Go Someplace You've Never Been Before

Once a year, go someplace you've never been before. -- Dalai Lama

I think this is wonderful advice. I used to travel a lot, but now with the price of the trips and the sky high price of airfare, I have had to cut back on my travels considerably.

This year's travel schedule is very light, thanks to the incompetence of American Airlines management that made it impossible to get to a scheduled trip to South Africa with European friends. But next year should be better, with trips to southern Africa, Yellowstone National Park, Banff (Canada) and Switzerland on the schedule. 

It's always great fun to visit a new locale, even when I discover the place isn't one to which I want to return. There are only a few countries I have no desire to revisit: Nicaragua, Iceland, Ethiopia, Brazil, Russia and Namibia immediately come to mind. I have been to Costa Rica and Botswana twice, and to Kenya and Tanzania multiple  times. The latter two keep drawing me back for their wonderful wildlife photography opportunities. My favorite domestic destination is Yellowstone National Park, which I have visited close to 10 times, and which I will visit again next year.

The Olympics were more personal whenever the television coverage showed the Eiffel Tower, because I had visited this iconic landmark when I was in Paris a few years ago. The same goes for the Arc de Triomphe, which was only a block or so from my hotel. I got to see and photograph it any time I wanted to by simply walking a short distance from my hotel.

Everything is so expensive and so uncertain these days, but I hope to keep checking countries off my bucket list for as long as I am able to travel and my money lasts.

I used to work with a guy in Houston who was proud of the fact he had never left the state of Texas, where he was born. I feel sorry for anyone with such a limited view of not only the world, but of the United States.

My advice? Go somewhere you have never been before, whether it's another state, some place within the state where you live, or another country. Expand  your horizons, spread your wings, and go explore the world!

My Most Memorable Trips

I travel a lot. I have visited some amazing places and seen, and photographed, lots of wonderful wildlife.

But of all the trips I have taken, three stand out as particularly memorable. And none involved beautiful landscapes or wildlife.

The first memorable trip took me to Spain, where I walked and hiked 50-some miles of the 500-mile Camino de Santiago. Although not a religious person, I was very moved by the experience. Pilgrims first walked the Camino in the early 9th century. 

The Way of St. James takes two routes. One begings in France, the other in Spain. My group took the Spanish route, beginning in the Basque city of Bilbao. Both routes end at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. Along the way, we saw that our route was marked by scallop shells, either on the ground as in this photograph, painted on wooden signs or carved and painted on concrete pillars.

Walking either of the routes in full takes from 30 to 35 days. I met pilgrims from Italy, Australia and several other countries. I saw a man walking the Camino on crutches. This was a spiritual experience I would like to repeat. I think I'm too old to attempt the entire route, but doing 50 or so miles of the Camino definitely appeals to me.

My second memorable trip was a visit to the ancient pyramids and the Sphinx of Egypt. I have wanted to visit Egypt for several decades, and last year I finally got the chance to go. I wish I had been given more time to photograph the sites, but we had a lot to see and long distances to cover, so I made the most of the limited opportunities I had. Standing inside the tomb of a king who ruled his country more than 3,000 years ago was an amazing experience. The brightly decorated walls held incredible works of art. Walking in the Valley of the Kings, despite the rushed visit, was spectacular. We also visited the ancient temple at Luxor, as well as the temple of the female pharaoh Hatshepshut. I would love to return to Egypt on a photographic excursion.

Entrance to Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp

The third trip that will always be with me, and that had the greatest impact, is a trip to Berlin and Oswiecim, Poland. In Berlin my group visited sites connected to the development and implementation of Nazi Germany's efforts to eliminate all Jewish people, as well as others considered unworthy of life, from Europe. In Poland, we spent several days learning about the Holocaust, visiting the two main Auschwitz camps on in-depth tours, and learning about the ongoing work to preserve not just the camps, but the belongings of prisoners that were left behind when the camps were liberated in January 1945. I don't think I will return to Auschwitz, as I shared the experience with a wonderful group of people and I doubt I could find a better group of people. The trip was mentally and physically tiring. 

I found that I had a love/hate relationship with Auschwitz. I hate what happened in those camps, but I found myself drawn to the main camp during our free time to explore on our own. I valued the time to wander on my own, to photograph things that had meaning to me, and to reflect. I wish there had been opportunity for self-exploration of the bigger camp at Birkenau.

