I was a hundred or so miles into a 2,341-mile canoe trip on the Missouri River when I stumbled on my first big storm. The first indication came when my hat lifted from my head and flew forward into the water. High winds came up well ahead of an advancing cold front a mile or so upriver from Fort Benton, Montana. What had been blowing before had been a breeze, but soon rose to twenty or thirty miles per hour. The filled with dust and sand, which … [Read more...]
Rattler
You plan on some things, and others just happen. Usually you don't plan on getting bitten by a rattlesnake for example. It's just one of those things when you're out in desolate country; alone, weather beaten and emotionally off guard. Of course you could argue that inserting yourself into desolate and dangerous country is, in a way, inviting an encounter with an ill-tempered reptile. True I didn't know when setting out on my two-month canoe trip … [Read more...]
Tales from the Desert Kuwait
Staring out at the blackened waters of the Persian Gulf from high atop our hotel room near old town Kuwait City. The sun has obviously set and we are free to go out on the streets and eat food. 8 more days of Ramadan await us and our daylight appetites. Upon flying in our flight attendant enthusiastically made an announcement, "If you would like to see a spectacular view of desert sand, please pull down your window shades". Based on her tone … [Read more...]
Woke up in Malmo Sweden!
After a hectic day of flights, chaotic logistical problems and a blur of trains, planes and airports that made 24 hours seem like 48, I awoke this fine morning to find myself in Malmo Sweden. To awake in Malmo was a heck of a surprise as I thought I fell asleep on the floor in the Copenhagen train station last night - but I'm not complaining as Copenhagen is only 30 minutes away from Malmo by train. The weather is exactly what I expected: … [Read more...]
Puffins in Pembrokeshire, West Wales
As an international holiday destination, Wales is a little way off the beaten track. All the great cities of the UK- London, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Glasgow- are far away. While Wales has a rich culture and history of its own, they are much less well known than those of England or Scotland. Pembrokeshire lies in the extreme south-western corner of Wales- it's a quiet and sparsely populated even for a part of Wales, but those visitors who … [Read more...]
A Bunch of Rocks: The Environmental Gutting of Malta
As you look down from the hillside onto the apparent perfection of Malta's Blue Lagoon, you struggle to imagine it in any other condition. Land embraces lagoon like a protective parent. Water shines like a molten blending of sapphires and emeralds. The perpetually cloudless sky appears hazy against such brilliance. Craggy islets guard the entrance like dorsal spines on some mythic leviathan. But you walk the Malta of the modern world, a … [Read more...]
Not Everyone’s Idea of a Family Vacation
'Where are you going this time?' my dad asked as he viewed the half packed cases lying on my living room floor. 'Barcelona.' I replied. He wrinkled up his nose. 'I've been there,' he said. 'Not really a place you'd take a holiday, is it?' Isn't it? I smiled at him, but I knew what he was trying to say. The same thing most of my friends and family say when I tell them where me, my husband and my two daughters are off to next. Not really … [Read more...]
Burning (Wo)Man and the American Dream
It's as if I have a tailwind behind me ferrying me along as I move quickly - so very quickly along. I cannot stop; I feel as if the road is driving me rather than me driving the road. I feel possessed by a Spirit, whose name I do not know - yet a name just at the tip of my tongue. A spirit that drives me towards a familiar destination, but not so familiar as I recall. I have ridden this highway that stretches across this nation two times … [Read more...]
Culebra Island, Puerto Rico
Semana Santa can be a crazy time in Latin countries in April - especially on beach destinations or on airplanes where seating sometimes becomes quite limited. Yesterday we experienced the craziness on small Culebra Island, 18 miles off shore from mainland Puerto Rico and only 12 miles from St. Thomas and the US Virgin Islands. Flamenco Beach has been voted one of the top beaches in the Caribbean by several publications. Usually its pure white … [Read more...]
…A Quick Injection of Vitamin D
We all have those moments in life, myself more frequently during the winter months, during which we just want to leave everything behind and run away or hide to clear our heads. Last week I did just that... Cabin in Tulum to which I have frequently run away to I have never been one of those people who can run a hot bath, soak and be magically refreshed and focused for the following week of my life - simply not me. I was always a shower … [Read more...]
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