Winter in Yellowstone National Park

Magic Moment Memories of Tauck’s World Discovery’s “Winter in Yellowstone” Event

*The pack of wolves howling on the other side of the valley while a wolf, a golden eagle and raven were on the opposite side eating an elk. It was so loud and lasted 2-3 minutes

*The ride from Mammoth Hot Springs to Old Faithful Snow Lodge in a school bus yellow bulldozer-wheeled bus-Glaval-a one of a kind ride

*Seeing a wolf and raven thru a telescope eating an elk

*Seeing fumaroles, hot springs, geysers and mud pots while walking in the snow at Fountain Paint Pots

*Gerard Baker, the Mandan Hidatsa Indian, on our tour who spoke to us about his Indian customs and traditions—a priceless one-of-a-kind encounter. He wore a full length bison coat and coyote Davy Crocket style fur hat

*Bob Landis, the world renowned filmmaker-movie maker, showing us some of his outstanding footage of scenes in Yellowstone-the red fox diving head first in the snow, otters sliding down a snow-covered hill, a swan walking in the snow, 2 eagles grasping each other in flight and then letting go right before they fell to the ground and more.

*A coyote jumping up and then diving head first into the snow to get a rodent and capturing the instant it happened on my camera

*The snow and snowing to white-out was so much fun

*Walking in the snow and hearing crunch, crunch, crunch as we walked

*The Hop-On Hop-Off method Tauck used to tour Yellowstone- pull up to the dedicated path, get out, walk in a little loose snow, then onto the dedicated path, see the feature, and return the same way back.

*Standing in line in 23 degree below zero snow for 10-12 minutes waiting to use the “one-holer”  porta potty with a foot of snow on its roof. Priceless.

*A herd of snow-covered Bison on the road walking right by our Bombardier and blocking our passage

*Three Trumpeter Swans just a swimming in a snow-covered river while it was snowing heavily.

*The Indian Prayer given in native Indian language and English by Gerard Baker while we stood in the snow-covered road of Enchanted Forest surrounded by snow-covered pine trees in 23 degrees temperature. Priceless

*Stopping for hot chocolate and popcorn in a Warming Hut in the middle of a day’s sightseeing

*Seeing the “Ice Trees”, flocked trees, Rime Frost crystals and Needle Frost crystals around steam vents and hot springs and learning about them from Jim Halfpenny

*Having Janee and Jim Sundby as tour directors, both beyond outstanding

*Having the Tauck 3-generation family on tour with us and getting to know them

*Walking in the snow at night

*Dressed like mummies in so many layers to keep warm we could barely bend or move

*Getting the one-of-a-kind opportunity to experience this winter wonderland, thanks to Tauck World Discovery

*Getting the opportunity to meet personally with the best experts associated with Yellowstone National Park.

*The Bighorn Ram looking down at us from a 15ft. hill

*Getting the opportunity to have a first-time encounter the entire tour with Gerard Baker, a real Indian that we could relate to and understand

*Learning that our final Bombardier ride would be the last Bombardier ride in Yellowstone because of new snow transportation being introduced.

*Getting to wear very casual, plain warm clothes everyday of the tour, including to Cocktail Parties and Welcoming and Farewell Dinners. Priceless

Got To See the Leopard in Botswana

Our morning game drive was one-of-a-kind at Chief’s Camp and the Moremi Game Reserve National Park in the middle of the Okavango Delta. We left for our game drive at 7 a.m. after getting up at 5:30 a.m., and having breakfast at 6:30 a.m. It was just perfect weather and a tad cool which is the way you want it. After we “went swimming”  crossing the Okavango Delta, we drove and we drove and didn’t see any of the big game. It was our last game drive in the Delta because we were going to Chobe National Park in the northern corner of Botswana by the river area that drains into the Zambezi River.

Our driver, Ali, was kind of an aggressive safari driver/guide. He would stop periodically and instantly to look at animal tracks on the ground and he could tell if it was a lion, leopard, elephant, hyena, etc. He also would suddenly stop and listen to the animals, particularly the impala, because they snort real loud when a predator is near. So this is how the drivers know where and how to spot the animals. It is like hunting a needle in a haystack. It is the thrill of the hunt that makes a safari, and this morning was a true 100% thrilling one of a kind safari ride!

Again, Ali suddenly stopped and leaned out of the vehicle to look at tracks on the ground and said “Lions, that way.” And he made a U-turn and was driving down this trail and he said “here they are.” And none of us saw them. He said, “See they are right here and they were about 10 feet from our van and lying down in the cream-colored grass for an early morning nap”. Then they jumped up and stared at us for a while and then they napped again. It must have been a rough night as lions hunt mostly at night.

Ali told us the lions were about 7-8years old and they were the dominate males in the area, known as the “Bocca Boys” after the river they had to cross to get there. They had dark brown full manes and were so beautiful. We remarked how such a dangerous animal could be so beautiful. We were about 10 ft. away from them. It just took our breath away because this was not the zoo. These were 2 wild killer animals and we were sitting there 10 ft. away, priceless!

Then Ali got a call on the radio while he was driving from a driver and they tell each other what they have spotted or that they need help. And they always speak in their language so we will not know what they are saying. The radio came on and it was our tour guide KB who was driving the other safari van. KB said they have spotted a leopard! Leopards are very rare and very hard to fine. They are like a needle in a haystack. Now our decision was-do we stay and watch 2 precious beautiful young male lions or to leave and go see the leopard.

Ali makes the decision to go see the leopard as it would be a “great finale” for our final Okavango Delta safari. Previously on all safaris, including this one, it was no big thing to leave what you were doing and seeing and go to where an animal has been spotted. But what we didn’t know was that this would be no simple thing.

Ali drove that safari van “like a bat out of hell.” We were all holding on for dear life. Ali moved Chris to the front seat from the back seat because she would be thrown out of the van. We soon learned what he was talking about. In all my 6 safaris I have never had such a ride. Even getting to and from Antarctica was not that bad. Ali took us through anything and everything like the US Marines and Team 6. And we did it at a high rate of speed. I am guessing we went an average of 30 mph.

Now, that might not seem like a high rate. But we went over 10 inch logs on the ground, downed small trees, through holes in the ground and water ponds, acacia trees covered with thorns, tree limbs that would hit us in the face, bumps that would just about throw us from the van and we were in the center–that is a high rate of speed!. We would come upon a roadblock of trees, brush, and stumps with no possible way of getting through it and we went right through it! Tree branches hit us and thorns cut us and right-left instant moves whipped us from side to side and crossing a 10 inch log would jolt us to the ground. But we had to see that leopard!

Now, another thing I didn’t tell you was that usually it takes less than 5 minutes to catch up with another van that has spotted an animal. But, not this time. It took 40 minutes of this rough riding to finally find that leopard and it took me a while to appreciate that beautiful cat because I was just totally exhausted-as were the other 4 in the van. And I wondered if it was worth all of that just to see a leopard. And we all wondered how many back surgeries we would have to have. I asked Ali if we were going to the top of Africa it took so long. I thought the ride would never end. We were crossing the Moremi Game Reserve we learned later. It sure is a big park.

But then, we finally located KB and the other vans. They were in constant radio communication so they could lead Ali right to it. Each driver describes and knows all areas and they don’t need GPS. How they find their way around is beyond us.

The female leopard was walking constantly so we had to keep up with her and the wild driving continued. She was so beautiful and a gorgeous specimen. When she would pause for a short rest, the cameras would click like machine guns. And we tracked her to 10 different sites and positions. Ali would move us around the cat to get the best view and camera shot. And we got some good ones.

Then Ali said, “I’ve got even a better leopard to show you.”So off we went on another wild ride through the bush. And again it was worth it. There in the tree was an absolutely gorgeous leopard with her breakfast, an impala. We really got some fabulous photos of the leopard because Ali kept moving us around until we did. He really earned his tip that day!!!

It was a fabulous end to our safari in the Okavango Delta. We saw two gorgeous male dominate full-mane well-fed lions and 2 leopards with absolutely fabulous skins and furs and they were both well fed. Now, we had to get to our plane, but we all had to use the restroom after that ride so the plane would just have to wait. So out in the middle of the Okavango Delta where wild animals live, we all went to the restroom and made it safely back to the safari vehicle.

We were supposed to leave on the plane at 10:15 am. Only we were far away from the runway looking at leopards and lions. So again, Ali drives “like a bat out of hell” to get us to our airplane. Through water, brush, trees, stumps, 10 inch limbs, you name it we went over and through it and made it to the runway by 10:16 am. And the two planes were waiting for us and all went well.

So now you get a good idea what it is like to be on a one-of-a-kind safari run in the Okavango Delta. When a big cat or elephant or something in the killer animal category is spotted, all hell breaks out to get the visitor to see it close. And it was worth every effort and every minute. We thanked Ali and thanked Ali and thanked Ali for making our Okavango Delta experience a “beyond awesome” dream. It was priceless!

Click on each photo to enlarge and to make viewing easier.

 

Roar, Snore and S’Mores on Safari

Instantly, we became tigers and others became lions, elephants or hippos. And, in case we forgot, a simulated tiger skin wristband imprinted with our tent number reminded us. Next came a t-shirt. Then the tiger group was on its way to a roaring and snoring good time on a safari in the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

Hand luggage in tow, we began searching for our tent, one of 46 overlooking the African savannah where giraffe, Northern White Rhino, Cape buffalo, African crowned crane, grant gazelle, oryx, and giant egret roam daily in the Safari Park, 35 miles north of the Zoo.

Finally, we found our tent #37 written on a tree stump stool. Unzipping the tent “door” revealed a normal hotel room encased in a heavy canvas tent. The electric lamps, fan, heater and hot and cold water all worked so we were in business next to the elephants..

The 17 elephants were putting on a welcome show for us: eating hay,  pooping, swimming and submerging trunk and all under water, rocking and rolling and twisting to their silent music, and flipping over in their daily ritual. And they could do this because their exhibit compound had just been cleaned by 4 keepers who had hand raked and collected their poop from the previous day. Each day, 2,000 pounds of poop is gathered and placed in a Bobcat bulldozer and larger truck, then delivered to local farmers for fertilizer.

Too soon, the tiger group had to leave the elephants and continue our orientation tour.  This time our hunt was for the restrooms, as there were none in the tents. A block or so away we found our target, full-service restrooms including showers.

The dinner bell was calling us so off we went for cocktails, then chicken, green salad, squash, and cake overlooking the Park’s African savannah. All 87 of us ate dinner on wooden picnic tables while watching the sun and animals end another day.

On our safari, we were given a glimpse into “as the elephant world turns.” Drought-stricken Swaziland, Africa, allowed the San Diego Zoo to acquire 7 elephants, arriving via 747 aircraft. They were going about their daily lives, eating, pooping, sparring and resting with each other. Since males only associate with females for mating, one solitary bull elephant was by himself and was busy throwing dust all over his body to kill insects, to cleanse and to cool.

Meanwhile Umngani, a female elephant, was standing in the elephant yard nursery waiting her third calf’s birth. Her male and female offspring, Ingadze and Khosi, were visiting every day to see if they had a new playmate.

As we became more involved in the elephant world, we learned that male and female African elephants have tusks, but only the Asian males have them. So, when an Asian bull elephant first saw a female African elephant, he didn’t know she was female. He only knew females did not have tusks. After a few days, he figured it out and started showing her what a strong elephant he was by picking up a log and running with it and dropping it near her over and over.

