I got my bags packed on a roll heading out there and I'm ready to go looking real good

in my passport photo.

Amateur Traveler episode 318. Today the Amateur Traveler talks about deserts, the

Red Sea and Nabateans as we go to southern Israel. Welcome to the amateur traveler. I'm your host Chris Christensen.

Before we get started with the news I should tell you if you listen carefully and

hear birds in the background that's because I'm not recording this from my usual

studio but instead from the Lanai or the porch on the hotel Lanai in the Lanai city on the

island of Lanai in the state of Hawaii.

And I was brought here by the Lanai Tourism Board

because I was just recently named since the last show

one of their five artists in residence this year.

And that means they're bringing me out to the island of Lenai

and sending me on lots of different activities

so that I can write blog and podcast about the island.

I'm not sure if we'll be doing an audio episode.

You will know next week because that would be when I would probably choose to do it.

There is already though, if you're interested,

an episode of the Amateur Traveler on the Island of Lanai, and Molokai.

And you can find that in the archive and with our guest Pan Mandel.

Before I get into the interview, though, I do have three new stories for you today.

I'm having a better day here in Paradise than a Long Island couple who was concerned as a

plane flew overhead and black spots showed up on the wife and also on their patio furniture that it might be a

...