I love visiting Yellowstone National Park. I love visiting Kenya and Tanzania. I know I will always return to those places. But the three trips described above have had the greatest impact on me. 

And that, I believe, is one of the greatest things to be gained from travel. I don't go somewhere just to sit on a beach. I love visiting places that leave a lasting impact on me, whether it is the location's incredible beauty, unique wildlife, or an experience that makes me think, educates me and creates life-long memories. 

2017 On the Road

This year was good for travel. 
 
In January, I braved the snow, winds and very cold temperatures to make a return trip to Yellowstone National Park. The focus was on photography. We saw otters at play on a frozen river, bald eagles perched high in a tree, bison, elk, a red fox, coyotes and enjoyed the rare sighting of a bobcat hunting geese on a river. Sadly, although we spotted some wolf tracks in the snow, we didn't see a wolf.



February marked my first trip to Cuba, another photography outing. It was a wonderful experience and a welcome relief from cold weather. We spent time in Havana and in

Classic American cars are common throughout Cuba

Trinidad, where travelers were assigned to stay in privately owned homes. My hostesses were an adult woman and her mother. They don't speak English, and I don't speak Spanish, but somehow we were able to communicate. Despite the differences between our governments, the Cuban people are warm and friendly. Cuba is definitely a place I would return to. 




 
I missed a photo safari to Tanzania in April due to issues with my vision that required surgery on both eyes. I have signed up for this trip in 2018

The American military cemetery at Omaha Beach, France

I made my first trip to France in May, hiking in Normandy and Brittany, then spending a couple of days in Paris. It was extremely moving to visit Omaha Beach, where the main D-Day landing took place on June 6, 1944. I also saw Utah Beach, where my father's destroyer was sunk in the early hours of the invasion. From there we visited the American military cemetery high on a bluff overlooking the ocean. France donated the land for the cemetery, where some 9,387 American servicemen were laid to rest. It was a very emotional visit.

 

Black rhinoceros

The highlight of my travels this year was a three-week journey to Kenya. I was joined by friends from Scotland and England whom I met in Kenya last year. The animal sightings and photography opportunities were the best of all my five trips to Africa. We stayed in four different camps, each offering a unique experience. I also got to visit one of the orphaned elephants I sponsor at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Nairobi. And while at the final camp, I was able to meet the Kenyan student whose high school education I am sponsoring.

 
My trip to Germany and Poland for a service project at Auschwitz was cut short due to yet another eye problem that required me to fly home for emergency surgery. I won't know until next summer what the vision will be like in that eye.

Fisher Towers

Utah was the setting for a photography trip to Arches and Canyonlands national parks. I love the austere beauty of the American West, and spending time photographing it with two instructors and like-minded photographers was a treat.

 




My second trip to Africa in 2017 took me to the northern African country of Morocco, a country that is far removed, both geographically and culturally, from the south African countries I have previously visited. The highlight of this trip was a sunset camel ride, followed by a night in a tent in the Sahara desert. Morocco is a progressive country with an ancient history and warm, friendly people. As a former French colony, French is spoken as much as Arabic, along with numerous tribal languages such as Berber.

The year's travel itinerary wrapped up with a short trip to Palm Springs, California, for a hiking trip that included a long hike in Joshua Tree National Park. I was pleased to see that I was able to do 10-1/2 miles of hiking one day. I was very tired and a bit sore the next day, but I survived to hike again!

I have put together a full travel schedule for 2018, including to several places I haven't yet visited. See you on the road!

19th Century Wisdom

The great 19th century American author Mark Twain once wrote:

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime."

I believe this statement is just as true now -- perhaps even more so -- than when it was published in 1869, in his book The Innocents Abroad. We now have a president who seems bent on curtailing America's involvement with the rest of the world, and who has already taken steps to limit the programs set in place by his predecessor to increase people-to-people interactions between Americans and Cubans.

I am a well-traveled person. I have visited Africa several times, as well as Europe and the Middle East. I haven't yet made it to Asia or South America, but those places are on my list of places I hope to visit. I learn something and I make friends wherever I go. I have Facebook friends -- people I have met in person -- from Turkey, Russia, Ireland, Kenya, Scotland, England, Germany, Costa Rica, Spain, Chile, Botswana and France.