In the Rhino world, two female Rhinos looked like they were in relationship as they napped side by side in the savannah.  But then we learned only one male and female  Rhino pair was put together in an exhibit, but no baby Rhinos were born. By
1972, the solution was discovered when another female was added to their exhibit. Like elephants, a female Rhino only associates with a male when she is ready to mate. The rest of the time, female Rhinos prefer being with their female Rhino friends. Now, there are many baby Rhinos.

After a break for S’Mores and hot chocolate by the fire pit, we revisited the elephant world to find six elephants of all sizes and ages taking a late-evening bath. They totally submerged themselves in the water, rocked and rolled over with all four feet in the air, and did elephant acrobatics. What a soothing and calming experience this was to watch.

After dark we entered the lion family world, invited there by the lion’s keeper into their kitchen and bedrooms. Their freezer was filled with large round stickless popsicles made from meat blood drippings. “The lions LOVE them, the keeper told us. And every time she works with the male lion, Izu, she collects hair shed from his huge mane and keeps it in a plastic container for all to feel. It was downy soft. What an unexpected and rare glimpse into a world we would never have known.

Finally, it was time to snore at this Roar and Snore safari adventure. We had no trouble meeting the 10:30 PM “lights out” curfew. Having been warned that elephants would trumpet and lions would roar during the night, we asked others if they heard the sounds. We didn’t know since we slept so soundly in our comfortable bed in the tent. So at breakfast, everyone we asked said “Yes” and we never heard one sound as we enjoyed snoring in our tent.

The grand finale was petting and feeding a rare Rothschild giraffe, Chomoa, and a rare Northern White Rhino, Bhopu. Caravan safaris are a regular event at the Park and these two animals know treats are available from the truck. So, each voluntarily nonchalantly sauntered straight to the truck to pose like a movie star with each person for photos in exchange for their favorite green leaf snack. Amazingly, each animal knew when all photos were taken so they just turned around and sauntered off just like they had come. The movie star Choma was finished with this truck and awaited the next safari to arrive. Then it was time to leave an awesome roaring and snoring fun safari adventure in the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and return to our normal everyday lives. But it sure was hard to leave those precious, priceless animals and their fun, unique personalities.

Eating With Elephants in Botswana

Driving into the bush in the middle of the Okavango Delta from Stanley’s Camp, we saw nothing. Lisa, a vet student studying in Botswana, came and took us for a walk in 2 ft. high grass until we came to 3 elephants just standing unleashed in the wild eating acacia tree leaves, grass and anything they could find. The elephants were Jabu, Marula, and Thembi, 1 male and 2 female.  Jabu, the male, was at least 15 feet tall. The females were smaller and more “feminine”.  All were orphans that were rescued from culling operations from their family herds. Tom and I stood as far away from them as we could and still be with our  Abercrombie & Kent group.

Doug Groves, the keeper of the elephants,  introduced himself and the elephants as we stood in the grass spell bound and frightened. We were taking photos like mad and noticed our hands were shaking. Getting that close to wild, unleashed elephants just about freaked us out. Hyperventilating now, I was so scared but I didn’t want Jabu to figure it out. Elephants are very smart animals and can retaliate.

Doug started teaching us about elephants that can live for 70 years. While shooting an American film involving elephants in the area in 1988, he became interested in elephants. With his wife, Sandy, they adopted Jabu, a 2-year-old, and formed Grey Matters for visitors to interact with his elephants and livingwithelephants.org to create harmony between elephants and people.  They have devoted their lives to the elephants and can only be away for a day or two because they miss him so much.

The 3 elephants have already saved his life in the bush when a lion went after Doug. The 3 elephants placed themselves between Doug and the lion and put their heads down to the ground. The lion backed off.  Jabu is now 25 years old and his name comes from jaublani, which is Zulu tribe word for happiness. Jabu loves people and new challenges.

Elephants do things with their sensitive trunk that is so exact it can pick up a pea, show alarm by blowing air through it, rumbling for communication, or for eating. Then, Doug showed us a gland on the side of Jabu’s head that was draining between the eye and the ear. This shows the elephant is in musk and ready to mate. When the ear flap edge becomes torn and notched, it shows an elephant is older.

Their teeth also help with guessing the age. An elephant has 5 sets of new teeth in their lifetime because they grind them down from chewing. “Teeth come in the mouth like a conveyor belt, one after the other.”And this continues until around 50 years old. After that, the elephant dies when the last set of teeth is gone because it cannot eat without teeth. “Elephants eat and poop their entire waking hours.”

One at a time, Doug invited us to greet Jabu and to touch his skin. He told us to only approach Jabu from the left side. I have touched an elephant and knew what it felt like, so I decided to touch Jabu. But Tom would not get near him. Jabu had about 4-5-inch longhairs on his trunk which was hard to see as they were scattered evenly over the trunk. They act as antennas to indicate how close the trunk is to something.  Shorter hairs are all over their body, but the hairs are every few inches apart. They are not like hair or fur, they are like wire.

How Doug talked to Jabu amazed me. He talked so softly to him because elephants don’t like loud noises. Doug told Jabu to “come over here”to be closer to us about 5 times before he acted. But, from then on, he minded Doug on every command and worked like a perfect team. He never hit or hurt them in any way. He told Jabu to open his mouth and he did and Doug showed us his teeth and tongue. Then Doug told him to show us how he trumpets when he is alarmed and Jabu blew his trumpet sound so loud it scared me even further. Next he told him to make a rumbling sound which is how they communicate with each other and us, and he rumbled.

Watching the 2 work together was just like a symphony and it helped me to warm up and be more comfortable around Jabu. Doug offered Jabu for photos holding onto his tusks and finally Tom agreed. The tusk is an extensionof the teeth-bone system. Next, Jabu showed us some of his hat snatching tricks. It was such a cute trick. So, everyone was offered the opportunity to do the trick with Jabu.

By now, I was beginning to believe I could trust Jabu as Doug had showed us how to interact with him. I offered so Jabu took off my safari hat with his trunk, put it on his head and then put it back on my head. His trunk was heavy as it bore down to put my hat back on my head!

Marula was next to show her stuff while Jabu ate in the bush. Marula and a male elephant were owned by a Botswana couple who got them from culling operations during the 1980s Zimbabwe drought. Meant to be pets to the couple, the male killed a man so he was sold to a park in South Africa. The Park owners decided the only solution was to destroy him after he killed 7 white rhino and flipped over a vehicle. Marula was not implicated in the rhinocide but she wasn’t happy and became antisocial. Doug took Marula in 1994, baggage, bad behaviors and all, and trained her and gave her a good life. She showed us some of her features like Jabu did. Doug said Marula is his Princess.

Marula was taken to a small tree to eat. Elephants can eat everything on a tree—the bark, the limbs, the leaves-all of it. We watched them chew up entire large limbs like they were candy, and eat huge sections of grass like it was nothing. They can each drink up to 200 liters of water per day.

Thembi was next and is the youngest of his 3 elephants. Orphaned in Krueger National Park in South Africa, Thembi is short for Thembigela, Zulu for “trust”. She is a sweetheart, and even though she is the smallest, she loves attention, loves to be with the other 2, and gets nervous when she is not. Thembi considers herself the protector of the herd. When he got her, she was lonely and not adjusted. She would tear up trees to take out her frustrations.  Now with Doug, she has self respect, feels she belongs and is very sensitive.

So Thembi had to show us how she sleeps each night and how she gets down and up. First it was the back legs that bent and it looked like she was sitting on her knees.  Then it was the front legs that bent and she was down on the ground. The head and truck followed and she was totally laid out on the ground. Elephants sleep about 5 hours each day and his 3 stay in an enclosure by his house there in Botswana.

With Thembi totally laid out on the ground, he showed us her feet. It was our first time to actually see the bottom of a wild elephant’s foot and their toenails. Doug invited us to touch and inspect her foot. It was not smooth and kind of looked like cracked and dried mud caked on some parts and nothing on other parts. I had purchased a footprint of the elephant I rode (Damiano) in Zimbabwe, so that was the only “footprint” I had seen. Seeing an elephant lying down instead of standing tall and dominating over us all was an eye opener.

After 2 hours, we left and the 3 elephants waved goodbye with their trunks. It was another priceless moment. And as we drove by them on the way to our bush lunch, Lisa was sitting on top of Jabu who had been taught to lift his right leg up so Lisa could get up and down.

To get to the bush lunch, we had to “go swimming” in our safari Land Rover in the Okavango Delta which was 4-6 ft. deep and still rising in June.  Stanley’s Camp provided us with a buffet lunch out in the wild bush underneath a mangosteen tree. While we were having pre-lunch cocktails, they joined us in our bush luncheon.

That’s right. Those 3 huge elephants came marching in right next to our table and ate lunch while we ate lunch!!!  Tears came into my eyes as I observed and participated
in this magnificent event. Never before had I ever had such a wonderful adventure with elephants, much less to have lunch with the elephants. It took a few moments to process what I had just seen and was experiencing. Workers brought in big blocks of hay and a plastic trash can with special pellets for each elephant. Their food was set in 3 separate piles just like our plates of food for each one of us. Doug stood by Jabu’s pellets for about 5 minutes while Marula and Thembi ate theirs because “if Jabu ate the pellets at the same time as the females, he would eat his fast and then go steal Marula’s and Thembi’s! And when all of us finished eating everything, the elephants just stood there perfectly while Doug answered our many questions.

Tom and I were sitting at the end of the table closest to the elephants 15 feet away and we ate with them behind us. I trusted the elephants by now and felt comfortable enough to turn my back on them. Then, Lisa told Tom and I to move about one more foot apart and we didn’t know why.

But soon we found out. All of a sudden, Jabu put his trunk between us. I just about lost my breath. Talking about a heart beating so fast, my blood pressure must have shot straight up!  I could only think of the things that could go wrong at that moment and I began to write my headline again “Carolyn and Tom killed by bull elephant in Botswana”! The entire photo session with Jabu only lasted about 2 minutes but it seemed like an eternity to me. I was so relieved when he backed away yet I was so honored that Jabu would pose in a photo with us at the table and that we could experience this gentle giant and his 2 female friends. All 3 truly gave us a priceless moment that can’t be duplicated. As we left our bush lunch, the 3 elephants were waving “Goodbye” to us with their trunks!

Bullfighting, French Style

Suddenly without warning, a black bull bolted into the arena  from a gate, followed by 4 young razetour men dressed all in white. And thus began the 45-minute bullfight, the French way.

And the bull was mad and hollering and foaming at the mouth and ready to kill. And when he spotted one of those razetours who was calling and  tormenting, he charged full speed after him. But he couldn’t catch him because the man had jumped the 40-inch high fence inside the arena and was hanging on the 7-foot high arena wall.  So, the bull had to stop suddenly from his full throttle charge or crash into the 40-inch high red fence.

The bull was fairly slender and young with white horns sticking straight up. A gold metal cap was on the tip of each horn. The Lauren Family in the Camargue delta region of South France breeds these bulls to be mean and they have won many awards on the quality of their bulls. And this bullfighting, French style, has been going on since the 1700’s and the object was for a razetour to get a rosette off one of the bull’s horns in 15 minutes.

