Our trip to Mount Fuji began at 7 AM last Friday when Kathy and I left our apartment to catch our early morning bullet train to Japan's most famous mountain. After nine hours of traveling via taxi, bullet train, and bus, we arrived at Fuji-san's 5th station (7562 feet) at 4:30 PM. With our high tech graphite walking sticks and backpacks filled with rice balls, water, and winter clothes, we began our ascent up the mountain at 5:30 PM. The … [Read more...]
Maun, Botswana
I remember looking out my window on the night flight from Europe to South Africa and seeing nothing but black below. No city lights for hours. Not until the next morning when the plane was over South Africa, were any signs of civilization present. On that flight I tried to imagine what it would be like to actually be in one of those areas that seemed so dark from above. Well, we finally entered this part of Africa when we crossed the "veterinary … [Read more...]
Windhoek, Namibia
The last time I signed off, my brother Abdul and I had just arrived in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia by bus from South Africa. We decided to pony up some extra money and take a Greyhound type coach and survive the trip, as opposed to paying next to nothing on one of the ubiquitous minibuses but putting our lives into the hands of a crazed driver hell bent to make it to his destination in the shortest time possible. Our guidebook called … [Read more...]
Loitet
Loitet is the toughest man I ever knew. I love him. He is my hero. A man who knew me before I knew myself. Who has memories of me that I do not. Loitet is black. Jet black, beautiful black. So black that on a dark moonless night he is invisible unless he smiles. And what a smile. Bold gleaming teeth and eyes full of mischief. Loitet tells me that my first language was also his. That a tiny blonde American toddler could speak Turkana before she … [Read more...]
Goats with Death Wishes
Driving in Malawi comes with a unique set of challenges and yummy fried chippies. "Distances between [Malawi's] major centers are short and the roads are good."? --Lonely Planet's Getting Around "Short" and "good" are relative terms, as places can be physically close together but feel far away in reality. Roads can be paved, but that doesn't mean you can drive freely on them. The stress of driving is one factor that makes Malawian car … [Read more...]
Australian Sport, raising spirits in a remote East African Village
Sport always has an uncanny knack of triumphing over adversity. In a time when security fears and politics are threatening to encroach on our lifestyles, Australians in particular are continuing to ensure that sport remains distinct from such threats. Most recently for example, our Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting has spoken out in favor of touring Zimbabwe, despite Government pressure not to tour for political reasons. Such a decision … [Read more...]
Dancing with Whales
We've all heard about whale watching from boats or shore, and a few companies are now offering the possibility of actually swimming and snorkeling with whales in the wild. Is this a good thing? Some whale watching operators in the Kingdom of Tonga, South Pacific islands, advertise the possibility of swimming and snorkeling with humpback whales during the cetacean's annual migration from July to October. This activity sounds appealing, yet … [Read more...]
Quebec’s Lac Saint-Pierre Biosphere Reserve
An Idyllic Natural Haven The rain was pouring when we left Montreal to begin our journey of touring the Lac Saint-Pierre Biosphere Reserve - a nearby natural part of Quebec preserved for the coming generations. It had not let up when, after an hour's drive, our bus stopped in front of a boathouse in the Lake Saint-Pierre archipelago at the merging of the St. Lawrence, Yamaska and Richelieu Rivers. Quickly our group of twelve scurried into the … [Read more...]
Whitewater Rafting Forges Bonds Stronger than the Rapids
Colorado River Rafting is a Trip Visualize the boat's brow cutting through the swirling, surging water; the sun sparkling on the frothy waves, making tiny rainbows; the abrupt lurch of the craft, as the surging waves suddenly shift direction. The adrenalin is pumping, all senses alert, with nature working overtime to orchestrate a thrill you'll never forget. That's what most people think a raft trip entails, but there's much more going on. … [Read more...]
The Memorials of the Black Hills of South Dakota
A recent trip to the Black Hills of South Dakota has filled yet another page of this writer's ledger of beautiful places to visit. The rolling landscape of the Black Hills, the stark contrast of the nearby Badlands, and the memorials of the Black Hills area present a vacation experience that will not soon be forgotten. South Dakota is a sparsely populated state of only 760,000 inhabitants, averaging only 10 inhabitants per square mile. Proud … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 84
- 85
- 86
- 87
- 88
- …
- 91
- Next Page »