Author Archives: Peter Jones

sustainable travel

Sustainable Travel for me

Fly and stay sustainable. Be energy efficient and travel responsibly. I live my life on planes. I love traveling. I sort of…confession…love airports! I know it’s not brilliant but how else do I move.  There’s too much to see and too much to do and lots of it requires air travel as a starting point. But I wanted to be smart about the way I travel. I take trains when I am on the ground, use public transportation wherever I can. I carry a water bottle around with me and avoid the plastic as much as possible. I walk a lot. I know it’s better to walk a city or bike it if not too risky and I do that as much as I can. I want our organization to embrace responsible travel. Sightseeing’s are important, as are guides but on busses with 45 people, it’s always better to split up and walk, get wet when it rains and bike wherever you can. And no greenwashing. Pretending to be responsible but not.

We Invest in small companies, go Global and use local people on the ground. This year more than 25% of our travelers will travel to non-European destinations. And once we arrive, we go small and invest in the local scene. Going Global, thinking bigger than our comfort zone has to be married with giving back.  Discovery of new places must leave an imprint. Not a carbon footprint reduction monitor. An impression and an investment that dances hand in hand with our global mission. To change lives, teach cultural understanding by looking beyond and into the unknown…

Tajikistan: Ascent on a Seven-lake Journey

The journey to the border from Samarkand took about 45 minutes. From Samarkand you can see the glacier cap mountains due east. Our journey was to take us closer across and up those mountains. Tajikistan is mountainous. With glacial lakes and narrow winding roads through the mountains scattered villages. There seemed to be traffic jams of goat herds blocking the way along with mules laden with firewood.  It had an altogether different feel to Samarkand. It is a mineral rich country, and the people who live in the mountains adapt well to the rugged landscape, but it is a rugged landscape, and one can only imagine the winters here. Poplar trees were grown everywhere. They are fast to grow, and provide windbreak for the winter wind and firewood to keep the water hot. Streams and rivers are abundant because of the glacier drainage and provide a constant background of noise and fresh clear running water for the villages. Endangered species, such as the snow leopard, live up there in the mountains.

Once we had crossed the border, we took off in 4 x 4, and at some point, began the ascent on a seven-lake journey. The road at times seemed so narrow. It was impossible to imagine we could make the turn, especially when faced with an incoming vehicle, but we survived, just about, and the drivers were good. The roads were scary, and I would hate to have to drive that drive at night. We had one breakdown. We towed the car until the tow rope broke and then we left the car in a village to be retrieved another day. We had lunch in the village.

The hospitality was great. The food was fine and there is nothing I have quite experienced as primitive and as wonderful and welcoming as the people in that village. We made it to the seven lakes, took off our shoes and walked in the freezing water.  We went for a long, long hike and eventually made it back at dark. We joined the queue of people in the custom hall, come shack, waiting for a stamp on their passports to cross the border and head back into Uzbekistan. Tajikistan is visa free if you’re American or European. Crossing the border and presenting my American passport the guy looked up, smiled as if trying to imagine this place that I come from and stamped my passport.  I had just been to a country I did not know existed two weeks ago. Wow. 

samarkand

Samarkand Known for its Mosques and Mausoleum

samarkand

We are off again on a high-speed train jaunt. This time to Samarkand. The train station in Tashkent was organized and well kempt and the train was on time.  The Spanish have supplied Uzbekistan with their Ave trains.  High speed with more luggage room than the TGV in France.  More speed and efficiency than the sluggish English trains and delightful services onboard.

Our arrival in Samarkand coming from Bukhara gave a sense of a much bigger city but much less modern than Tashkent.

sweeping

We had arranged for a visit and sightseeing the following day but we still got to peak at some of the wonders that would great us as we entered ancient Samarkand. In many ways, everything here centers around Registan square. It’s three incredible mosques provide a picture postcard scene.