After missing a razetour, the bull huffed and puffed around the arena and spotted another razetour and gave a full speed chase for him. But again, he disappeared from the arena and was hanging onto the arena wall. Now, the bull was really hollering and huffing and puffing and found another razetour  and chased him. This time, the bull nearly caught him. And the crowd was  cheering and screaming but didn’t know if the razetour would clear the fence  this time. But he did and the bull stopped at the fence.

Now, the bull was tired as he has chased all 4 razetours and lost so he left the arena, alive to see another day because the French don’t kill the bulls. Then, in bolts another new, fresh bull that was hollering and pawing the ground so hard he made a cloud of dust. And he was mad and went after the first razetour he saw. In fact, a lady in the crowd was standing at the upper fence taking photos and this bull went after her until he realized she wasn’t the enemy. Everyone cheered her “victory” as the bull turned for a razetour who again jumped the fence to hang on the arena wall. But this time, the bull came right after him and jumped the 40-inch fence. The crowd roared as  the bull’s front legs cleared the fence but the back legs didn’t. After several  wiggles of those legs and body, the bull had all 4 feet on the ground. And, the crowd applauded him.

This bull continued to chase a razetour and the bull continued to jump the arena fence. And the crowed made funny macho comments and roared every time. This bullfighting, French style, where the bull is used for entertainment, was a great show for the audience.

The third and final bull entered the arena and he was the maddest of all. He was so mad, he not only chased the razetours in the arena, he also chased them over the arena fence and tried to gore a razetour as he clung to the arena wall. One time, the bull even went over the fence head first and then came back into the arena head first doing a total 360-degree flip. After a few
seconds, the dazed bull finally got up and stood a little longer until he
came too and then took off after another razetour. The crowd went wild.

So the French bullfight was a win, win, win. The razetour lived to see another day, the bull lived to see another day and the Tauck River Cruising audience had a roaring good time watching.

Baining Fire Dance of Papua New Guinea

 When we arrived, the fire was raging with flames shooting 10 feet in the air, while a 12-man chorus was sitting on the ground in the outskirts  of the vacant lot, making a beat with their 5-foot- tall bamboo poles by  hitting rocks, poles or the ground.

Not knowing what to expect, waiting and watching proved to
be very educational as a huge pile of scrap wood near the fire was noticed and
then they appeared from the dark, one by one, in view of the fire’s glow. Each
dancer that appeared was covered head to toe in native plants from the bush and
each looked like little green men from Mars. Their skirt was made of fresh
green raffia, arms and legs were painted white, and a 2-foot tall red conical hat
with a 6 ft. wire-like vine sticking up from it covered the head. Pandanus
leaves hung all around the hat. Attached on this 6 ft. long wire-like vine was
a small clump of white feathers every 12 inches. And a bark cloth tail was
pinned at the base of the spin.

This was the beginning of the Baining night fire dance in
Rabaul, Papua New Guinea. The Baining live in the East New Britain Province on
the Gazelle Peninsula of Papua New Guinea and these night fire dances are for initiation
into adulthood, to celebrate a good harvest or the arrival of a new child, or
to commemorate the dead. The fire dances are by and for men only, represent the
spirits of various animals in the bush and show the various male activities in
the bush.

Each one of the 6 dancers appeared suddenly from the dark
and circled the fire to a beat from the 12-men bamboo pole chorus. Each one then
waited by the fire for another dancer to appear from the dark. When all six
dancers had made their appearance, in unison, they began to circle the fire,
around and around they went until they were almost dizzy.

Suddenly, another dancer appeared from the dark but this
dancer was different. He had a huge 3×5 foot off-white bark cloth tapas mask
that covered his face with green pandanus side panels hanging down. The mask
had large red eyes painted on it that looked like Target’s bull’s eye symbol
and trefoil plant designs on it. The paint for the masks came from berries and
tree sap.

This dancer wore a huge off-white mask made of bark cloth that
covered the head like a helmet. The bark was obtained from trees where the outer
bark was slipped off after being beaten to loosen. Then, the “cloth’ was dipped
in water, stretched over a bamboo frame, and attached with vines or strips of
bark.

Hanging from the mask was a bamboo trumpet that represented
the mouth and below it was an oblong circle that looked like a big dinner
plate. Covering the dancer’s private parts was another off-white bark cloth
oblong circle.  Arms and legs were
painted white and a cape and chaps made of pandanus leaves also was worn.

Then the real action began. These dancers joined the other 6
circling dancers until one complete chorus had been finished, and that chorus
could last a long time. It was not a tune of exact length. When it ended, it
was time for the masked dancers to run through the raging fire barefooted while
kicking the pile of coals in the air. The flying sparks further illuminated the
dancers in a mystical way.

After the coal kicking, each masked dancer then rejoined the
other circling dancers and then another masked dancer took his turn at kicking
the coals. And it continued like this until each of the 4 masked dancers had
kicked the coals.

This went on all night while men kept the fire blazing
brightly and the masked dancers kept kicking the coals. Near dawn, they suddenly
disappeared into the dark and the masked spirits had been frightened away from
the village. And Baining women did not go near the site.

And the Tauck World Discovery visitors stood and watched in amazement.

Click on each photo to enlarge to make viewing easier.

Iceland-Mud Pots, Geysers,Waterfalls,Volcanoes & Flowers

Upon exiting the bus, the air reeked of rotten eggs and that’s when the experience of the land of fire, mudpots, volcanoes and stream began. As walking continued to observe several huge holes in the white and orange ground, boiling and steaming liquid black mud made the experience vividly real.

That’s when it was time to be cautious and careful where the feet landed having just been told “it only takes 5 minutes to boil a tourist.” Becoming a participant in the boiling mud pot was not on the bucket list. So staying on the dedicated path was mandatory.

Seeing the fumaroles, mud pots and steam vents in Krysuvik-Seltun and Namafjall Hverir Parks in Iceland was a powerful event to be experienced and remembered as long as the brain works. Seeing a plain hole in the black dirt next to the dedicated path that had the diameter of a golf ball was nothing extraordinary. That was until the sound of an egg frying in a pan flowed out of the hole. Through that little vent hole, energy from the interior of the earth was releasing built-up steam.

But that little insignificant hole was not to be out done by a 4-foot by 5-feet in diameter conical pile of rocks just steaming and smoking a solid stream non-stop. And while it was steaming, it produced a sizzling sound as loud as 10 welding torches blowing at the same time.

Proceeding up the hill to several higher levels, more active mud pots, steam vents and
water-boiling pots performed non-stop, releasing sulfur-smelling steam and loud sizzling noises for all to see and hear. And while all of this action was going on non-stop, the air still penetrated of rotten eggs and none of the mud pots had claimed a tourist from our Tauck World Discovery tour that we could see.

All of the tourists made it back to the bus safe and sound from the boiling mud pots, steam pots and frying egg sizzling sounds after experiencing Iceland’s land of fire. And the rotten egg air now penetrated inside the bus for all of us to experience as we drove away seeing a huge geyser shooting 50 feet straight in the air and then to see Gullfoss Waterfalls and another volcano ready to erupt anytime.

And among all this fire and ice only in the glaciers, everything in Iceland is green with postcard quality scenery and 2-foot tall Alaskan Lupines, which look just like those Texas Bluebonnets only bigger and taller.

Dragon Dance of Papua New Guinea

A boat full of 25 natives making loud music came to us in the Coral Seaas we approached their village in the Sepic River region of Papua New Guinea.

When we arrived, we walked inthe Sea to get to their village.A clan lady dressed in ceremonial regalia, greeted us on shore with a wet, hot pink-fuchsia glob of goo on our cheek, made by the annatto seed for a sign of hospitality.

Moisture caused the seed to “bleed” a hot pink juice all over.

Even though the 400 villagers from 7 clans had been isolated from the rest of the world since the beginning of time, the Watam clans of Papua New Guinea greeted us in full bilas attire,all provided by nature. And they knew we were arriving because they had received a code message beaten on the 8-by 3-foot hollow log (garamut)  from nearby neighbors. Justin, our tour guide with Orion Expedition Cruises, told us the code said, “Justin is coming with his ship early Wednesday morning.” So all the villages started preparing for the Orion’s arrival.

Everything stopped as the school children pledged allegiance to their flag, followed by the big dragon of 10 men worming its way through the middle of the long village while stepping to the beat of their kundu drums.

Dressed as one huge dragon, the men were singing, dancing and swaying to the beat of their drums. Others were dressed in their native costumes.

Next came the alerted natives from all over with their handmade masks and carvings  and other souvenirs from the famous Sepik River region. But the Watam Village leaders had to organize a governing system for the different sales people to be fair to all.

Handwritten signs of rules, written in a native language, were placed at the entrance for sellers.

Waiting for us to select our prized souvenirs were many sellers in the hot shade and native villagers were now in business with a visiting ship of 80 people.

But before we left, Robin Tauck, of Tauck World Discovery, presented may hugh boxes of school supplies,clothes and backpacks to the children who needed them to travel to their Watam school and schools in other islands.

The children danced with joy wearing their new possessions. from this Tauck World Discovery special tour.

Incredible India

It really is Incredible India as the sign says when you enter customs. 

India is ancient temples;

sacred cattle in the streets;

new temples;

women in saris;

traffic jams everywhere yet every driver inviting others to pull in front of them;

caparisoned (decorated) elephants giving

rides on the side of the road;

men wearing turbans,

 bodies wrapped in colorful paper and ribbon being brought on the top of

vehicles  for their sacred cremation in the Ganges River in Varanasi;

 the magnificent Taj Mahal at 6 a.m. in the morning;

and the curry-spiced Indian food.

It’s the top hotel palaces  in the world;

 

a houseboat ride

 on canals around Kerala;

 Kathakali dancers and Kalaripayattu ancient martial arts

 demonstration at Kumarakom;

 Three huge

caparisoned

 elephants

 in a Hindu

temple ceremony in Kerala,

yoga lessons in spiritual Kerala/Cochin;

and climbing the 225 steps to Elephanta Island near Bombay/Mumbai to see the ancient carving.

 In Bombay/Mumbai, it’s the Dabbawallahs

on their daily deliveries

 of fresh-cooked food

 from each customer’s home

 delivered for lunch

in their Bombay offices in Tiffins without a mistake;

the largest democracy in the world;

 the Dhobi Ghats where residents have their laundry washed in many concrete vats outside

 and pounded and pounded until clean, then dried and delivered

to the Bombay/Mumbai home;

 where everyone has a job no matter his/her status;

where trains stuffed with people

 arrive continuously into

 Bombay/Mumbai;

where new modern buildings are

built next door to a slum of tents.

 

  It’s a special Maharajah dinner

 evening in Jaipur with

caparisoned elephants, camels,

 horses and people dancing

 to the beat of the

music, and pashminas for

 warming shoulders.

 

India is a country that is not to be missed for a

 life-changing experience

and a trip of a lifetime on my Tauck World Discovery’s all inclusive tour.

 

Mr. Cricket Fighting Gambler in Beijing

He appeared suddenly, carrying a wooden case. Chest bulging, he introduced himself as Mr. Cricket. Christina and I thought he was joking. We were eating a home-cooked Chinese meal in a Beijing, China Hutong when Mr. Cricket walked up and began telling us about cricket fighting.

In a deep raspy voice that matched his deeply wrinkled, suntanned skin, Liu Yong Jiang explained how he has raised fighting crickets for 30 years. He reached into his sweatshirt, pulled out a jar with a cricket inside, and set it on our lunch table. We started laughing. The man couldn’t be serious.

