Spending time in Kenya with my Maasai friend Moses was an education in animal behavior. Wandering through the bush around his village together, he would point out tracks and scat, patiently explaining to this greenhorn …
Travel Stories
Leopard Lessons from the Maasai
Istanbul Spice Market
Making my way through thick crowds of people slowly walking, talking on cell phones and holding shopping bags, I found the mounds of spices in the marketplace in Istanbul, Turkey. I'd arrived to buy various …
March 19, 2013
Celebration of Life at Day of the Dead, Oaxaca
“The word death is not pronounced in New York, in Paris, in London, because it burns the lips. The Mexican, in contrast, is familiar with death, jokes about it, caresses it, sleeps with it, celebrates …
March 18, 2013
Ol' Tennessee Smokies
Lots of tourist amenities have sprung up around Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited national park in the U.S., and it’s no wonder. The stunning scenery and wildlife have attracted people to the …
March 15, 2013
Motorbiking the Ho Chi Minh Trail
The Ho Chi Minh Trail follows the infamous supply route created by the North Vietnamese guerrillas during the Vietnam War. We began our motorbike journey from Hanoi (left), headed toward the south to Ho Chi …
March 14, 2013
Kibuye, Rwanda: Three Days Out of Thirty
MONDAY I could write for hours, but I am toast. The Kibuye stadium is being torn down; the walls are gone and only a portion of the stands remain. It is best that the horrible …
Dniprodzerzhynsk
I’m playing with my hair out of nervousness. I never do this. Isn’t this the behavior of a preteen boy, mustering up the courage to ask a girl out on his first date? Yet there’s …
March 11, 2013
Death Valley – Why?
Deep in the belly of Death Valley National Park, I pitched my tent up against sage bushes looking out at snowcapped mountains. Campers sat in their vehicles, some huddled in their tents, all dodging the …
March 8, 2013
Celebrate Amsterdam
Though it can be fairly said that Amsterdam is always ready for a party, this year the city is really celebrating. 2013 is the 400th anniversary of its famous canal ring, now a UNESCO World …
March 7, 2013
Israel… A Tale of Two Cities
In no other country in the world are the two largest cities such polar opposites. Jerusalem, Israel's ancient and current capital city, is both informed and haunted by its history. Tel Aviv, on the other …
March 7, 2013
Laos: Same, Same but Different
It was still dark outside when the roosters' crows aroused me from my slumber. Surrounded by a mosquito net in an unfamiliar cabin, the aching of my body from the previous day's excursion reminded me …
March 5, 2013