It was 3 a.m. Pitch black. Dragging my feet through dark mushy sand, I prayed not to twist an ankle.

I was itchy. I was bleeding. I was aching and bone tired.

I had over 150 mosquito bites and just one thought: “What have these #*%! turtles ever done for me?”

So much for being a do-gooder.

Some days will always live in infamy.

On December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese.

On April 18, 1906, San Francisco was destroyed by an earthquake.

And exactly 97 years ago today, on April 14, 1912, RMS Titanic struck an iceberg and sank in the chilly waters of the north Atlantic.

David Latt traveled from Seattle to Qatar on the delivery flight of a new 777-200LR that would join Qatar Airways’ fleet.  

In his final installment of the Qatar Chronicles, he reports on his findings both on and off the brochure in the capital city of Doha.

THE STORY OF QATAR

Qatar occupies an elongated peninsula on the eastern edge of Saudi Arabia. Jutting into the Persian Gulf, the landscape is dominated by flat, sandy expanses.

Looking for a few easy ways in these tough economic times to save money when you travel? Peter’s got the scoop on a variety of ways to reduce your travel budget.

For example, even in major destinations like New York, Chicago and Paris, they have a local greeter service where locals will show you around for free.

And if you need cheap transit, how about super-cheap (or even free) bike rentals?

Each year, visitors flock to Paris to experience the French way of life, to sit in cafes on tree-lined streets and soak in that certain je ne sais quoi.

But on the other side of the ocean, Montréal has been steadily building up its reputation as the Paris of North America.

Montréal is the largest city in its province, Quebec, and the second largest in Canada.

It boasts several well-known attractions such as the Biodome, the Olympic Stadium and the Notre Dame Basilica (where Celine Dion, perhaps the most famous Quebecoise export, was wed in 1994).

A 36-year-old woman who disappeared from a cruise ship last Friday is believed to have fallen overboard.

Jennifer Seitz of Winter Haven, Florida was in the midst of a seven-day holiday cruise of the western Caribbean when her husband reported her missing.

Crew members on the Norwegian Pearl searched the ship and the couple’s cabin for clues to Seitz’s whereabouts, and also contacted both the U.S. Coast Guard and Mexican Navy for help locating her.

The search reportedly turned up surveillance camera images showing someone falling overboard around 8 p.m. on December 25 when the ship was in waters off Cancun, Mexico.

When the ship returned to port in Miami …

The term “souvenir” comes from the French word for a memory or remembrance, but for most travelers, those keepsake items are usually along the lines of Union Jack socks or an Eiffel Tower key chain.

However, with a little digging, you can come home with something you cherish that that also reflects centuries of history.

Jewelry-maker Elizabeth Sayles regularly travels to London, Paris and Belgium collecting other people’s memories in the form of watch fobs, religious jewelry, Victorian lockets, and bits and pieces of decades past.

If you love wine, there is no greater pleasure than taking a trip to a winery and sampling the wine straight from the source.

But, at some wineries, you can do more than just swirl and spit—you can actually go behind the scenes and really get your hands dirty.

As active, experiential travel becomes increasingly popular, more and more wine regions throughout the U.S. are offering hands-on experiences.

In California, Wine Boot Camp has one-day workshops in Napa, Sonoma, and Paso Robles.