When we were there and it was Samarkand day, schoolchildren were dancing and singing in the square and we even hooked on to a few marriage ceremonies as we wandered around.  Entering the square, and then the ancient cloisters, the marketplaces revealed themselves.

At night the square was lit, and there was a laser show on that evening.  Under an incredible and beautiful full moon the setting was like a night at the theatre.  We tried to do everything in Samarkand.  We climbed the steps to the mausoleum, which gave us a view across the city and the mosques and minarets that was extraordinary.  I’ll always remember the old woman with her broom sweeping the steps for the steady flow of visitors and worshipers who climbed the not inconsiderable and daunting stairway to offer their prayers or take pictures.

The marketplace was within easy distance of Registan Square, an old covered market, selling fruits and dried vegetables and souvenirs.  And just like everywhere else in Uzbekistan, no pressure, a couple of girls came up to me in the square and asked me where I was from and asked me if I would wish their brother happy birthday as he was far away.

Samarkand

People wanted to talk, wanted to exchange ideas.  People wanted to be connected and you definitely got the feeling this country was desperate to open up and be part of our world.  This place is simply amazing. We got to see the observatory of Ulugh with its medieval beginnings.  At the end of the day, as the sun was setting the observatory seemed to be the right place to be.

Tomorrow we will rise early to visit Tajikistan.

Bukhara is a city of small streets, ancient bazaars

Bukhara is a City of Small Streets and Ancient Bazaars

Bukhara is a city of small streets, ancient bazaars

The train station in Tashkent was quite modern. We had assigned seats, and the boarding was pretty smooth. The journey was to be around four hours. It was quite exciting to be boarding an Afrosiyob built with Spanish Talgo technology and capable of speeds of 155 mph. Imagine, I thought, if the UK had such possibilities!

Bukhara is a city of small streets, ancient bazaars

The landscape through the windows was flat and I half expected to see caravan of camels crossing the steppes as if I had been time warped onto the ancient silk Road track. We were heading back through the centuries as it was. Bakhara was according to the guidebook, one of the great ancient beautiful cities of the world. We arrived, jumped onto the bus for a short transfer that left us just outside the old marketplace. It reminded me of the entrance to the Turkish bazaar in Istanbul, but from there, everything fell away. People were relaxed, not pushing, and we wandered with our suitcases through the ancient market enroute to one of the more delightful hotels I had ever stayed at. Nothing fancy, very open and the rooms surrounding a beautiful courtyard. I climbed to the top of the hotel terrace, you could see the mosques, and minarets that dotted the city. We had organized a guide to pick us up at the hotel. She was delightful and so our journey back in time began. We had lunch in a place she recommended, and the food was fantastic. And we walked and we walked, and we walked. We walked through ancient mosques and mausoleums, not so colorful more terra-cotta but as the sun dropped down, the sunlight bounced off the main square and it became a kaleidoscope of shades of soft evening light.

Bukhara is a city of small streets, ancient bazaars, beautiful mosques, and a city that is so perfectly contained within its borders that you feel you could spend two or three days there.  Yes, there were carpet traders because Uzbeky carpets made of silk are the most famous and treasured in the world. Here’s what amazed me. Nobody really tried to persuade us to buy. There was a magical moment in the bazaar when a shopkeeper picked up a typical Uzbeky musical instrument from his store and started to play it … just to play it, not to sell it. In my mind it was the jewel of Uzbekistan. More stunning because of its simple brick and terra-cotta and tiled buildings. There is a beautiful ornamental lake that sits in the center surrounded by tea houses. Figurines of camels surround the lake as a reminder that this was one of the great stopovers on the silk road. Today, it was my stopover, my oasis and I felt privileged to spend time here.

Family

Travel is Great but Family Time is Unmatched

I’m lucky. I get to travel all over the world. It’s my business. Taking high school teachers and students on magical journeys across some of the 196 countries that comprise our great world. And sometimes after all of the travel you take a break. You get to spend time With your grandkids or your kids or your loved ones and you stay put and you get the chance to read and relax and take a time out from airplanes, trains, passports and jet lag – it’s rather lovely.

