Stories, problems, mishaps while traveling are usually funny, rather than tragic only in hindsight. Ah yes. Here are a very few of the more laughable incidents during years and years of travel:

- Hiking through the pastures of Switzerland, big, healthy-looking cows roam freely. After all, this is their territory. No worries until the day we were hiking uphill on a steep incline and a herd of cows picked up speed coming downhill, right at us. Where do you run? To the left? To the right? We stood there in horror with visions of a major cow-flattening when they fortunately swerved. Wheew…another accident adverted.

a small herd of cows in a stationary position,Austria
- You have to leave your shoes outside Buddhist temples and other places in Asia before entering. This particular day in Laos began with me falling down a just-washed, slippery, flight of wooden stairs in the hotel. Nauseous, dizzy with a mutilated elbow (fortunately, not broken), our guide took us to visit the one of Luang Prabang’s famous temples. Left the Tevas outside, as far way as possible from all the other sandals, entered, visited, exited and…ex-Marine’s brand-new Tevas were missing. That’s right. Stolen, but the “considerate” thief did leave his old sandals behind, the same size as ex-Marine’s. But what made this episode even more bizarre was while on an Explore tour to Malaysia the following year, Steve told the story to one of the group who was in Laos at the exact same time we were and knew who the culprit was! Can you believe it?

- Contact with what can be either yummy (or yucky) unusual foods. There are witchetty grubs in the Australian outback. Brave ex-Marine actually ate one, starting at the back of the grub so they don’t look at you and said it tasted like peanut butter. Sounded high on the yuck factor to me. There is cobra wine…didn’t try. “Yabbeys” – a freshwater crustacean (also in Australia) that is delicious. Vegemite and Marmite, both dark brown yeast extracts that are definitely an acquired taste, adored by Aussies and Brits, but not us. Dog and barbequed bats. Me no try!

fruit bats for sale in Sulawesi, Indonesia
- Hiking the coast-to-coast across England, the group came to a pasture with a huge sign, “Bull in field.” If that doesn’t strike terror in your heart! We had to cross. Opened the gate and did a new record time, running across to the other side, looking in all directions for the bull with visions of being gored. It was only later that we were told, farmers put up that sign to keep walkers out of their fields since all footpaths are considered public domain in England. Thanks, farmers for scaring the beejeesus out of us all…

only little lambs in this field, England
- A visit to Abu Simbel, Egypt usually involves one of the multitude of flights every day from Aswan to Abu Simbel. Tour groups of Germans on one plane, French speakers on another and English speakers on still more flights. This particular day, we flew from Cairo to Aswan and changed planes for the short hop to fabulous Abu Simbel with the Temple of Ramses and Temple of Queen Nefertari. Not only are the temples some of the most magnificent in the world but the entire reconstruction (when threatened by submersion in Lake Nasser) was a major accomplishment.

On and off the second plane and being herded towards the sights, we suddenly realized that everyone around us was speaking German. Somehow, we found an English-speaking group to tag on behind, enjoyed the amazing visit and headed back to the plane for the return flight to Aswan. Boarded a plane (they all looked the same and this was way before all the tight security today and electronic boarding passes), and before take-off, personnel came on, took us off and said we were on the wrong plane. Duh…

On the proper plane back to Aswan with the other passengers still whispering about the American doofuses, the plane took off and a bag filled with cans of tuna (not mine) fell from the overhead compartment and almost concussed me. It was not a happy day!

magnificent Abu Simbel, Egypt
One of the most unforgettable (or forgettable) incidents was…

- Getting Lost in Siberia. Easy to do if you’re a solo adventurer but not expected on a group tour. Read all the gory Siberian details…; and, oh yes…those bats…

- During our first safari to Kenya in the 1980′s, we stayed at Fig Tree Camp in the Masai Mara (Fig Tree has now been upgraded with superior tents, balconies, etc.). Snug in our little tent and preparing for dinner, something swooped over our heads. ex-Marine (husband, Steve) gave a yell, “Sheila, there’s a bat in our tent.” Bat? He must be crazy but I don’t like anything creepy, crawlie or flying around my tent and this so-called “bat” had already disappeared. To dinner, a word with staff about the bat which they reassured us was perfectly normal. It may be “normal” for them but not us. Bats carry rabies, turn into vampires at night and here we were without a crucifix or strand of garlic in the Masai Mara to ward them off. But, we’d deal with it. Our chosen method was to unzip the en-suite toilet part of the tent, walk in, rezip to keep the bat from flying around over our beds, and use the buddy system. Both wearing cowboy hats to keep bat out of hair, and wave a flashlight at the ceiling while one of us did their toilet business. Bizarre, ludicrous, but effective…and by the next day, the bat was gone. Probably frightened off by two wild and crazy people.\

And the stories just keep on coming….