By visiting these and other countries, I have gained a better understanding of other cultures and people. I am more informed when I see a news story about something that happens in one of those countries. When I heard about another attack on a French police officer on the Champs Elysees, I knew where that is because I walked down that well-known Paris boulevard a month ago. When I heard about a military action against protesters on Istanbul's Taksim Square, I can relate because I was there just two weeks previously. When a story surfaced about a knife attack at Jerusalem's Western Wall, I can see the wall in my mind, as I visited Israel three years ago.

Travel provides a real life education and broadens one's horizons. It has increased my self-confidence and ability to be flexible and to take things as they come. The rest of the world doesn't necessarily do things the way Americans do. Although I usually travel with a group, I also spend time exploring on my own. Yes, a friend and I were lost in Istanbul; neither of us knows a word of Turkish. But we found our way. 

Traveling makes me see more similarities and fewer differences in people regardless of where they live. People care about the same things regardless of where they call home: family, education, food, shelter and safety.  Don't we all want those things, regardless of where we live? 

I travel with a variety of companies and for a variety of reasons: photography, adventure/hiking and just plain tourism. I wish more Americans had the opportunity to travel abroad and experience other cultures. One culture is not 'less than' or better than another. Our American isn't better than the cultures of Peru or Kenya or France. Learning about other countries and cultures can broaden our horizons and make us better informed citizens of the world. And the more we know about other lands, the less reason there is to fear them.

Be A Traveler, Not A Tourist

Recently I was asked to take part in an online interview about women's adventure travel by a well-known travel magazine . As a long-time adventure traveler, my name was put forward by one of the organizations I frequently travel with as an appropriate person to answer a few questions.

 
I began my adventure travel journey with Country Walkers, a Vermont-based hiking organization, more than 20 years ago. At that time, I met up with a friend from the other side of the country and we went hiking in Glacier National Park. Then we took other hiking trips together, meeting once a year. Then I started finding other places I wanted to visit, and without someone to travel with me (my friend and I had a falling out), I realized I had a choice of either going by myself or staying home. Clearly, staying home wasn't an option for me. Once I retired and my daughter was old enough to be left on her own, my adventure travels really took off. I usually take eight to 10 trips each year, to both domestic and international destinations.

I believe today's women have more financial opportunities to travel than ever, as well as the self-confidence to travel without a male companion. We realize that we can travel and go on adventures with or without a man, or even without a female travel partner. Women are an integral part of the workforce, and although the glass ceiling still limits our upward mobility at the very top, many women now have successful, high-paying careers. I have met numerous attorneys and physicians on my trips, as well as women with lower-paying jobs who nonetheless enjoy an adventure trip every year.

Organizations such as Country Walkers, Backroads and Natural Habitat Adventures, all of which I have traveled with repeatedly, provide us solo women with safe, well-organized adventure travel opportunities. I love to travel to other countries, but I wouldn't feel comfortable going to Turkey, for example, since I don't speak Turkish. But going with two experienced, English-speaking Turkish hiking guides takes away the worry. Even going to countries where many people speak English, I prefer adventure travel with a group so I don't have to worry about the logistics, finding the best places to hike or visit, where to stay, etc. Women have finally come into their own and want to enjoy the same experiences as males, and the numbers seem to prove it..

I was asked what the experience of being a woman on an adventure trip was like. My experience on more than 20 adventure travel trips has been wonderful. I never have had a bad experience. Some places and some guides I like more than others, but I keep going back for more adventures. I have taken 11 trips with Country Walkers, and I have a 12th trip coming up in a couple of months. I recently signed up for my 9th Natural Habitat Adventures trip, and I have traveled with Backroads at least twice, with another trip planned for later this year.

I always feel safe and well cared for with these groups. I appreciate knowing ahead of time what to expect as far as hike difficulty, mileage, etc. On my first overseas trip with CW, I met another American woman who was traveling solo and who was at the same hiking level as I was. We hit it off, stayed in touch, and have returned to Africa together for the past three years. (She can't go this year due to a health issue). Last year, while on a safari in Kenya organized by a London-based travel agency, I had a tentmate from Scotland. Again, we hit it off, and we will be returning to Kenya this summer, along with a British couple we met during that safari. And we have plans for a trip to Brazil in 2018.