These are magical moments that we all treasure in our own way.  I just spent a week with all four of my grandkids  And it was exhausting..interesting.. exhausting..amazing.. exhausting..fun..exhausting…and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Which is kind of what I did for that glorious week. Doing everything through the eyes of a child. I ate more ice cream than I ever could have imagined. Forgot how wonderful a milk shake can be on a counter with my tot team. Have to say. Loved everything except… the car seats.

Who made those things impossible to figure out? And my Spotify contains more Taylor Swift than I am ready to own!! Now, I’m prepared for summer to move on and fade, school to return and Fall to greet us with all its festivals and colors.

acis

ACIS and our exciting future

acis

It was fun to have our annual conference in Boston at the Seaport Hotel to review our past year and to look ahead to the exciting things that we have planned for 2025/26 and 27 all of this going on while we have an exciting Olympics which has electrified us all for the past two weeks and showcased Paris as an extraordinary city.

One of the things that I reminded myself when we began the conference was the sheer weight of talent we have as a team. We are all travelers. We are all explorers, it’s funny because I was thinking of the early explorers from the Vikings through to Magellan and Elcano and of course to Cook, basic de Gama, and Christopher Columbus.

It’s extraordinary to imagine that in 1519 Magellan set off from Seville with some vague idea that the world was round. He never made it. Killed in the Philippines by anxious natives, Elcano left it to navigate the other half of the voyage and return to Seville in 1522. The return provided evidence as they sailed through what we now call the Magellan Straits that the world was decidedly round. We can look at some of the 196 countries that comprise our great world and expand our horizons. We have many countries to go, many places to visit, and many dreams to fulfill.

This is an exciting time. It’s exciting because teachers are traveling more than ever to places they never would have imagined. Students are investigating important things in our world like sustainability and climate change. They are learning different languages and traveling way beyond the 44 countries of Europe. Students will go on to help change and adapt their world. How important is that? We see the ravages of over tourism. We see the benefits of intelligent tourism.

This is our new world. Much as the explorers took chances. Didn’t fall off the end of the world. So we must take chances with travel. It’s not just an opportunity. It’s the only way to move ahead.

number 10

Thursday the UK changed government

So last Thursday the UK changed government. By Friday a tradition that has been going on for a long long time took place. The prime minister in place went to the Palace to see the King and offer his resignation. Then Keir Starmer from the victorious Labour Party went to the Palace to formally announce to the King that he would like to form a new government.

On Friday the new Prime Minister moved into Number 10 Downing street. The White House of the UK. The other guy who lost moved out. The new cabinet moved in and the old one moved out. By Saturday the oil change and engine removal had been made.   And that is how democracy works. In 24 hours. Without protest or violence. That is how the civilized world works. America take heed.

red sox

Can’t wait for the Olympic Games

This is July 2019 at the London Olympic Stadium. We watched Baseball…the Red Sox. With dear friends and family. June 2024 I went the the final game to watch the Celtics win a championship. Now I switch to watch the Euros and the Copa America and soccer takes its place while baseball stays with us throughout the summer until the fall. And then the Olympics in Paris in late July. I always love the poem from Bart Giamatti about baseball and really about sports in general. It’s at Fenway inscribed on the wall there. If you love sports it is dear to you. The highs and lows and the seasons of wonder that make up our year. I love sports. It’s about team. About life. Heartbreak and joy.

Margate

Margate on Kent’s Sandy Coast


I have an affinity for seaside resorts in the UK. I spent many years in my childhood at Margate on Kent’s sandy coast. There was an amusement park there called Dreamland. It was the highlight of my year to go there.

Recently in London I saw the amazing “Hills of California” and it was an incredible play based around a family in Blackpool. The northern equivalent of Margate. Blackpool was the UK s biggest and most famous amusement park and coastal resort. Complete with a tower that resembled the Eiffel Tower and two pioneering piers that were the talk of the world. When the railway station opened in 1846, tourism took off and by 1911 Blackpool was the busiest station in the world! Ironically sea swimming first helped propel Blackpool and Margate onto the map.

