador? Bangkok? Edinburgh? Montevideo? St. Petersburg? Barcelona? Milan? Hiroshima?

Q. Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?

A. I'm not sure if like is the correct term, but at this moment in time I feel compelled to visit Syria or perhaps Pakistan. I've no doubt I'd encounter wonderful people there, despite most living in peril. I also met many of them in the (Calais) Jungle (refugee camp) last year and listened to countless stories of how beautiful their country had been. It's a terrible state of affairs and it's right now we must bridge the seemingly impossible divide to talk to and help one another. A trip to lie on a beach in a resort seems almost unfair.

Q. When you go away, what are some of your must-have items?

A. Books and maps. As I'm getting older, I also rely heavily on a small inflatable cushion for my lower back to survive long-haul flights, as well as pocketfuls of painkillers.

Q. What are your favorite restaurants?

 

A. Everyone knows the best establishments to dine at when traveling are street carts by the side of the road. I've eaten in Michelin star restaurants that, while delicious, haven't come close to the sensory experience of a simple piece of fruit hand delivered on the Panamanian roadside. Having said that, there's an incredible pie shop under the town hall in Tallinn, Estonia.

Q. What is your best and/or worst vacation memory?

A. Visiting the southern shores of Thailand directly after the tsunami had hit was a gut-wrenching experience. Detritus still littered the beaches and the suffering was tangible. Also leaving the incredible Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia, Bulgaria, and seeing one of the clergymen spitting on a homeless beggar on the steps outside left a sour taste and seemed anathema to the reasons behind a church in the first place.

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(Jae-Ha Kim is a New York Times bestselling author and travel writer. You can respond to this column by visiting her website at www.jaehakim.com. You may also follow "Go Away With..." on Twitter at @GoAwayWithJae where Jae-Ha Kim welcomes your questions and comments.)


(c) 2017 DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.

 

 

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