I am an introvert, so sometimes it is a bit uncomfortable at first being with a bunch of people I don't know. But there have always been people who invited me to join them for dinner, or with whom I spent time on the trail, so I usually wasn't alone for long. On one trip three Jewish women took me under their wings. And I have met people who have become friends. I also stay in touch with some of my guides, both domestic and international. 

Solo travel requires a certain amount of pushing myself beyond my comfort zone, and a willingness to try new things, meet new people and experience places that may be completely different from what one is used to. It also requires the willingness to be flexible and to 'go with the flow.' I heard an expression during my first trip to Africa that pretty well sums up the experience: "It is what it is." We shouldn't expect things to be just the way they are in the US. Customs differ, the sense of time differs, the food is different. But that's part of the allure. I am hooked on adventure travel, whether I go alone and meet up with a group, or whether I go with a travel partner. 

Had I not gone on any of these trips, I wouldn't have been able to visit Petra or watch elephants swimming in Botswana, or heard an elephant trumpet just a few feet from my tent one night. I have had so many amazing adventures.

I also was asked why I want to go on an adventure trip rather than just on a vacation. For me, regular vacations are pretty boring. I don't enjoy visiting museums or looking at art or sitting on a beach. I am not one to 'sleep in' even if I could. I don't want to be part of a group of 40+ people. I like a more intimate experience. The camp where I stayed in Kenya last year has just six tents. I want to see new things, have new experiences, explore new places and try different foods. I want to go off the beaten path and be a traveler, not just a tourist. My adventure travels take me most often to places where I can get out of the rat race, enjoy nature and wildlife, and experience things such as river rafting.

I am an active person and I like to be on the move, whether hiking someplace new, going on safari in Africa, or walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain. These adventure experiences not only expose me to new and different things in a novel way, but the experiences make wonderful memories. During part of my trip to South Africa last year, our group spent a few hours walking and getting as close as was safe to rhinoceros and elephants. We spent one night sleeping on a raised platform under the stars and hearing the animals at a nearby water hotel. This was a trip for travelers, not for tourists. I don't care about staying in a fancy hotel or going to a spa. Sleeping under the stars and falling asleep to the sounds of Africa is just fine with me.

And as an avid amateur photographer, adventure travel lets me capture things up close and personal. I have some amazing photos of an elephant emerging from the forest in the early morning light, and I have photos of elephants bathed in the golden light of the setting sun reflected in the clouds of dust they stirred up. I have the memories of finally spotting a cheetah family heading out for its evening hunt. I got to watch a family of elephants swimming in Botswana, something I had never seen, much less thought about, before. I saw a Bengal tiger in India carrying off the spotted deer she had just killed early in the morning.

These are adventures. They have opened my mind to a whole new world and made me so much more aware of what is going on in other countries. When I read about the problems of cattle invading the elephant habitat of Lakipia, Kenya, I can relate, because I flew in a helicopter -- with the door open -- over that area. When our helicopter landed on a sand dune in Turkana, Kenya, and we were approached by three AK--47-toting local men, our group leader (who is fluent in their language) was able to communicate with them and then explain to us why they were questioning our presence. One doesn't get this kind of experience from a simple vacation.

As chef and television personality Andrew Zimmern said: "Please be a traveler, not a tourist. Try new things, meet new people, and look beyond what’s right in front of you."

For me, adventure travel is the only way to go!

The People You Meet

I travel for the opportunity to visit new places, to learn about different countries, people and cultures, and to be able to photograph these places.

My computer hard drive is filled with tens of thousands of digital images. But one of the things that stands out from my travels, even years after my return home, is the people I have encountered. I'm far from being a 'people person,' preferring my solitude and quiet to being in the thick of things. But every so often, I meet some memorable people during my travels.

I am still in touch via Facebook with my guide from my first trip to Kenya in 2014. We hope, his schedule permitting, to meet when I am again in Nairobi this summer. And I remember the conversations I had with some Russian women in Moscow when I lived there for a few months in 1999. One was an old lady sitting on a cement wall near a McDonald's restaurant. She was holding a sign asking for money to help feed her very old dogs, who rested near her feet on a piece of cardboard. I remember a brief conversation with another older woman near a famous Moscow convent. She was feeding a stray dog a cheese sandwich. When I told her that I would like to buy a bag of dog food for her from a nearby grocery store, after explaining that I carried dog food with me to help Moscow's many homeless dogs, she declined. She explained that while she lived on a measly pension, she wanted to help as best she could, and that whatever she did had to come from her.

