All in Travel / Adventure
“...so there we are, twelve of us, plus our guides, scrabbling over rocks and other uneven terrain down a forested gorge somewhere in Madya Pradesh, India. We have already walked a couple of miles from where the vehicles disgorged us, leaving us with just our daypacks, trekking poles, and one another.”
“We have driven well into the park on the heels of dawn. Birdsong greets us, as do the langur monkeys, who are on the move. The herds of spotted deer, called chital, are grazing peacefully… the favorite meal of the object of our quest: the Bengal tiger… the tigers enjoy status that approaches royalty. They are, after all, the national animal.”
“I laze, and think back. Last time I woke up in a bed, I was 7,200 miles away in Shimla, India. Traversing space becomes a matter of duration. Arriving home was a 41-hour gauntlet of driving and waiting in airport lounges and hiking through terminals to the four flights (one for 16-1/2 hours) that brought me home…”
“It is a hard life, with a harsh climate, continual manual labor, and dependency on the grasslands of the steppe to nourish the herds, and thus, them. But there is also abundant beauty, whether embedded in the faces of people secure in who they are, or being beneath the “Eternal Blue Sky,” or feeling deep appreciation for the animals.”
“Most of what I recall from high school world history about Genghis Khan is of a brutal culture. I learned about hordes of warriors racing on horseback across much of Eurasia, causing all sorts of mayhem in the course of building the Mongol Empire. But the full story behind it paints a very different picture. While preparing for the journey to Mongolia in September, 2023, I found myself applauding much of that history.”
“In Mongolia, a centuries-old tradition of hunting in partnership with eagles endures. Our small group of travelers had several chances to witness this unique human-eagle bond while traveling around the western province of Bayan Ulgii in September, 2023.”
“I step from the four-passenger SUV and gaze across the land before me. The image I have imagined since reading about the steppes of Mongolia in childhood is of undulating land that doesn’t end until somewhere beyond the limit of my sight. This place is stunning and harsh and fantastically empty of almost anything but the natural world. Above the unending terrain is the eternal blue sky.”
“…the immense moonless bowl overhead is brightly etched with stars. The air’s sharp September bite soon drives me back to my cozy sleeping bag. As I enter and close the door, the interior is as silent as a snowy morning. Inside, a person can’t help but feel safe and secure from whatever may come: cold, wind, noise. My temporary home out here on the steppes of Mongolia is called a “ger.”
“A month into my return from Mongolia, I have at last finished sifting the 3,800 photographic images of a magical time. How easy it has been to be re-immersed in that far-away place. I can still close my eyes and still feel my feet on that amazing terrain, smell the clean air, hear the silence of the steppes.”
“I make my way back to the house, and carefully close and lock the back door on the way through. Finally, it is time to go. I walk through the house one last time. Nothing moves, aside from the fish outside in the pond. The stereo is off. No clock is ticking. The silence is a good sort of quiet. I’m ready. The day awaits.”
“I've been a "citizen scientist" for the Community Collective Rain, Hail and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS) for about four years now, with about 900 reports sent in from every time of year and sort of weather. I cannot say enough about how good it feels to help collect relevant climate data. Just before the summer solstice recently, CoCoRaHS, a volunteer organization, celebrated its 25th anniversary. My, how time flies.”
“In the early 1900s, the railroad leading to the coastal settlement of Luderitz in German South West Africa… was perpetually assaulted by the sands of the Namib Desert. Workers constantly had to shovel sand drifts off the rails. In April, 1908, a Black railroad worker named Zacharias Lewala found a perfectly clear stone… It was the first of the diamonds which would within four short years become millions of carats of harvested there annually.”
“If you’re a Scotch drinker, what could be better than 10 days in Scotland? Upon arrival in Glasgow in September 2022, a couple of free days on my own led me to a tour and chocolate/whisky tasting at The Clydeside Distillery. What better way to jumpstart my trip, and add to my scant but enthusiastic knowledge about the deliciousness of Scotch whisky (no e!).”
“At the end of the road westward out of Sesreim is a stunning and magnificent experience in the area called Sossusvlei... It’s a chance to witness the grandeur of the world’s oldest desert, the Namib, and its dunes, which are among the largest in the world. The sand is red due to abundant levels of iron oxide, and is reportedly five million years old.”
“After a few days in Windhoek… my friend and guide, Ian Brown and I set off again. The first stop: Etosha National Park. Established in 1907, it is Namibia’s second-largest wildlife park. All the super-cool African wild animals are there. I asked if we might see a honey badger, as I’d dearly love that, but sadly, it was not to be.”
“It was a nice mid-winter day in July when my friend Steeve and I set out from Namibia’s capital city of Windhoek with our exceptional guide, Ian Brown. This meant the temperatures were nicely tolerable, instead of the extreme swelter of summer. The week ahead would take us around the southern half of the driest sub-Saharan country in Africa, where most areas get less than 2" of rain per year.”
“…I have always admired Queen Elizabeth II. Say what you want about the monarchy, the woman herself was truly special. Her reign of seventy-plus years included giving birth to four children while (oh by the way) serving an Empire. Time and world events pressed in constantly, but somehow she maintained steady, reliable composure in the face of innumerable governmental, personal and social conflicts. Impressive.”
“The idea of visiting Norway tantalized me for years. In May 2022, my ticket finally got punched to spend two weeks in Svalbard, and then two weeks hiking with a group of new friends on the Norwegian mainland. What better way to see such a beautiful place than to put your feet on the ground.”
I had never heard of the Lofoten Islands until I read this: “Take in the magnificent archipelago within the Arctic Circle, with its jagged peaks, sheltered bays of bright blue water, white sand beaches, and windswept grasslands.” A visit there was being pitched as “the grand finale” of an itinerary to Norway. Of course, I was immediately intrigued.
“It has been a year of unleashed wanderlust, after the restraints of the Covid era. I thank my good fortune plus the ability to spend my time as I see fit (even though I am not retired!) plus that all-important ingredient: gumption. These are what enable my adventures out into the world.”