But he was.

A good quality cricket is very expensive, Mr. Cricket told us through a translator, and can cost as much as a horse.  A man can lose his wife, house, or land over cricket fighting.

Baby crickets take 100 days to mature to adulthood, but fighting begins at two months of age. Mr. Cricket explained that he uses a stick with two mouse hairs attached to it to train his cricket. He has to be very careful in handling a cricket, as picking one up with the hand could break its legs. He uses a wire strainer to catch and pick the insect up, and special utensils for cleaning and feeding it.

To prepare his cricket for a fight, Mr. Cricket bathes, feeds, and waters it. The fight occurs in a bowl. Competitors fight until one jumps out. The winning cricket sells for a lot of money, sometimes into the thousands of dollars. Mr. Cricket showed us his 2005 China Cricket Fighting Championship certificate. His prize was a car.

As he was leaving, he told the cricket to tell us goodbye. The cricket raised his right leg and waved.

Mr. Cricket was no longer a joke to us.

Falling In Love At The Great Barrier Reef

I fell in love at the Great Barrier Reef.  It was love at first sight. My third visit to the Great Barrier Reef paid off as it was the best. His name is Wally and he was so ugly he was cute. Wally has such a sweet personality and was so easy and good with people. I got to hug Wally and touch and rub Wally and it was absolutely awesome.   Wally is a Hump Headed Maori Wrasse, about 5 feet long and he is a fish!

On this visit to the Reef, I decided to take a guide with me around the Reef to explain what I was seeing and the names of each fish. Amy was a precious size 2 lady marine biologist who took me and 2 other ladies on the reef adventure. She explained every fish we saw and there were polka dot fish and zebra-looking fish and multi-colored fish and every other color combo fish you can name. But there was none like Wally. He was bright blue with dull lime green color on his back and tail.

It felt so good to touch Wally because he was soft and slippery and smooth. One time, I rubbed his big eye which looked like it was a marble just stuck on the side of his head. He closed it as I ran my hand passed one eye, then, he opened it up again.  Wally’s head was somewhat like a horse’s head in that it was a long way from his eyes to his mouth. And what a huge mouth and lips he had. His lips stuck out from his mouth. He would just swim around on his own schedule and the underwater photographer that I had to take my photo had to wait until Wally decided to get close to me.  He just swam slowly around the platform where we docked at the Reef from 10:30am-3:30pm.

Before Wally arrived, I had my photo taken underwater with a sea cucumber! It was alive, about 12 inches long, orangish-red in color and was covered with1 inch protruding points that were soft and did not hurt my hands. The cucumber was slick and slimy but it was easy to handle and I never saw its face or mouth. I had to ask Amy if it was real and she said yes because it was just on the corals.

The finale was the feeding of the fish from the Reef Magic platform. And you guessed it. Wally was right in the middle of the 1000’s of fish that had gathered making sure he got his afternoon snack.  I was in the water right beside Wally as he caught the 1:15 pm fish pieces. It was just an outstanding experience to be among so many different colorful varieties of fish as they ate their fish pieces. I attempted to catch others but they were so fast and looked so close but they were not. Plus, I knew many of the fish had sharp razor-like fins. Of all the fish, Wally was the biggest that we saw on the corals. The others all looked like the beautiful colorful fish in a fish tank.  How the fish on the Great Barrier Reef knew it was 1:15 pm and time for their snack, I will never know. I felt it was just a joy and honor to be there while they ate.

At the Reef World platform in the Great Barrier Reef, we saw the reef in a glass bottom boat and went about 12 inches above the corals. The views were spectacular and we surveyed the 400 varieties of corals and the 2,000 species of fish in the 1600 nautical mile Great Barrier Reef, which is composed of 2,904 reefs. Then we went on the submarine to see the reef and that was interesting because we saw the reef system like I was scuba diving. A helicopter was available to take anyone on a total view of the Reef and I was able to see a large section of the Reef from the air. But I just went underwater to see the reef and be with Wally.

At the Reef, I saw butterfly fish, parrot fish, rainbow parrot fish, clown fish (Nemo), several variations of the wrasse family of fish and the Hump Headed Maori Wrasse (WALLY). Plus, I went through a school of millions of 2-inch long silver fish and it was an incredible experience to have them surround you 360 degrees. But before I left, I had to tell Wally “Goodbye” and hug him for making my visit at the Great Barrier Reef the most wonderful snorkel experience in the world’s #1 reef system.

Foot Work at the San Diego ZOO

Three orangutans with toe sacks over their heads, a bear that used to dance, a jaguar wanting meat, and an elephant having a pedicure were part of a unique animal experience Christina and I had on our behind-the-scenes tour of the 94-year-old San Diego Zoo. Stepping into the lives of this menagerie of animals for a few minutes reminded me of my many African safaris. And visiting one of the top zoos in the world for preservation of species and humane treatment of animals was a thrill.

The purpose of my trip to the 100-acre San Diego Zoo was to see the seven elephants in their new multi-million-dollar state-of-the-art Elephant Odyssey and Care Center. As I came upon the center, I was surprised to see that the custom-built treatment enclosures were in full public view.

In one, a huge, 10-foot-tall African elephant had a foot sticking out of a hole in the enclosure. The elephant’s veterinarian was filing its toenails. Having seen hundreds of elephants in zoos and on African safaris, I had never seen anything like this. How such a huge animal could submit and place a foot out of a hole in the fence was beyond my comprehension, even though I had cared for many cows, bulls, and calves on our dairy farm when I was growing up.

I learned it takes months of training to show the elephants how to do the procedure because the San Diego Zoo uses cooperative training where the animals are never forced.  One thing that kept the elephant cooperative was the keeper sitting next to the veterinarian. This keeper was feeding the elephant 18-inch-long lettuce leaves. As the elephant got its pedicure, it would stick its trunk out of another hole in the 15-foot-tall steel fence to grab a lettuce leaf.  It did this every 10 seconds throughout the pedicure. I just couldn’t believe what my eyes were seeing.

When I watched veterinarians and keepers shining a flashlight into the eyes and ears of another elephant, I asked what was wrong. One veterinarian replied, “She has an infection.” As we watched, they gave the elephant a shot in the hip to cure the infection.

Our next stop on the Zoo tour was a visit with Tanya, the keeper of the Orangutans. It was so funny because it was raining and two orangutans were sitting on a tree branch with a toe sack over their heads to keep dry. Next to them on another branch was another one with a toe sack over its head. Keeper Tanya told us that 39-year-old Clyde, the adult male of the bunch, was in his bedroom because he did not like getting wet. Also with him were Satu, Inda and Janey, who brushes her hair every morning, loves to paint and has sold several of her paintings. Janey is the only Sumatran orangutan in the Zoo. The rest are all from Borneo.

The highlight of this stop was when keeper Tanya went into the orangutan habitat and fed them a morning treat of grapes and other fruits. Two of them stood up on their back legs ready to receive the grapes thrown to them just like humans stand to catch a ball. Tanya told us the orangutan gang loves air-popped popcorn, nutritional biscuits, leaves, fruits, vegetables, termites, honey, and barbecue sauce.

Tanya explained that the Zoo has a glass wall to separate the public from the orangutans because “they don’t have immune systems like we do so they easily catch human diseases.” The final fact we learned was why the concrete viewing area floor was covered with shredded rubber tires. I thought it would be to keep my feet and legs from hurting after standing for so long enjoying the antics of the orangutans. But no, that was not the reason. It was because the orangutan’s bedroom was right under the viewing area and the rubber “rug” would keep the bedroom quiet while the orangutans rested!

Our next stop was to see a Sloth Bear. Now, I had never heard of a Sloth Bear until the keeper told us it used to be known as the dancing bear that performed in circuses and animal shows. It would “dance” like a ballerina with skirt and all. Ken was the cutest bear, with long fluffy fur and long, long claws just like a sloth has. But the highlight of visiting Ken was when the keeper fed him a bottle of water and honey with a straw. A Sloth Bear’s lips are flap-like, enabling it to suck food and water. Watching Ken form those long lips tightly around the straw made us laugh out loud for several minutes. Even funnier, while he was noisily sucking the water and honey, Ken was sitting on his behind with his legs straight out front. Oh, he was so cute.

Next stop was a visit with Orson, a velvety and beautiful black Jaguar. The entire time we visited Orson, he enjoyed five pounds of ground beef. His keeper explained that Orson weighed around 150 pounds and that a female jaguar is gold with black spots and half Orson’s size. Jaguars come from Central and South America, and have huge feet and a head full of muscles that can bite through a skull.

The Zoo is a breeding ground for many species, and one is the California condor, which has the longest wing span of any bird. Thanks to the Zoo, there are now 400 California Condors in the world. The experts at the San Diego Zoo work with other zoos and animal research centers around the world, helping them with their animal challenges in nutrition, diseases, medical needs, and habitats.

Experiencing the San Diego Zoo on a behind-the-scenes tour gave us the total animal encounter, with surprises all along the way and an education too. Watching the elephant get a pedicure while eating long-leaf lettuce has to rank as one of my most wonderful unexpected sights to behold. If only I could have told that elephant how beautiful it looks with its new pedicure!

Red, White & Black Haute Couture in Rome

Red, black and white was in every one of the 33 elegant sophisticated creations. So when I saw them, chills came over my body. They were so beautiful and so refreshing to see in today’s society. All were custom designed by Michele Miglionico, an Haute Couture Italian designer in Rome.

Being in attendance at my first High Fashion Show at the 85^th Anniversary of Tauck World Discovery in Rome was a super high for this life-long seamstress. And I was on the front row in a prime seat location at the entrance to the runway so I could see them full view as they entered the room, as they walked the runway, and as they left the room.

The six beautiful models were very tall and very thin and in a very perfect pencil-like shape. Oh, to be thin again. And their hair styles were all the same, in 3-4 big knots or rolls on the top, sides and back of their heads. The hair style was fitting for the occasion and allowed emphasis on the fashions. The shoes were all very high heels.

The first model set the theme for the fashion show, black, white, and red for the colors and sophisticated tailored elegance for the style of garments made of silks, satins, brocades, linens and cottons.  And every kind of sewing technique, from tucks to gathers to pleats was used. The styles ranged from casual, formal to professional attire. And every model after that was a different variation of this theme.

Watching the models sashay while leaning backwards from the waist, swaying smoothly right then left down the runway with each foot landing right in front of the other one reminded me of the walk of a graceful elegant giraffe I had seen on a Tauck World Discovery tour in the Serengeti.

By now, my head was spinning with excitement and I could barely get air because the magnitude of the fabulous fashion show in Rome just overcame me. The elegant style of the clothes reminded me of the style of clothes I used to design and sew.

But, too soon, the show was over, and my dream had come to an end, and I didn’t want to leave. But then, Robin Tauck, of Tauck World Discovery, invited us to accompany her backstage to meet designer Michele Miglionico. I accepted immediately without hesitation and followed her to continue my fashion experience that hadn’t ended yet. Mr. Miglionico shook my hand and hugged me, offering a custom fitting for attending the show. And I could browse through the racks of clothes he had just shown us to find exactly the one I might want.

Then Robin Tauck offered to take our photo and she put a huge purse in my hand that was used in the style show to complete the “balance” of the photo. Of course, we were standing right in front of a rack of the gorgeous fashions in the show.