Something that never was considered was suddenly the thing to do and so it grew through the 1800 s into a fad. It sadly came to an end as tourism began to explore the sun and warmer climates and warmer seas but it took until the 1970 s for the Brits to invade Spain and bid farewell to glorious Blackpool and Margate. Now they are day trip destinations and entertainment venues but the seaside will never be the same! In 2021 Blackpool celebrated its 125th anniversary.

Dreamland in Margate, once closed reopened and the literati started to head back there to live and work and create. I still remember the jellied eels and cockles as if were yesterday, The stall is still there. Alongside the Turner Museum and the beach is as sandy as ever. It brought back memories of donkey rides along the sand.

Suitcase

I Never Check my Bag for This Reason…

Airports. I never check my bag. And when I place my bag over my seat it’s usually close by. Above. My bag is a muji roller bag. Navy blue. Nothing special. 100 pounds. It’s perfect for what I take. So on a recent flight London to I had to place my bag a few overhead bins away as it was full above me. No big deal. Plane landed in London. 6 and half hours later. Grabbed my bag and walked out with my daughter but then… I said to her… my bag needs replacing. Wheels are blown. And wheels are everything. And now as I was about to turn into the main zone of passengers dispersing into the airport cracks and crannies  I realized. It wasn’t my bag. It looked like my bag. Same color. Same size but it wasn’t. The wheels! I freaked out and raced against the traffic fighting the swarm of passengers spilling through the walkways off the plane and got to the plane at last.

I explained the situation to a lovely flight attendant who immediately made an announcement on the mike. There were not many people left at that point. And there was this lovely lady looking frabtic and upon hearing the announcenent totally relieved  and being so nice while I  started a conversation about how terrible I was. A flight attendant came rushing down the aisle with my bag and we all agreed they looked the same. She was so nice. My bag victim and I was so apologetic. And we switched bags and made as if a peace exchange  and off we went. That could have been much worse. Imagine if I had arrived at the hotel. So I wondered if bags should have a lock tied to your key. Unique. So that this can’t happen. Or does it only happen to me. Interested to know.

How do you Read When you Travel?

I am always looking around on the plane or by the beach to see how people read when traveling. Paperbacks, hard backs (yep some people like to carry those bricks around with them) and iPad kindle or I phone. I usually carry three types. Never hard back. And lately when I travel, I try to grab a kids book of the places I am visiting.

Kids books are beautifully curated and have pictures or illustrations. They put their elders to shame. I don’t take guide books because they are so heavy. And often I only need 10 pages. My favorite book is VivaVenice. A perfect curation of Venice through the ages.

At the beach a Kindle is tricky. Sun and sand and water not helpful. I don’t like reading on my phone but I carry the kindle app on iPad and phone just in case. I buy books at airport if they are exclusive. Not out in USA. And they’re good! As a testament to airports the sale of paper backs at airports is still considerable. I guess the most important thing of all is to read. I am re-reading Harry Potter with the grandkids. As they say…I couldn’t put it down.

Happy reading.

Fire

Paris in Smoke…

I remember the day well. April 15, 2019. I was in Paris. I heard fire engines and saw smoke in the distance. I was in Montparnasse at the time. South of the center. I could smell the smoke in the air   The news was everywhere. A fire in Notre Dame. An accident. I had been there in the morning to see some of our groups . I remembered all the moments I had stood in the square. Meeting teachers and students. Wandering into the cathedral to see the magnificent stained glass. Thankfully saved. That evening I walked down to the river. Notre dame was still smoldering but the fire was said to be under control. A gathering had taken place. The crowds sang patriotic songs. It was incredibly  moving.

