Adventure is our state of mind
Why is shopping so often considered to be the frivolous side of travel? Perhaps it’s a matter of destination because here in British Columbia, it’s truly a cultural experience. Browse in the vibrant tourist shops and galleries and you will get … [Read more...]
Bulging eyes at the top gaze at the horizon, a grinning mouth bares teeth at the base of the pole. A bear? A wolf? The various symbols engraved in the wood still hold mystery, and sometimes misconceptions, about Canadian aboriginal culture. … [Read more...]
The word “maybe” is out. We might see some, but there is no guarantee. Do we still want to go? We do. A guide points us toward our transportation, an 8-wheel-drive Argo. We'll be taking this vehicle, a cross between a tractor and a boat, to see … [Read more...]
Jade is not what you think: It's just a name given to either one of two minerals. And if you think it comes from China where it has been a spiritual symbol for 6.000 years, think again: Today, Chinese jade is ... Canadian. Yes: Three quarters of … [Read more...]
I hold my breath as I hang on to a railing. A few fellow voyagers let out screams of exhilaration. We are tumbling at a vertiginous speed -- so it seems -- into the magma chamber of an active volcano. The idea of hell crosses my mind. Then I … [Read more...]
I can’t say that I would take up dancing in the rain, but I am enjoying its drumming sound on my umbrella as my wellies (read: Wellington boots) splash in puddles. Not that I have completely adapted to the rainforest climate of the Pacific … [Read more...]
I am looking at the elephants when I remember reading a story about a female pachyderm living at the then-downtown Oakland Zoo. "Effie" was so used to seeing the owner's family stroll on the grounds that one day she did what families do: Push the … [Read more...]
The creature has no bones, no heart, no brain and no eyes. Shredded ribbons of white jelly seem to drift away from its flamboyant bell-shaped body. The orange jellyfish is one of the fascinating exhibits of the Vancouver Aquarium. Like most people … [Read more...]
Perhaps it is true that things happen for a reason. We had intended to walk to the Villa del Balbianello on a trail that leads from the dock at Lenno through a wooded promontory, but I had neglected to notice a sign indicating that the trail is … [Read more...]
I am staring at the eighty-pound helmet that will encapsulate my head: Will it be as weightless underwater as I am told? And the stingrays are on my mind too: One killed the Australian diver and conservationist Steve Irwin. I am only partially … [Read more...]