My private custom fashion show ended again and this time I had to leave. But as I left, I dreamed of days gone by when I also wore my beautiful custom-made and designed ensembles and was thin and pretty and could have been one of those on the runway.

Traveling With Ethiopian Lucy

The officer looked at me sitting by the door and said “Follow me.” And I did, not knowing where I or the other 18 members of our tour group was going.  We followed the officer right into the office of the President of Ethiopia in Addis Abba, Ethiopia, who was sitting at his desk.

During our visit of the Presidential Palace, we were totally surprised when we were invited to visit President Girma W. Giorgis. He greeted each one of us individually and a photographer snapped our photo. After the personal greeting, we then sat in chairs right in front of his desk and began our 25-minute chat with him.

President Giorgis started the visit by leaning forward on his desk toward all of us and said, “What’s up?”  We all roared at his comment. No one then spoke, so I told him we loved his country.” Then, he received a short call on his white phone, finished it and asked where we were from and the answer was, “USA” and one replied, “and one from Canada.” Our tour director then explained that we were an Abercrombie & Kent tour and that we would “advertise to all that Ethiopia is a unique country from other African countries.”

One of our tour ladies said she was in Ethiopia in 1967 and she was wondering about the roads and airlines. President Giorgis said there were highways everywhere now and airline services provided to all major cities. “Next we are concentrating on schools, he said “and currently we have 24 universities and we are planning for 31 as that is one way of preventing poverty, President Giorgis said.

A gentleman in our group asked the President what was his biggest challenge as President and he replied, “Meeting people like you.” Again, we all roared. Next, I asked if he had been to the USA.  “Yes to the USA,” he said but he didn’t remember how many times. And, I have been to Ft. Worth, Dallas, Austin and Houston-NASA Texas with Lucy.” He had to show his photo wearing a Texas Stetson hat, and his cowboy sculpture on his desk. President Giorgis was traveling with Lucy, the world’s oldest and first hominid (erect walking) skeleton that was found in 1974 about 60 miles from Addis Abba, Ethiopia.

Then his attendants and service ladies came in with Ethiopian coffee and cookies and each one of us was served following the President. As we enjoyed the fresh brewed Ethiopian coffee, we noticed the President had a replica of the Arc of the Covenant with 2 gold lions guarding it on the coffee table in front of us. It is Ethiopia that claims to have the Arc of the Covenant.

Finally, Mr. Giorgis was asked his age and how many grandchildren he had. He replied and that he is 89- years-old, has been married for 63 years and has 5 great-grandchildren. That information led one of our men to reply, “You have to be a very good diplomat to be married for 63 years.”

Omo Valley Hairdos

The first lady I saw with THE hairdo was so beautiful. Her skin was so soft and supple and her hair was red. But it was not her natural hair color because the red hair was caused by red ochre which is the haute couture of hair styles among the Omo Valley Ethiopia tribes of Hamer, Karo, Bome, and Gurage that I saw.

The red ochre comes from red rocks that are sanded to yield a fine powder. I saw ladies selling it in the Hamer Market in Turmi, Ethiopia. I touched the red powder and my fingers were instantly red, causing me to wonder if this is used in ladies cosmetics all over the world. Mixed with water, the red mineral dye is placed on the hair after it is styled.

Several styles exist among the ladies, from short and twisted into balls all over the top of the head, to hair braided from the crown of the head into very tiny braids that hang down and cover the head like a cap. Then, there is the variation where the tiny braids hang down from the crown and hang to the shoulder and over the forehead to eye level.

These hair styles are then coated with the wet mud-like red ochre and then allowed to dry. The ladies are so beautiful when the henna is wet. After it is applied, the dripping starts and it runs all over their neck, chest and face. But most of them leave it where it drips whether on the chest, neck or those many beautiful necklaces. The drippings, however, are wiped from the face, leaving an inch of henna on the skin at the hairline.

The ochre can be applied over and over, layer upon layer. And when it dries, it becomes a dull red and can flake off, depending on how many layers have been applied. In the end, the henna washes out when the ladies wash their hair in the river.

The men’s hair style is even more unusual. A 6 inch-mud-like compound is placed at crown of the head on top of the short hair like a little cap. To get color, red ochre is put on top of this. Then all is allowed to dry and when it does, it cracks and starts to fall off. Ostrich features are then added, with the eye-catching black balls on top of the head made of tiny black ostrich feathers.

But what I didn’t find out was how they scratch their heads with all these wet or dried coverings on it.

Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony

When I learned of a private home visit in Ethiopia, I never expected a coffee ceremony in the country where coffee originated. The coffee ceremony always involves friends and neighbors and is held daily in Ethiopian homes to celebrate the glorious cup of coffee.

The ceremony was held in a eight-foot oval, green grass area containing a foot-tall chest-of-drawers for coffee cups, cream, sugar, spoons, napkins and all things needed to serve coffee. On top of the grass were flowers, a black coffee pot and a wok-like skillet, all on a charcoal fire. Nearby, an incense burner emitted smoke full-blast, a vital part of the ceremony.

The smell of coffee filled the air as the hostess roasted a cup of coffee beans in seed-oil on the fire. She tossed and stirred the Ethiopian coffee beans 10 to 15 minutes until they were ready for grinding.

But before the grinding occurred, the hostess allowed each guest to smell the roasted beans to make sure they were ready for coffee. All approved, so the bean grinding began.

During this process, we had to sample Araji, home-made vodka-like liquor from barley, Oteh, home-made honey liquor with orange juice, and Kita, a popcorn snack. Then, the hostess placed the beans in a mortar and mashed them with a pestle over and over until they were ground. Next, she placed the grounds in the thin, tall neck of a black coffee pot full of boiling hot water and pushed the grounds into the pot. Now, the coffee was ready to serve.

Then the hostess told us of an Ethiopian tradition that her husband must be pleased with her brew. If he is not, she must brew another pot from scratch. As we left, the wives on our Abercrombie & Kent tour were making many comments on that tradition.

Ethiopian Grain Bull Session

Growing up on a dairy farm, I knew that if two or more bulls were together they were as dangerous as 2000-pound guard dogs, except with horns. Now as I rode a bus through rural Ethiopia, I noticed five Brahma bulls going around and around in a circle by the side of the road. They were walking on a 12-inch bed of sorghum stalks hand-cut from the nearby field. And these five bulls were not yoked! They were free, yet they walked together, side by side, shoulder to shoulder, their horns only inches apart.

Being an old farm girl, I wondered how this could be. “They are trained from birth,” our guide told us, “to walk around in circles over and over with other calves. The people live with the animals 24 hours a day, so the bulls become pets and do whatever they are trained to do.”

We watched the bulls go in circles while the farmer let us try pitching the straw back into the pile with the pitchfork he was using. All was easy until the bulls made the round toward me. As they got about three feet from me, I dropped the pitchfork and took off. At this stage in my life, I didn’t want an encounter with five bulls!

As we proceeded down the road, we noticed two farmers on the ground scooping up grain by hand and by them were five more bulls resting beside the grain stalks they had just smashed. The farmers were sifting the seeds from the stalks. The stalks would be for the bulls and the grains for the humans. Two bulls just lay on the ground and 3 just stood while they all watched as the farmers worked.

When work was finished, they all walked together to their home and yard where they have lived since birth.

Omo Valley Birthday

Forty-eight guests came to my birthday party by walking through the bush by the light of the moon. But they had to finish dressing for my party at the bush lodge by painting their bodies with white paint. For 30 minutes, each one applied their world famous body designs right in front of me using white rock powder and water. And what designs they made while chanting songs about love, war and life.

But that wasn’t all that these Karo people from the Omo Valley of Ethiopia had for my birthday. Soon the dancing started as the men lined up opposite each other and competed with the highest jump possible, all while chanting a rhythmic beat. First one and then another would jump between the two lines and continued jumping as high as he could until he made it to the other side.

Then it was the ladies time to perform their dances. What a treat to see the ladies do the monkey dance, the wild dog, and 5 other dances. In 3 separate lines, the ladies squatted, hopped and sounded like a monkey. Then they barked and chanted like wild dogs while scooting around in a circle. One after the other, the ladies continued their outstanding performance.

As I sat in the seat of honor next to the old chief of this Karo tribe, I noticed the young children were joining in the dancing behind their parents and  keeping up with the beat until it was their time to perform one day. And while all the dancing occurred, the older children tended the infants that couldn’t yet dance.

They even brought flowers and a birthday cake for me. The “flowers” were rose petals in a Coke bottle and the “cake” was sand and a candle in a jar.

An hour later, the Karo people disappeared into the bush just as fast as they first appeared walking by the light of the full moon. I asked my guide with Kibran Tours, what he paid them for this outstanding party and he replied, $100 US Dollars. But it was priceless to me.

The Lock Tree of Love

After leaving the Tretyakov Gallery of Russian Art in Moscow, we had to walk on Luzhov Bridge over a canal that connects to the Volga River to our Tauck World Discovery coach parked on the other side. We had just finished seeing the world class Russian art works in the Gallery, so we had no idea that we were going to see another creative Russian art exhibit. That surprise was waiting for us on that bridge.

On that pedestrian bridge were three 9×5-foot trees made of iron and full of locks. These were no ordinary locks because they were placed on these trees by newlyweds on their wedding day and perhaps lovers showing their forever faith in their relationship. The locks were all shapes, sizes and colors on the many triangular-shaped branches.  And each lock had an inscription on it of the couple’s names and a comment of their love for each other. The inscriptions were written in every kind of permanent medium from paint to fingernail polish to engraving. The couple on their wedding day would go to a tree and place their lock on the tree and lock it and throw the key in the canal.

Without the key, the lock could not be removed by either one of the couple. Therefore, they agreed, the marriage could only be ended if the key could be found in that canal.  And, if the key was found, the lock could then be unlocked and removed and the marriage could then be terminated. And if the key could not be found, the marriage shall be forever.

But, the three trees were loaded with so many locks that there was no room for any more.  Luckily, two more lock trees were on one side of the canal but they also were loaded with locks of all shapes sizes and colors. So to help alleviate the overload problem, the unknown “tree keepers” periodically added more trees and removed locks so that more can be added. Now the permanent romance promise can continue and married couples and those in a relationship can continue to show their forever love for each other.

Swirls, Light and Slot Canyon

In an old beat-up dented 15 year-old red Ford F150 pickup, Christina and I and 10 others crammed in the front and back of a Navajo style 4WD ride. The driver-guide was Vera “pure Navajo through and through from head to toe in every sense of the word” the Navajo said. She rocked and rolled and rattled and spun us for 2 miles all the way down hot and sandy Antelope Canyon to the entrance of the Upper Antelope Canyon or Slot Canyon, all a part of the Navajo Nation land near Page, Arizona and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, USA.

We had to have a Navajo guide with us at all times because Upper Antelope Canyon is an active flood area at any time when rain occurs even miles away from the canyon. And the Navajo have the experience and the communication system to know when flood waters will hit Antelope Canyon and especially Slot Canyon. When the raging force of flash flood water enters Slot Canyon, it can fill this canyon up to 60 feet high with such great force that people have died. Knowing the weather was agreeable, we entered Upper Antelope Slot Canyon, the most visited slot canyon in the Southwest because all conditions here are ideal.