I also remember sitting on a bench near the sea in Split, Croatia, during some free time. An older woman asked whether she could join me. In her broken English, she told me about life under the communist government of the former Yugoslavia. When she learned that I speak Russian, she recited a poem in Russian that she had been forced to learn while in school.

More recently in Ireland, I was in the small coffee shop of my hotel in Cork, having some tea and waiting for my room to be ready. A woman seated nearby engaged me in conversation and invited me to join her at her table. We decided to have lunch together. After lunch, she invited me to join her on a trip to the nearby marina. On the way, she treated me and the cab driver (whom she knew) to ice cream. I asked her for suggestions about what to see and do during my one full day in Cork, and we stay in touch via Facebook.

While in Kenya on safari last February, I fell and broke my wrist. The nurse who took me from my room to surgery introduced himself as Barack. I learned that he is a real student of American history, and he kept my mind off the incredible pain in my wrist by discussing American presidents. I told him he knows more about American history than do most Americans.  

The Scottish woman who was my tent mate during last year's trip to Kenya has become a friend, and we will once again share accommodations during this year's return visit to Kenya. We will be joined by an English couple we met on that trip. And I'm still in touch with a Kenyan man who works for the Save the Elephants group in Nairobi who kept me company as I waited to be discharged from the hospital following surgery. I was injured at the camp run by Save the Elephants, and the camp manager asked this man to keep me company. He assisted me in finding the correct office to accept payment for my stay, took me to lunch and then drove me to the airport to meet up with the camp manager and her husband, who flew me to my next destination.

I am still Facebook friends with one of the guides I met during my first visit to Turkey in 2013, and she has invited me to visit her and her family, something I hope to do. And an American woman I met during that trip has met me in Africa three consecutive years to explore that vast continent. She won't be able to travel in 2017 due to a medical issue, but we hope to meet again in Africa in 2018. 

I'm also still in touch with my Costa Rican guide from November's trips, as well as a British-American woman from Kenya who now lives in France. Last summer, I was fortunate enough to meet for dinner in England the delightful couple I met on a safari in South Africa.
And of course, I can't forget the several wonderful Americans I met during various travels with whom I am still in contact. 

Travel truly does make the world a smaller place. It broadens one's horizons and opens us to different ways of life. And it connects us to people we might otherwise never have met. When I hear about terror attacks in Kenya and Turkey, I can better relate because I have visited those places and I have friends who live there. Travel has taught me the value of making friends, and shown me that despite our differences, people are all the same.
 
I've heard it said that it is experiences, not things, that really matter and that we will remember. My life has been enriched by meeting these people, even if only for a few minutes. I treasure the relationships I have formed with those with whom I am still in contact, and I'm looking forward to creating more experiences and friendships in 2017.

Around the World in 2016

Once again, I was fortunate to be able to do a lot of travel in 2016.

In February, I made my second trip to Kenya. I spent two nights at Giraffe Manor in Nairobi,

a place where endangered Rothschild giraffes arrive every morning for breakfast of special 'giraffe pellets' provided by the hotel so guests can feed the tall visitors. I got to visit the amazing David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust elephant orphanage twice, during the public visit and again during a behind-the-scenes visit for people who sponsor one or more of the elephant orphans. Then I stayed at the incredible Elephant Watch Camp, run by well-known conservationist Saba Douglas-Hamilton. Her father, Sir Ian Douglas-Hamilton, founded the Save the Elephants research organization, and has been studying African elephants for more than 45 years. It was such an honor to meet Ian when he joined us for drinks and dinner one evening.

In May, I traveled to India on a tiger safari, topped off by a visit to the Taj Mahal. What a thrill it was to watch these beautiful and endangered tigers in their natural habitat.





 

From India, I flew to South Africa, where I was joined by a friend with whom I have made two previous trips to Africa. I have wanted to visit Kruger National Park for quite some time, although I found it disappointing during the terrible drought there. But I did get to see leopards a couple of times, as well as several lions.

