I owe you all am almost ashamed apology for having such a long and unintentional lapse in my blog, although I have been more active with twitter and I am a new and still reluctant facebook (especvially given the new privacy changes last week).

I did work on an entry in for this month's trazzler contest on Islands. If you are reading this before December 23, I hope that you will please support me and "wishlist" my story before December 23, you only can do it once each contest.Here is link http://www.trazzler.com/trips/halema-uma-u-crater-kilauea-volcano-national-park-hawaii-hi-in-volcano-hi# Mahalo

I will be returning to the Big Island this week to spend more time with some of the island's special healers and kahuna, and Madam Pele, who have left a lasting impression on my heart and soul. It is this additional dimension, in addition to the genuine beauty and diversity of the Island, that makes it even more enchanting. I look forward to seeing even what I saw recently through a second pair of eyes. The Hawaiian Islands have always represented some of my families happiest and earliest travel experiences. Even though we are travelling without our children, the images are as fresh as footprints in the wet sand.

I hope that you, too, will be interested in learning more about the special experiences that you too can have on the Big Island.


In the meantime, as I am planning another trip to Kosova for a conference I was invited to participate in on Albanians and the Jews, particularly during WWII. I was thrilled to see that the America Society for Travel Agents (ASTA) has made Pristina Kosova, the site for their annual conference this fall. With the Besa exhibit coming to SFU Teck Gallery from June 27-Oct 17th and with lectures and other programming during that time, as well as the anticipated release in 2010 of the movie, God's House, and possible award for best Jewish Fine Arts Book in the US, plus work on another story I have found so compelling during the recent war in Kosova, I was very interested to find the following article on EU removing need for visas for many countries, but not Albania or Kosovoa.


By Jovana Gec, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, cp.org, Updated: December 18, 2009 6:32 PMSerbia, Montenegro, Macedonia celebrate lifting of EU travel visas after 20 years
Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia on Friday were celebrating the lifting of travel restrictions to EU countries, marking a symbolic end to an era of isolation and instability in the troubled region.

Concerts, all-night parties and fireworks were held to hail the EU decision to open its borders to more than 10 million people from the western Balkans. The new rights take effect at midnight.

"The visa abolishment has restored the rights that other citizens of the European Union enjoy, the freedom of movement and the feeling that we belong to the European family," interior ministers of the three countries said in a joint statement.

The change is a major boost for the region, which has sought to move closer to the European Union after years of ethnic wars in the 1990s. Travel restrictions will remain in place for Bosnia, Kosovo and Albania, but will be reviewed next year.

The visa-free policy applies to the so-called Schengen zone of unfettered travel, which covers 25 EU member states, as well as three non-EU members - Iceland, Norway and Switzerland - but does not include Britain and Ireland.

The citizens of the former Yugoslavia had enjoyed free travel in the past, but visa requirements were introduced as the federation was breaking up in 1991 in a series of conflicts that lasted until 1999.

Visa regime forced the residents to wait in long lines before EU nations' embassies for nearly 20 years.

"I have been humiliated for too long," said 39-year-old Macedonian journalist Emil Gasevski. "I hope we are no longer second class citizens of Europe."

In Belgrade, 41-year-old Bobana Vojinovic said the news of was great "even though we don't have money to travel."

"We are finally out of the cage," she said.

Travel agents in Serbia, Bosnia and Montenegro all have reported a surge in bookings for New Year's holidays after EU ministers announced the change earlier this month.

Serbian government officials boarded buses and planes late Friday to lead the first groups of citizens over the borders to EU nations. Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic took 50 Serbs - who have never travelled to an EU country - on a midnight flight to the EU seat, Brussels. Meanwhile, the state TV broadcast live a concert from the Belgrade City Hall.

In the Macedonian capital of Skopje, celebrations were organized at a central square despite freezing weather. Mayor Koce Trajanovski said bars and restaurants will be open all night "so people can celebrate properly."

Montenegrin authorities are flying 100 citizens to Rome, while 100 lottery-picked Macedonians will travel for free to Paris.

Goran Novakovic, 39-year-old painter from Montenegro says he has not been to an EU country since 1980s'.

"I am very excited," he said.

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Associated Press Writer Konstantin Testorides contributed to this report from Skopje, Macedonia.