And what an entrance it was. It was at least 20 degrees cooler inside and the walls were 60 feet tall and the slot at the top ranged from 3-12 feet wide.  They were carved, scared and twisted in such beautiful formations it was just shocking that this was a natural creation. The red-orange sandstone walls had been shaped for thousands of years by winds and powerful floods through the skinny canyon. And the twisted and swirled red-orange sandstone walls the length of a football field were the result.

Another highlight of the visit came from the sun. The prime time to visit Slot Canyon is 10 am to noon because of the angle of the sun into the canyon. All of a sudden, through one area of the canyon’s slot ceiling, the sun shone a foot-wide beam of white light down to the sandy floor. It was such a mystical magical event and created a feeling of heavenly euphoria. We didn’t want to leave.

But, too soon, the magical walk through the canyon ended and it was time to get back into the old dented F150 Ford Pickup and rock and roll back to the main Navajo tourist office and our Tauck World Discovery tour coach, thus ending a one-of-a-kind walk through Navajo candy-looking corkscrew canyon land.

Roly Poly Pandas

She was sitting on the ground and needed a hug and someone to play with, so I sat by her and we hugged and played and kissed each other. I rubbed my fingers through her cute, stiff straw-like course hair. And she rolled over and tumbled like a ball many times, and bit and scratched me.

But personally playing with a year-old panda in China at one of the 2 breeding and research centers was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and a dream come true for me, because I think the giant panda is the number one cutest and most precious animal in the world. And I was so fortunate to get to play with one when I toured with the San Diego Zoo to Wolong, China (now Bifengxia Panda Base since May 23, 2008 when Wolong was destroyed by an earthquake) to see pandas. We even played patty-cakes.

Besides playing with a panda, we were allowed to see Hua Mei, Bai Yun’s first American-born panda at the San Diego Zoo, who was then at Wolong and had just given birth to twins. The twins were 3 weeks old and observing one in the incubator was like looking at a stick of butter, except it was pink. Wrapped in a blanket under a heat lamp in an incubator, the panda nursery looked like a human baby nursery in any hospital. And the nursery was attended just like a human baby intensive care unit in our hospitals. We observed the baby sleeping in an incubator through a huge glass window just like we would in a hospital baby nursery. The room was spic and span, clean and white.

But seeing American born Hua Mei in a corner of her big room-den, sitting up so big black and white, grand and tall looking, and nursing her other twin was just the cutest most rewarding experience of the entire adventure. We had to be silent and non-intrusive so as not to disturb her nursing session, so we peeked through a 6-inch crack in the door. She nursed one at a time and while doing so, the other twin was in the incubator.

Seeing 40 more adult pandas at the breeding and research center couldn’t match that. However, it was a joy to see each adult panda in their own large private open yard and house. One vivid memory from the tour of pandas at Wolong (now Bifengxia) in their own environment was a panda in her house. Through the big glass windows in the house, I could see the panda sitting with her big round black and white head and 2 ears sticking up. It was just too cute.

But I didn’t get to play with just one panda. I got to play with 7 young pandas that were in their play yard on their climbing equipment. They were so busy climbing and tumbling and just doing their thing but they made time for us all. Each panda was ready to pose with us for our photo and even posed one-on-one for our Christmas card. Whatever we wanted, they were ready to perform.

We had to move on, though, because it was time for the 7 young pandas to eat. They were given a milk-looking cereal food specially formulated for them. Each one was given a pan full of it and down they came from the play equipment. One drank the potion and another picked up the pan and dumped the contents on the ground. Two had a little dispute over the food and another sat and ate. I had to remind myself that the precious panda bears’ behavior was like animals as they were animals. They ended their meal with white faces and cereal formula all over them.

But before this animal adventure was over, there was one more surprise. We were taken to see a Golden Monkey, which is rarer than a panda. I had never seen one. The orange and white monkey was about 3 feet tall and lives only in China. When I saw him, I learned that they did not exist in the Western Hemisphere yet, but efforts were being made to get them there. What a handsome, beautiful monkey he was. Little did we know that more precious pandas were to follow.

And the final surprise was a visit to the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding and Research Center in China. Besides seeing another 50 pandas in their wide open habitat, we learned about the special foods that are made for the pandas. Custom-made pellets were full of vitamins and nutrition pandas need to be healthy. And infant pandas needed special baby formulas to survive. Cow’s milk was not giving a baby panda nutrition so the special foods were formulated.

But getting to play, hug and kiss a baby panda for 15 minutes in China shall forever remain the pinnacle of my life.

Maasai Cows, Children & High Jumping in Tanzania

After leaving Tarangire National Park in Tanzania, we spotted a group of women and children on the side of the road, each carrying a container of water on top of their head. On the other side of the road were 3 young boys herding goats. Adam, our Maasai guide with Proud African Safaris, stopped to talk with them and to give each one a package of cookies and a bottle of water. They were out doing their daily duties for their village and had no food or water with them. After a short visit, we continued on to their village, MBuyni.

Twelve older ladies and 6 Warriors welcomed us into MBuyni Village near Arusha, Tanzania. But, before I could do anything, the ladies had draped a 4×4 ft. maroon square cloth, the clothes that the Maasai wear, around me and put one of their beautiful handmade bead collars around my neck. That is when I noticed the smell. The Maasai ladies smelled of an odor when they tied the blanket around my body. The odor was distinctive and one I had never smelled except on the Maasai. It was not perspiration or any normal body odor. The blanket tied at my shoulder just reeked of the smell and it was a rotten, rancid smell.

But I didn’t have time to solve the smell problem because the ladies were pulling me into the Adumu, the high jumping dance of the Maasai with the deep chanting rhythmic song. The men lined up and started that rolling chant, then, the high jumping followed where 1-2 junior warriors got into the center to show their jumping skills. Their bodies were rigid and their faces were deep in concentration as they jumped 2-3 feet in the air. The chant recalled legendary cattle raids, battles and deeds of brave men. The Junior Warrior who jumped the highest won the dance.

Adam must have said the magic words to the village junior elder or the ladies needed an extra hand because I was then asked to help them carry in the logs they had gathered that day from the surrounding area. On top of my head, a lady placed a cloth rolled in a circle topped with a 6 ft. log on top of the cloth. It didn’t hurt my head at all and I figured out that the cloth made my head flat so the log would not fall off. It was much easier than I expected and I soon learned that I could walk and balance the log at the same time. And so I walked about 1 block into one of the Maasai’s round plaster houses with a thatched roof.

Having succeeded at that, I now was on a high that I could do many things Maasai, but I stopped at their offer to milk a goat. It was time for them to show me how they milk a goat into a calabash (gourd) and then add blood from a young calf to make the protein-rich milk-blood drink that is consumed on 3 special occasions;  at child birth, when a person is sick and when a boy is circumcised.

First, they caught a calf in the kraal, a pen to hold livestock that is made of acacia tree thorn branches piled on top of each other to make a 3-4 ft. barrier and built by the men. A heifer was caught and a rope tied around its neck so the blood would pool up and the warrior then hit the bulge of blood using a bow and arrow and the blood squirted right into the calabash. Then, they caught a goat and milked it into the calabash gourd. Now they had the important Maasai ceremonial drink.

I still had more questions so I met with the village Junior Elder and several of his wives in his house. It was an interesting feeling being inside the round house with nothing but wives and log walls and ceiling. First I met the number one wife and she sat perfect in her chair and did not move the entire time. She had on a big white beaded collar and was a beautiful lady but she never smiled. And more wives followed. I understood that a Maasai could have as many wives as he could afford. Then we met 2 other ladies who were friendly, smiling and welcoming.  Formalities out of the way, the Junior Elder and I sat on stools and began our visit.

Circumcision was the first question and he answered candidly. Every 7 years is “the season” for circumcision, signifying the passage of male childhood so all males within a certain age are included in the ceremonies. Circumcision of females is not performed often these days.

At 5 a.m. they enter a creek or river to get their body cold, and exit to let the blowing wind cool and numb the body further so less pain is felt. At 6 a.m.it is time for the procedure. Now called a Moran, new recruits to the rank of warrior, herbs are placed on the incision and the pain begins. A man does not show pain in his eyes or on his face so a male who shows no pain brings honor to his parents.

Several days of feasting, drinking and celebration follows the circumcision where the blood-milk drink is consumed by the new Moran. The Morani are given only a 3×3 ft. black square fabric to wear, plus the ostrich feather headdress. Their faces must be whitened with chalk for up to 2 months while the Morani make it on their own to prove manhood and to pass into the first age-set of the Maasai. The young Morani begin to grow their hair and regularly apply red ochre that they get from the bark of an acacia tree. They cannot be around the village when healing. Following the 2-month period, the ceremony to bless the new warriors takes place.

When I was in Tanzania in 2004, I spotted 4 Morani walking on the side of the highway to Ngorongoro Crater wearing their black blankets, white faces and begging for a ride and money. I mentioned this to our Maasai elder game driver on the Tauck World Discovery Tanzania Safari who said if the boy’s parents knew what they were doing, there would be deep punishment. The boys must stay away from people and their village and make it on their own for up to 2 months in the wild to prove manhood and to prove no pain. Eating in their mother’s house and sisters watching them eat is forbidden.

When I visited a Maasai boma village in northern Tanzania on that same trip, we saw 6 Morani boys in their black blankets, white faces and Junior Elder in charge of them. It was not explained to us why they were in the village during their “proving manhood period”.  The Adumu high jump dance and singing that goes with it are performed regularly before and after the Moran age. In the past, killing a lion and cattle-raiding expeditions were a popular test of bravery. Nowadays, they have been outlawed so Morani spend much of their time in mock battles.

The senior warriors graduate to junior elders at the Eunoto ceremony, where the Morani arrive in full regalia every 15 years. Their heads are covered in red ochre, with the lion’s mane and ostrich feather headdress. Maasai gather from all over to participate in the ceremony, where the Moran’s mother shaves his head, cutting the ties of warrior hood.

Our visit ended and it was time for us to make it to Arusha, Tanzania. But before I could leave, I had to find out what the smell was on the Maasai women. Adam clued us in on the secret; the ladies rub cow milk butterfat all over their skin to protect them and to keep the skin soft .  After a while, the butter spoils and gives off the rancid odor from their beautiful sultry satiny skin.

Fancy Houses, Plain Clothes

The Transylvanian (Romania) road from Dracula’s Castle split into a triangle junction that contained a small park.  A quaint pair of horse-drawn two-story wagons rested there. Their horses grazed lazily on the emerald green grass under the shade trees while several people lounged in the upper story of their wagons. “Roma, or what we call Gypsies,” our Romanian guide explained, are “nomadic people who traditionally live in two-story wagons. The upper story is their home while the lower story is for business.” So, we were very surprised to see what the guide had just described to us that morning had suddenly appeared.

The Roma, as they prefer to be called, emigrated in the 1300’s from India. While many remain nomadic, more and more are living in homes provided by the tolerant Romanian government. We passed a government-built neighborhood that looked like a giant hand had stamped-out hundreds of small houses set close together and enclosed by fences to keep Gypsy life separate from the rest of the Romanians. These neighborhoods fit the traditional “satra” lifestyle of the Gypsies – “living close together without privacy.” But, traditional to the Roma way, each family individualizes them to stand out in the crowd.

The few wealthy Roma own huge “mansion homes” complete with metal or clay castle-like turreted roofs. These edifices serve not only as homes but also to flaunt the wealth of the owner. The Roma live in only one or two ornate, flamboyant, and colorfully furnished rooms, leaving the remainder of rooms empty. From the outside, no one knows that most of the house is empty.

