Adventure is our state of mind
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...]
"Another Inca ruin?" "Again so many hours in a bus?" "Can't we go swimming somewhere?" "More markets? I want to go swimming! Please!" I don't have kids but I can imagine this being a frequent scene between kids and parents on vacation (or … [Read more...]
A rough road leads up into the mountains. Apart from a couple of houses the countryside is devoid of habitation. A low, wooden barrier marks the limits of a private property. Behind it I see rows of small aviaries, a cluster of trees and a house. The … [Read more...]
I am holding a life in my hands. It consists of less than half an ounce of feathers, one fast-beating heart, and not much else. This tiny gal -- the plumage says it's a female -- has just flown over the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico, a solid … [Read more...]
"Take the next turn!" my husband Paul cried. "Why?" I asked, as we barrelled along Australia's Princes Highway between Melbourne and Sydney, hellbent on making it to the town of Eden--our randomly chosen stopping point--by nightfall. I eased off … [Read more...]
It is early morning, and my guide, Jose, has just stopped the four-wheel drive jeep in the middle of a dirt road in the middle of the forest. "We get out here," Jose says. "But first we stop and listen." We stand in the hush of a slowly … [Read more...]
My 5 a.m. wake-up call came with the friendly announcement that the current temperature in Grand Island, Nebraska was 12 degrees. “This better be good,” I fussed as I wrestled myself out of a toasty warm bed and began layering flannel, fleece, … [Read more...]
The rhino calf lay sound asleep next to its mother, who was busy grazing not more than 20 feet from the road. Indian rhinos are ancient-looking creatures: They look like they should be sharing the earth with dinosaurs (or, at least, woolly mammoths … [Read more...]
Our overnight train from New Delhi arrived at Kathgodam in total darkness. People surged all around, some getting off, some getting on. Porters appeared in our coach as we were sorting our bags. One grabbed our gear and quickly helped us find our … [Read more...]
Herons skim the water, their white bodies reflecting in the inky-black water smooth as glass. Green kingfishers nosedive from branches and resurface with a thrashing fish, roseate spoonbills scratch around in shallow waters, and jacanas do what Jesus … [Read more...]
