I left school early to get to Loitokitok, Kenya for the start of the Outward Bound Mountain School. It’s a tough course, and usually it’s for policemen and other leader-types. This was the only course for young women that year. Most of the male instructors went to the coast for another type of course. As […]
Chess Players in the Park A couple of ancient women hung out near our hotel, and I felt so sorry for them, their stick figures clothed in threadbare dresses the result of their forced diet and restricted resources. On my first day in Cuba, a rail-thin woman held out her bony hand and asked me […]
Skateboarders In the area around the hotel, there were both traditional looking pharmacies and ones that look more like herb shops. In both customers waited in front of sparsely stocked shelves. The doctor who talked with us painted an interesting picture. Each person has a doctor, who serves 500 people. It reminded me of the […]
By October, 1969 the cyclone season on the west coast of Mexico is almost over and it is safe to sail again. Robert and I didn’t know the storm that would hit Mazatlan in October would be an exception. After spending the summer on our sailboat, Valhalla, anchored in Mazatlan harbor, we were looking forward to […]
Sunday, April 9, 1967. Dear Mom, Letter 9 April Happy birthday to you tomorrow. Wow, 52 years! The boat to the little town of Bukoba, on the east side of Lake Victoria near the Ugandan border, shoved off at 11 a.m. last Thursday. My job was to escort the Bwiru girls from Bukoba home for […]
By October, 1969 the cyclone season on the west coast of Mexico is almost over and it is safe to sail again. Robert and I didn’t know the storm that would hit Mazatlan in October would be an exception. After spending the summer on our sailboat, Valhalla, anchored in Mazatlan harbor, we were looking forward to […]
Four stories of Botswana are from two recent trips. At the invitation of my niece and her husband, who were finishing a longer trip, I joined them and others of my family on a budget safari. The need for flexibility and patience reminded me of my travels when I was Annies age. After two days […]
On birding trips, my first priority is the birds. Insights take a while to emerge. To enrich the experience I like to write what comes to mind after I return home. A recent trip to Northern Peru spawned the following two pieces. Mountain-Toucan (RWebster photo) Northern Peru draws birders for the birdy habitat yet to […]
Ambassadors I never understood what it meant to witness until I went to Guatemala. As a Unitarian, the word is not one we use, though I am aware that it is often used in other religions. In Guatemala, we listened to the stories from survivors of massacres that occurred during the 1980’s. Stories hard to […]
Cuba lies so close to our shores and yet has been shunned by the US for most of my life. It was on my list of places to visit one day because of the contradictions that make it so fascinating. Is Castro an idealist or cruel dictator? Is he Communist or populist? Why have successive […]
Okavango Delta For years just a reference to the Okavango Delta made me long to witness Botswana’s magnificent and massive wildlife habitat. This legendary phenomenon is the largest inland delta the world, over three million lush acres when the surrounding areas have become dry. Called the “Jewel of the Kalahari,” this delta teems with more […]
Sunday, April 9, 1967. Dear Mom, Letter 9 April Happy birthday to you tomorrow. Wow, 52 years! The boat to the little town of Bukoba, on the east side of Lake Victoria near the Ugandan border, shoved off at 11 a.m. last Thursday. My job was to escort the Bwiru girls from Bukoba home for […]
A few months after my 2001 tour to Antarctica, I shared lunch with four new friends from that trip. After thoroughly discussing our previous excursion, reminiscing about the exciting times and difficult moments, someone boldly asked, “Where to next?” Immediately, I said, “Madagascar!” And another friend chimed in, “Yes, Madagascar!” Ring Tail Lemur It was […]
I’m the go-fer. I fetch the tools when my husband, Robert, does the motor maintenance and refitting of our 65′ schooner. I do the painting and varnishing. I get a thrill out of painting the top of the mast. At 60′ above the deck, hanging in my boatswain’s chair, I twirl out and away from […]