An estimated two million Roma comprise 10% of the Romanian population, although the actual Roma population is unknown, as they don’t declare their children. Children are used from a young age as beggars and pickpockets. Parents use no birth control, and the saying about them is, “if a child needs a bath, make a new one instead.” As our Tauck World Discovery Danube Riverboat tour went on a daily land excursion, we passed numerous children bathing in a drainage ditch, so we were not surprised that families of 10 – 12 children are common and that some children eventually bathe.

Roma children attend Romanian schools, which includes a free breakfast to improve attendance.  Many still do not attend school, perpetuating their high rates of illiteracy and poverty.  Large portions of the children in Romanian orphanages come from Roma families who can’t afford to keep them.

Roma children marry at age 13 or 14.  Girls must be virgins for these arranged marriages. The girl meets with the boy’s family to see if they can marry and, if so, they live together. A Roma boy can marry any girl, but a Roma girl can only marry a Roma boy. The bride receives a gold necklace with a gold coin from the groom’s family in recognition of the marriage, and everyone celebrates with a party where the family’s homegrown wine and food is served and music, singing and dancing abound. On the other hand, to divorce, the husband says one word three times and the couple is divorced. Our Romanian guide didn’t know that word.

Since Gypsy traditional dress is unavailable in “off-the-rack” stores, the Roma make their clothes.  Women wear many-layered dark-colored long skirts with many pockets.  Men usually wear all black — shirt, pants, and large-brimmed hat. Sometimes there is red or colored trim on the shirt or there is no hat. When it comes time to wash the clothes, male and female clothes cannot be washed together because clothes worn below the waist are considered unclean, especially the female’s. And to wash bad luck away, rural Roma wash clothes in a flowing river.

Many of the Roma people have jobs as skilled bricklayers, copper workers, and gold sifters. Some of the top musicians in Romania are Roma, like Gheorghe Zamfir. But many also have odd jobs, including begging, cleaning restrooms, fortune telling, and street sweeping.  Most Roma live below the poverty line and struggle daily to survive. They compete among each other, and the wealthier Roma do not associate with the poorer Roma. Still, they believe in getting along and being honest with each other. Their high rate of unemployment, welfare, illiteracy, and crime are some of Romania’s big problems.

The Roma have two designated seats in the Romanian Parliament.  The Roma also have their own government, consisting of a king who lives in France and an emperor who has no power. Elections are held every two years among the Roma. King Cioaba sets the rules and regulations the Roma follow. While I was visiting Romania, the newspaper pictured the emperor’s release from prison and his Zorroesque departure on a shiny black horse. The Romanian government then fined him.

In World War II, the Roma and other Romanians were sent to concentration camps. Communism was rough on the Roma, as their needs were ignored and they were not recognized as a separate ethnic group.

The Roma adopt the religion of their resident country since they have no ethnic religion. They honor the Black Madonna and have a small alter with the Black Madonna at the entrance of their dwelling. The Black Madonna is an image of Mary that has darkened through the centuries and is associated with miracles.

One encounter with a Roma came after we had visited a museum in Bucharest. A dark-skinned Roma lady dressed in colorful headscarf, shawl, dark multi-layered skirt, and bright blue blouse, awaited us at the exit. She granted us permission to photograph her up close. We took several different poses and gave her a tip. This was such a pleasant surprise because it is known that Roma do not allow personal photos.

As we were leaving Transylvania, we saw a man milking one of 20 cows in a roadside pasture. He had just walked up to that free-standing, unsecured cow that was eating grass and started milking it. In all of my years associated with the dairy business, I had never seen anything like this. What I didn’t know was whether the man owned the cows or just needed some milk.

UPCLOSE and Personal in Galapagos

They wouldn’t move, so we had to step over them, anywhere and everywhere: sea lions sleeping on a flight of stairs; marine iguanas resting mid-walking-trail; and Boobies – blue footed and not – perched atop jumbled volcanic stones blocking crude footpaths, watching us as we walked. These creatures acted like this was their land, which it had been since its creation. This was their Galapagos Islands, part of South America’s Ecuador and 600 miles west of the mainland.

          I wasn’t interested in visiting the Galapagos Islands because I do not like creepy, crawly species of any kind. I decided to go because so many people had asked me if I had been there. That recurring question told me to go. In the end, I am glad I went.

What I was seeing and experiencing was OK, but it really blossomed on Espanola Island. Walking along the white sandy beach, we rounded a corner to find precious Frigate Birds and Blue Footed Boobies with their babies, all in nests. Well, I just lost it. These little angel babies were all fluffy as cotton under their mothers. They looked just like six-inch tall “Big Birds”. Only thing that was so unusual about it, though, was that the mother and baby were within my arm’s reach. In all of my life, I had never been that close to nesting birds without them flying away. These birds did not move — ever. When mother was gone, baby just waited quietly in the nest until mother returned. And to beat it all, those babies either had blue feet, red feet or grey feet!

As we continued walking the path, nesting birds were everywhere — in the trees and bushes within plain sight — just looking at us like we were looking at them. They did not move or otherwise alter their behavior due to our presence. Further down the trail, we came upon a pile of black and reddish iguanas that we had to step over. We stepped over wildlife for the entire cruise around the 9 Galapagos Islands we visited. Multitudes of creatures were everywhere. It was pointed out to us that the creatures were there first so they are used to their island, day in and day out. Also, humans have not heavily hunted them (except for the giant tortoise). So, other creatures walking around do not faze them.

The Giant Tortoises were on Santa Cruz Island at the Charles Darwin Research Station. Giant Tortoises weigh 600 pounds, are about four feet tall at the high point of their shell with legs about six-inches in diameter. “Lonesome George,” the last of his Pinta Island species, is still looking for a wife despite being over 100 years old. At one time, a $10,000 reward was offered to anyone who could find a female mate of the same species as Ole George. The shape of their shell –saddleback, dome-shaped, and intermediate – identifies each Giant Tortoise species, each evolving on a different Galapagos island. Giant Tortoises like Lonesome George are being raised at the Darwin Center for future generations to enjoy. We saw them in the egg, incubation, infant, teenager and adult stages.

But we couldn’t leave all the rare Galapagos species without seeing the Galapagos penguins, the only penguin that lives as far north as the equator. We were getting ready to leave when two Galapagos Penguins popped-up in the water, busily doing their thing. About 10-12 inches tall, the Galapagos Penguins are the third smallest penguin in the world. They came to Galapagos riding in the Humboldt Current that comes from Antarctica up the west coast of South America. This cold current makes the equator-bound Galapagos Islands cool in August, a welcomed surprise.

Our final experience was the Galapagos Post Office, and it was a one-of-a-kind. Here, you are the post person. You write a postcard to someone and then mail it in the whiskey barrell. Then another tour comes along and all the postcards are taken out of the whiskey barrell and locations read. If you live in a town that is named, you take the card home and “deliver” it to the listed address. And the best part – no postage was required and delivery was guaranteed rain,shine, sleet or snow. Now if we could just find George a wife.

Birds of Paradise in Papua New Guinea

The first sighting I had of the T-U-F-I village on Cape Nelson from our Orion Expedition ship was the 4 letters spelling it out in rocks on the bank of the Solomon Sea. There were just rocks on the green grass and trees and the Solomon Sea. Then we started to see outrigger canoes coming towards us. An almost-naked native, with strategically-placed leaves and vines, greeted us and helped us into his canoe. We glided on a narrow 300-feet deep fjord lake covered by mangrove trees for about a quarter of a mile until he took us to the landing point. We were among the first tourists to Tufi on a expeditionary cruise by Tauck World Discovery.

Two men covered in black paint with big red outlined eyes and spears in hand, ran up to us, screaming and shouting and motioning us to stop. This posturing continued for several minutes in an attempt to get us to leave their village because this is their ancient way of preventing enemies from harming their village and people. Finally, determined that we were safe, we were welcomed with a fresh-flower lei that had just been made for our visit to Tufi, Papua New Guinea.

Wearing the most regal, glorious, and colorful primitive tribal decorations, the village chief greeted us, along with 30-40 of his villagers, also displaying their outstanding tribal village bilas finery. The natives showed us around their village.  And, dressed in their spectacular attire and tapa cloth skirts, they showed us how they take a sago palm tree, hollow it out, wash, shred and shape it into food. The men did the chopping and hollowing and the women did the cooking of the sago palm flakes over an open fire and shaped it into an oblong loaf for use later as flour or bread. It is wrapped only in leaves for storage.

Then it was time for fresh pineapple, cut like a pinwheel, and displayed on a tray for us to enjoy. We all made sure we took a pineapple “flower” from the lovely lady with the sweet smiling face and adorned in the island’s ceremonial decorations.

Native crafts were spread out on the ground for us to souvenir shop in Tufi, Papua New Guinea, a country just opened to tourism.  Yes, even souvenir shops are in countries that have only recently seen a white man. The villagers offered to sell their handmade items of bowls, plates, tapa cloths and necklaces made of bones, wood, shells, and rocks and anything else they could find in the jungle. And yes, I have a Papua New Guinea shell necklace to go with my African print blouse and tapa cloth for a skirt, and an inlaid wood plate for entertaining.

As I shopped for the unusual souvenirs, I noticed one of the village women lying on the ground and another native lady working on her. She was putting tattoos on the lady’s face, the highest fashion and sign of beauty one can have in Tufi. The tattoo was a zigzag pattern, and I then noticed several other women with that tattoo pattern on their face and chest also.

Before we left, the villagers performed a tribal dance for us and marched right by us, giving a great opportunity to see and to photograph each one. Beautiful headdresses made of Bird of Paradise feathers were worn by most of the natives and all wore their handmade tapa cloth skirts. Papua New Guinea is, undoubtedly, one of the world’s last wild and undiscovered places.

And this rare experience will continue thanks to Tauck World Discovery, Robin Tauck, and Justin Friend with the ORION Cruise Ship. Tauck believes in giving back to the people and countries visited through sustainable tourism. Robin Tauck was among the first persons from the outside to visit Papua New Guinea and arrange for this expeditionary tour.

On this tour, she brought the natives much needed medical, school and clothing supplies and she formed a relationship with the places visited, with the local culture, and the natural environment. Robin works together with the people who live there and partners to enhance and protect for the future. She certainly has built a relationship with Tufi, and the natives of Watam, Kitava, Bilbil, and Panapompom, Papua New Guinea, for I had never seen anything like this expedition before or since.

A REAL Turkish Bath

It was on my third visit to Istanbul that I finally decided to have a Turkish bath because my girlfriend, Christina, wanted one. So we went to Cemberlitas Hamam, opened in 1584, in old Istanbul, before our Tauck World Discovery tour.

It was a modern, clean Haman inside and cost $40 for a 1-hour bath, massage, scrub mitt, olive oil soap, a small sheet and locker for belongings. So we got ready and went to the cold room and then the hot room, where I just stood inside the door gasping for air. I saw 15 beautiful naked bodies lying on the 15-foot round and 24-inch high marble platform and soaking up the hot steam.

Finally, I notice one body that looked like mine, plump and misshaped, so I wouldn’t be the only one. And, I saw the three scrubber ladies naked except for a tiny bikini bottom. As they scrubbed the ladies, their huge bellies shook “like a bowl full of jelly”.