July found me driving to Monument Valley on the Navajo Nation for a couple of days of photography. I explored on my own, and I also signed on to a sunrise and sunset tour that took me to places off limits to non-tribal members.

Later that month, I flew to England for a walking/hiking trip that included a visit to, and tour of, Highclere Castle, better known as Downton Abbey. I also visited the exterior of the home of Isobel Crawley in the series, heard some tales from the woman who owns and lives in the home, and visited the church where Lady Mary got married, as well as the village of Bampton and the village library, which was used as the hospital in the series. To top it all off, I got to have dinner with a delightful English couple I met while in South Africa.

In August I returned to Great Britain for a hiking trip in Ireland, my second trip to that beautiful island. We got totally drenched during one day's hiking, but otherwise we had pretty good weather. My group stayed in some amazing manor houses, and I got to revisit a couple of places I saw during my last visit in 2004. And while having lunch in Cork, I started talking to a local woman who invited me to join her. She took me on a trip to the Cork marina, bought ice cream for me and our taxi driver, and gave me suggestions about things to do during my short time in Cork. We stay in touch via Facebook.












September took me on a photography trip to the canyons of the American southwest -- Bryce Canyon, Zion and the Grand Canyon. Although I have visited these national parks before, it was great to return in the company of two excellent photographers and guides, and to visit areas of the parks I had not previously seen.

In late October I returned to Yellowstone National Park for a two-day guided photography excursion, although the wildlife I had hoped to photograph was very scarce. We saw no wolves or bears, both of which were high on my list of species to photograph. Even the abundant bison and elk were scarce. And our search for a great gray owl turned up none of these amazing birds. Still, Yellowstone is an amazing place.

My final trip of 2016 was a winter escape to Costa Rica in late November on a guided photography expedition. I was in Costa Rica on a hiking trip a couple of years ago and really like the country. I've never been into photographing birds, but the avian population in that country is just amazing.






I am so fortunate to be able to visit, and revisit, so many amazing countries and places in the US. Next year promises to be equally as exciting, including a photography trip to Cuba, a photo safari in Tanzania, a visit to the Normandy beaches of France, a return visit to Kenya, Berlin and Poland (Auschwitz), a trip to visit a friend in Scotland and a hiking trip in Joshua Tree National Park. 

Memories of a Lifetime

One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things. -- Henry Miller

I love to travel, and I have been fortunate to do a lot of international travel the past two years.

I have visited Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Poland, Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Israel, Jordan, Turkey, Spain and Canada. Of course, my time in some of these countries was limited to just a few days and I got to visit only a few places, but I enjoyed each country.

Traveling to other countries has really opened my mind to current events in places I would not have given a second thought had I not visited there. The terrorist attacks on Kenya have been so much more painful after meeting and spending time with the warm, friendly people of Kenya. I have witnessed the beauty of ancient mosques in Istanbul, and I experienced places of great horror and sadness such as Auschwitz and Birkenau, as well as seeing the factory in Krakow where Oskar Schindler saved the lives of hundreds of Jews by employing them in his enamelware factory. I have walked the ancient streets of Petra, Jordan, and gazed in awe at the Treasury and other centuries-old buildings. I visited the town of Bethlehem, now part of the Palestinian territory, and viewed the huge white wall erected by Israel to keep its enemies out. I walked the thousands-of-years-old streets of Troy and I marveled at the engineering feats of the ancient Romans, whose cities such as Ephesus and Pergamum still stand in silent tribute to their builders.

I got to watch elephants swim across a river in Botswana and look on in awe as five young male lions set out on their evening hunt. I watched the graceful self-confidence of a pair of cheetahs moving silently through the tall grass. I saw evidence of the mighty power of elephants that had uprooted and demolished a large baobab tree. I visited a school in rural Kenya that was lacking in every modern amenity, including electricity, lights, solid floors, computers, printers, copiers, even textbooks. And I was struck by the eagerness of the children, who ranged from kindergarten through high school, to learn despite the hardships they faced.

I have had the thrill of watching a grizzly bear meandering through a meadow in search of food before its long winter hibernation, and stood in awe as a pack of wolves ran silently through the snow as darkness fell. I stood silently as several wolves -- all unseen -- howled to each other early one autumn morning. Most recently, I was thrilled to watch polar bears exploring around and under the tundra lodge -- a wheeled lodge placed on the Canadian tundra each season as the bears start to gather in anticipation of the freezing of Hudson Bay. I was mesmerized by a female polar bear who looked directly into the eyes of the people on our polar rover, as she spent a good 20 minutes entertaining us.