Now , much of Notre dame will open in late 2024. In 2025 it will fully return.  But not quite the same. The spire has disappeared forever. But a new top will take its place. A year ago I went for a virtual tour of note dame. From the construction through completion   A time travel.  A virtual tour. We went high up to watch the stained glass being meticulously put in place. The stone masons carving the guardians of Notre dame. The gargoyles. It was a surreal experience. But now in 2024 we will see the real Notre dame back. Our lady. Over 860 years old. Over 9 million visitors. It’s good to have you back.

eye patch

Jetlag is all around me

eye patch

I’m in a business where Jetlag is all around me. Most people in my office fly transatlantic at least 5 times a year. I  fly more than that. And so what is the trick of Jetlag. Is there a secret beyond a sleeping pill or a beer and a Benadryl. The answer is not completely conclusive. If you take an overnight flight and the overnight flight lasts 6 to 7 hours and you’re traveling in economy, there’s a fairly good chance you’re going to sleep for about an hour. Yikes.

In other words, no sleep. When you get to the other end Because it’s early in the morning if you’re trans Atlantic, the hotel is not gonna be ready. Not to mention that you’re going to look pretty dreadful. But there are ways to overcome some of the negative impact of Jetlag. First there are the things to eliminate. Alcohol and caffeine.   And the most important and single danger you will encounter. Unqualified light. You have to be able to control the light that’s hitting you.  Either the airplane artificial light or the light outside as day breaks. They can be your enemy.  However, you can have some control at minimizing the damage.

Trying to adjust or fool  your circadian rhythm is the answer to your sleep/wake cycle so here’s a few basics. Always use an eye mask so that you can create darkness whenever you want. Also use earbuds as a  headset so that you can sleep easily without looking like a DJ on an airplane and minimize noise. Always carry sunglasses and as the plane is about to touchdown be sure that you are wearing them. You may even look like a rock star! Let’s be clear, none of this will rescue or convert one and a half hours of sleep into eight hours of sleep in your bed.

However, you can fool your body a couple of times into believing that it got the sleep it needed so that it can help you see the sites you want without feeling like you need to head back to the hotel and go to bed and who wants that?

Lonson

Battersea Power Station – London

If you’re in London for a few extra days and you want to do something different. Combine sightseeing The Thames with Battersea Power Station.

It’s a four-steeple architectural gem. It’s almost one of the first sights you see from the air as you fly into London. Only recently has it been renovated and fully decked out to attract sightseers and people looking for smart new upmarket places to live in the center of London. 

Accessible by tube and by the Uber riverboat. It’s one of the many urban renewal projects that dot our city landscapes. London has many and it has helped boost tourism and local revenue.

We took lift 109 to a reimagined observation deck situated on one of the steeples with incredible views of London and a thrilling experience as you hurtle to the top and literally beyond. But…It was a little disappointing because the people that were introducing the experience could not convert the fun and excitement we were about to have. And yet it costs 19 pounds, so not cheap!   We deserve better than that. And I’ve noticed that as a trend. Guiding and curation are an art. Maybe it’s training, maybe it’s staff shortage or maybe the people who run the place haven’t got a clue…more likely.  This is a huge opportunity. People want to buy in the shop. I bought a magnet…Maybe i would have sprung for more! They had a corny photo set up.

The photo booth was broken. So come on. It’s a big deal and the price of the apartments and the coffee there would suggest that money is coming in. So enthusiasm at every level would be helpful.

Battersea wake up. 

guns tsa

TSA and Gun is Surreal

I’m English living in the States. I’m not a fan of guns. So the other day, wandering through two different airports I saw these two signs. The idea is that if you try to take your gun as a carry-on and get caught, yeah, x-ray machines usually catch them, it will mean that you will lose and not be able to get TSA pre-approval anymore.

guns tsa

Wow! And it was really weird to see something that told you that you had to check over size bags and ….your guns. One second. If you’re trying to bring Christmas crackers back from the UK for Christmas celebrations…Guess what. You can’t. I have no problem with that. They’re like a mini firecracker. But guns are ok to check! Oh well, how weird is that?