I stood outside, night after night, in far northern Canada, waiting for the northern lights to appear. It was so cold no one could stand the cold for more than a few brief minutes before dashing inside to thaw out.

I walked part of the Camino de Santiago -- the Way of St. James -- in Spain, an ancient pilgrimage route that has been used since Medieval times. I experienced the unbridled joy of a man named David, who shed his worldly possessions and now lives a simple life of service to the thousands of pilgrims who pass his way. Of my many trips, this was perhaps the most memorable and had the greatest impact on me.

I stood by Jerusalem's Western Wall and placed a prayer on a tiny, rolled up piece of paper in a crack in the ancient wall. I rode a camel with a nasty streak in Jordan and trudged through the mud of a rain forest in Costa Rica.

Travel has expanded my interest in learning more about a lot of things, including great rivers of Africa and African wild dogs. Simply put, travel changes us. It isn't just about the places we visit or the sights we see. It's about so much more. It's about experiencing a new culture, trying new foods, seeing new things and getting to know, even superficially, new people. As Mark Twain wrote, "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness."

What did I bring home from these trips aside from a greater curiosity and knowledge? Thousands of digital images, a coffee cup from each country, and oh so many wonderful memories and experiences. The memories, most of all, are what I treasure.

The Joys of Travel

A Facebook friend posted this on my wall recently. I love the sentiment, and I am so very grateful that I have the means and the desire to travel the world.

Soon I will return to Africa for another safari, this time to Botswana. I also will spend a couple of days on both sides of Victoria Falls, visiting both the Zambian and Zimbabwean sides. And for next year, I'm looking into a safari to South Africa's Kruger National Park and Sabi Sands, possibly with a side trip to Rwanda for some gorilla tracking.

This year's winter getaway to a warm climate will take me to Peru, the first South American country I will visit. And I'm investigating a trip to India to photograph tigers in three national parks. So 2016 should shape up to be an exciting travel year.

One thing I enjoy is buying books by local authors when visiting far-away places. While in Jordan, for example, I bought a book from a New Zealand-born nurse who moved to Jordan after marrying a Bedouin. The book is titled, not surprisingly, Married to a Bedouin. Although the Bedouin husband died several years ago, his widow splits her time between both countries. Her book is a fascinating glimpse into a way of life that remained unchanged for thousands of years. I would love to visit Petra again after reading this book.

While in Cape Town last year, I bought a book by South African-born veterinarian Clay Wilson, who grew bored with his medical practice in Florida and decided to move to Botswana to work with wild animals. Reading this book provided a great introduction to the country, its wildlife and its problems.

International travel really opens my eyes to current events in other countries. When I hear about something happening in Jerusalem's Old Town, I am familiar with the location because I have been there. I follow stories about the terrorist attacks in Kenya with much more interest now, having been to Kenya, enjoyed the hospitality and friendliness of its people, and having stayed in touch with my Kenyan safari guide through Facebook. Likewise, I remain friends with one of my Turkish hiking guides and can get an unfiltered view of that country's political challenges from her.

My only regret is that I didn't start traveling earlier in my life, so I wouldn't feel compelled to cram so much into just a few years. At my age, I don't know how much longer I will be able to travel. But I became friends with several people in their 70s who continue to travel the world, one of them on her own. So I am hopeful that I still have many more years of exciting adventures ahead of me.

In the meantime, the open road continues to call!

When the Travel Bug Bites ...

I love to travel. I love to explore new places, try new food, photograph the people and history of places I never visited before.

This year, after three years of retirement, I finally got to start traveling. I spent nearly two weeks hiking in Turkey and exploring the ancient cities of Ephesus and Istanbul. I visited the beautiful state of Vermont, hiking and photographing the fall colors. My final trip of 2013 was to the southern European nations of Croatia and Slovenia, with a day trip to Montenegro, the most recent of the former areas of Yugoslavia to become a country (2006).

Although we did a lot of travel by bus, there was time to explore the culture, history and architecture of this ancient region. In the Croatian city of Pula, we stood inside a Roman coliseum that once seated some 23,000 spectators.

Today, the arena serves as a concert venue that seats 5,000 people. We visited part of the vast underground spaces that once housed animals and were the 'green rooms' for gladiators awaiting their turn in the vast arena. It is the only remaining Roman amphitheatre to have four preserved side towers. Constructed from 27 BC to 68 AD, it is among the six largest surviving Roman arenas in the world. It also is the best preserved ancient monument in Croatia.

We visited two other towns on the Istrian peninsula that day, Rovinj and Pobec. Along the way, we had magnificent views of the countryside. We spent hours driving within a few feet of the blue waters of the Adriatic Sea. We visited outdoor markets selling flowers, fresh fruits and vegetables and local products such as lavender, honey, olive oil and white truffle oil. I had a light lunch of a burek, a phyllo dough pastry filled with cheese, fresh from a bakery. Eating on the go gave me more time to walk around, explore and take photographs.

We explored other ancient Roman ruins, including the retirement palace of the Emperor Diocletian in Split. Later, as I sat on a bench in Split, admiring the views of the sea, a local woman sat down nearby. She asked whether I was a tourist, and we started to chat. She spoke very softly, and her English was sometimes difficult to understand, but we talked for several minutes. When she learned that I speak Russian, she recited a poem in Russian that she had been forced to learn many years ago in school. She still remembered it all these years later. Chatting with local residents always has been a high point of international travel for me.


We traveled south along the Adriatic coast to Dubrovnik, visiting the ancient walled city of narrow cobblestone streets, then climbed the steep steps and walked on top of the thick stone walls, which afforded wonderful views of the city below.

We crossed a tiny finger of Bosnia wedged between two areas of Croatia on our way to Montenegro. This small country bears more traces of its Soviet past than do Croatia and Slovenia. Montenegro's houses looked older and shabbier, its roads much rougher than its neighbors. But the city of Kotor has centuries of history reflected in its ancient churches and palaces. In Budva, I walked the narrow cobblestone streets in search of a place to eat. I found it in a tiny bakery, where I enjoyed a wonderful walnut-filled baklava.

I really enjoyed visiting the capital of Slovenia, Ljubljana, a vibrant, modern city. Our last stop was the town of Bled, nestled at the foot of the Julian Alps. Our hotel was near the beautiful Lake Bled, with a lovely walking path on the lake's edge. Despite the heavy rain and fog, Bled Castle was visible on its perch high above the lake.


We heard about the history of the region, from the ancient Illyrians to the Romans, World War II and the breakup of Yugoslavia. Former Yugoslav president Josip Broz Tito still looms large in this area, despite having died in 1980. Born in Slovenia to a Croat family, he was buried in Serbia.

Croats, I learned, have little love for the neighboring Serbians, who attacked their country in the 1990s. Nearby Italy has considerable influence in both the names of towns and the regional cuisine. Many regions were conquered by the Republic of Venice, by the Austro-Hungarian Empire and by the Ottoman Empire. The area is home to a variety of nationalities, including Croats, Slovenes, Serbs and Montenegrins, and a variety of languages and religions (Roman Catholicism, Serbian Orthodoxy and Islam). The architecture of the regions illustrates the styles of Venice, Austria-Hungary, the Ottomans and the Communists. There are examples of Baroque, Renaissance and a variety of architectural styles, sometimes in a single building. Ancient Roman temples stand near 11th-century churches.

As an American living in a fairly homogeneous country where ethnicity isn't a major factor, it was interesting to visit an area that has been part of a variety of empires, where ethnic identity was of great importance for many centuries, and where ethnic discord ran rampant, along with a battle for territory, during the Bosnian War of 1992 to 1995. Serb forces carried out a program of ethnic cleansing in largely Bosniak (Muslim) regions of the country. Cities were destroyed and countless Muslim residents were slaughtered or put into concentration camps. Of course, I heard about the history of the region and the wars from my Slovenian guide. I'm sure a Serb or Bosniak guide would have offered a much different perspective. Still, the history and politics of this region is extremely complex and difficult for me as an American to understand.

I am looking forward to expanding my exploration of the world in 2014, with trips planned to central Europe, the Baltic states and Africa. I wish I had been able to travel when I was younger, but I feel so blessed that I have this opportunity now. If only there were a way to avoid the 9-hour flights to and from Europe!