So still standing by the door wrapped in my sheet, I thought I will never do this and let these people see my plump body. Besides, the scrubbers were scrubbing all the others and I thought I would just slip $20 so they would scrub me next. Instead, I exited to the cold room to sit and cool off.

Shortly, the scrubber came to get me for my scrubbing. She told me to lie down and yanked that sheet off of me and I just closed my eyes as I couldn’t bear to see this embarrassment. She doused me with a bucket of warm water and scrubbed with the scratchy mitt, removing all the dead skin cells. To my amazement, it felt wonderful. Then another bucket of water and more scrubbing was done on both sides.

Feathers felt like they were falling on me and I finally opened my eyes and she was squeezing a sack full of olive oil suds on me and then more scrubbing. It was now a massage, cleansing bath and hair washing all in one. The final bucket of water was tossed at me as I stood up but now, I didn’t want to leave, because I was enjoying the most awesome bath of a lifetime by submitting to public nudity.

Iceberg Graveyard in Antarctica

It started at 6:15 a.m. when all 89 of us boarded our zodiacs and rode around Pleneau Island, Antarctica. It was freezing but none of us were cold. Our Tauck World Discovery tour directors had given us all hand/feet warmers.

As we rode around the island, we saw ice floating in perfectly clear blue water and the cutest sea lions lounging on icebergs and safe from their predator, the killer whale.

Next thing we knew, our Zodiacs had made it to the corner in the channel where icebergs jam up and can’t continue flowing with the current. In and out of Iceberg Graveyard we went, seeing 10 to 20, one after the other, like sculptures carved in marble. I thought I was in heaven. They were white, baby blue, dark blue and gray with ridges, and smooth surfaces, holes and points.  And they were every shape, height and form you could imagine like Michelangelo had carved them.

During this floating tour, I looked up and saw our ship, the Clipper Adventurer, and asked our guide the distance to the ship and the reply was “2.8 miles.” It looked like it was just a few hundred feet in that wide open pristine place.

We had another first class experience for our afternoon excursion. Our Tauck World Discovery tour was the only one invited that year to tour one of the three USA Research Stations in Antarctica. Only a few expeditions are allowed each year to visit the smallest station, Palmer Center at Arthur Harbor on the southwest coast of Anvers Island and the only USA Research Station located north of the Antarctic Circle.

The station consisted of five buildings, plus helicopter pad and dock. Built in 1968, over 40 people work there in the summer, and 10 people work year-round. The station does biological studies of birds, seals and other components of the marine ecosystem. It has a large and extensively-equipped laboratory and sea water aquarium. Meteorology, upper atmosphere studies, physics, glaciology, geophysical, entomology, oceanography, and geology are being pursued at Palmer, as science is the purpose, not military. Over 150 studies are ongoing and all are done within two miles of the station.

Our captain was doubtful that we would really get to visit USA Palmer Station because Sunday is a day of rest for the researchers, and getting to the station could be a challenge. But the researchers surprised us all and re-invited us all again. So we went in our Zodiacs to Arthur Harbor.

Now, only one little problem remained getting there. The Harbor was packed full of “ice chips” (up to three feet in each dimension) that had broken off the large icebergs. Like Iceberg Graveyard, the chips had jammed into the Harbor. And we were in our rubber Zodiacs with an outboard motor.  We had a quarter mile to shore so it was a foot or two at a time. As soon as we would get going, the ice cubes would get between the Zodiac and the motor and jam the motor blades. So we would have to stop and the Zodiac operator would have to unclog the jam and go again, unclog, go, unclog, go, etc.

I feared the six zodiacs would not make it. The Zodiacs were being torn up and the motor blades were bending. We persisted, however, and we made it! But the obstacles did not end. When we arrived at the Harbor, huge boulders, mud and mush awaited us. It took everything I had to get out of that Zodiac, trudge through the slippery muck and climb those huge boulders up to the Research Station.  But persistence and determination paid off and I made it!

The USA researchers greeted us and surprised us again on this priceless adventure. Guess where they took us first?  We went straight to the Souvenir Shop! So now, I have all of the patches and shirts to prove I was there. Yes, a souvenir shop exists even at the bottom of the Earth!

Next, they gave us a tour of the Research Station and summarized some of their research.  And the final surprise from the researchers was homemade brownies and coffee for us in their private reception room. And was it good. What a priceless once-in-a-lifetime experience we were surprised with visiting the USA Palmer Research Station, Antarctica.

Our final return to the ship went well despite the “ice chips” as all the Zodiacs went together like a train. But one final challenge awaited us in Antarctica.  We couldn’t get on the Adventurer because a large iceberg blocked our Zodiac’s access to the ship’s staircase. So our Zodiac just pushed that huge iceberg right out of the way and we made it safely onto the Adventurer staircase as snow fell softly on our red Antarctica parkas, a fitting end to a dream expedition.

Making Beer in a Cardboard House

 ”They want you to see how they live and that they are making it despite all the odds,” the tour director said as he took us on a visit to see creative, successful small businesses in Cape Town, South Africa.

Two ladies from the Xhosa tribe in South Africa, faces whitened with calamine lotion, invited us into their home where they were making beer in old oil drums and selling the home brew by the gallon to anyone who would buy it. Turns out, 12 men sitting outside their house did drink the custom brew and they drank and drank and drank as they passed the bucket and each one took a huge sip until they passed out.

Then our tour group was invited to have a seat inside the 15×15 foot house for a visit. I sat on a wooden bench near the door and leaned back to relax on the wall. And when I did, I almost fell through the house. It was then that I realized the house walls were made of cardboard. And as I looked around, I saw the roof was plastic and the floor was dirt. As we visited, the 2 ladies offered all of us a gallon bucket full of beer to sip on and all agreed the home brew was good.

Several doors down, we visited a sheep-head barbecue business, where the split heads were cooked open butterfly-like on an old oil drum and customers loved them. The fire and home was made from scraps of wood obtained anywhere possible and the sheep heads were obtained free from the local meat plant. From these heads, the family was making it.

We met a man selling souvenirs from his street stand and a lady selling fruit inside her concrete block store, which was built to provide permanent shops for these businesses. But there were more “temporary” shops than permanent ones.

The final visit was with the medicine man and, as I entered his home, I couldn’t see a thing, including the medicine man. But when I took a flash photo, I got a picture of a wooly haired cave man-type person in a fur cap with all of his potions, animal parts and furs stuffing the room almost to capacity. It was a grand, heart-warming tour of people making it in the Langa Township slums of Cape Town, South Africa.

Elephants, Cheetahs, Leopard, Monkeys, Rhinos, Hyenas, Hippos, and a Bird

When we were in Kenya-Tanzania in February, our Tauck World Discovery tour director gave us an airmail note-letter. With this, we were to write ourselves a letter about our safari we had just completed. Then she would mail it to us 3 weeks after we returned home and we were back into our normal daily hustle and bustle.

So, following is the letter I wrote.

1.   I remember going back to the hotel, the Fairmont Mara Safari Club, from the Tauck World Discovery Farewell Cocktail Party in the bush, and the only thing on the road  was 5 elephants.

2.   I remember having to check the back tire of our safari vehicle (I had to go to the WC behind the van because  no restrooms were nearby) in Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, and therefore, causing our van to have to separate from the other 2 Tauck safari vehicles. This made us a little late, causing only our safari vehicle occupants to see a rare cheetah.

3.   I remember eating Breakfast on a Picnic Table in Tarangire National Park in Tanzania while a Vervet monkey was in our locked safari vehicle with the roof open, having Breakfast from my tote bag. He joyously ate my only package of Fritos and cookies.

4.   I remember Victoria Vance of Manhattan walking to her seat carrying her plate of food at our bush luncheon in Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania. All of a sudden, a black-shouldered Kite (bird) swooped down from the tree above and stole her juicy steak from her plate. She hollered “He hit me, He took it,” and she didn’t even drop her plate.

5.   I remember in Samburu, Kenya, a Vervet Monkey stealing the English Bread that Blase had on his plate as he was eating Breakfast. That monkey was watching Blase from afar and then suddenly jumped through the open window behind Blase, jumped on the table, and stole his bread and took off, all in an instant.

6.   I remember a beautiful, gorgeous adult leopard resting in a tree, only to learn she was sitting on food she had caught earlier. And then the leopard got up, carried the food in its mouth and left the tree.

7.   I remember 4 hyenas eating the stinky carcass of and elephant or buffalo, in the Maasai Mara in Kenya, and seeing 3 other hyenas who had eaten or were ready to eat, waiting nearby. Also nearby were 2 male lions who probably were involved in the kill, lying nearby, and one had an injured eye.

8.   I remember watching a Herron eat a snake that was yellow on one side. The Herron played with the snake and then ate it, inch by inch. I was watching my first kill in the wild on an African Safari.

9.   I remember Tom, with his huge telephoto lens camera, and several others on the safari, clicking dozens of  photos per second, when a Top 5 animal appeared every time.

Tom also wrote a letter about his safari memories and they are:

1.   I remember the weather being perfect with no rain and everything green, green, and green except Samburu, Kenya which was desert-like.

2.   I remember the elephant in Tarangire National Park in Tanzania coming up to our safari vehicle and smelling us with her trunk.

3.   I remember the 6-7 year old male elephant in Samburu, Kenya, charging, threatening, stomping, and bluffing us in our safari vehicle, trying to get us to leave. And all the while, our safari driver telling us he was just a teenager learning how to be a big bull elephant one day.

4.   I remember in Samburu, Kenya, telling Carolyn to turn around and she said “Why”? And I said “Look”. She turned around, saw the Baboons right by her and screamed and jumped with surprise.

5.   I remember in the Serengeti, seeing 2 hippos in a pond, playing, biting, and fighting each other with their mouths open, showing all those huge teeth.

6.   I remember in Sweetwater, Kenya, being told by the armed Park Rangers to come and pet the White Rhino, Max.  I did right away but Carolyn was scared and, finally, we both had our photo made with him.

7.   I remember spotting the male white rhino on the way to the Tauck World Discovery Farewell Cocktail Party BEFORE our safari driver spotted it.

8.   I remember Carolyn getting a Surprise 25th Tauck Tour cake in Samburu, Kenya, complete with sparkler and the hotel waiters with instruments to accompany her 26th tour send off and many more.

9.   I remember that an African Safari in the wild is the No. 1 most awesome experience in the world and that I promise to be on another African Safari every 2 years with Tauck World Discovery.

 

Climbing Big Mamma in Namibia

There are sand dunes and then there are sand dunes, but I had never seen a sand dune  like “Big Mamma” in Sossusvlei, Namibia, in Africa, home of the world’s tallest sand dunes. Located in the Sesriem-Sossusvlei National Park in the Namib Dessert, I knew how tall the sand dunes were when I started to climb the ridge and had trouble seeing the top. I made it to “Big Mamma” but I could barely walk with each foot sinking 6 inches into the sand.

So, I sat on the sandstone boulder at the base of “Big Momma” and watched the others huff and puff to the top.  Climbing the 1069-foot 45-degree angle sand dune caused group members to stop to rest several times during the 15-minute climb. At the top, wind-made red star dunes were seen everywhere. After 15 minutes of walking the crest, the guide, now barefooted after removing his shoes and socks, said it was time to go down.

“How”? Each one asked.”  “Slide down barefooted” was the answer and all replied, “No way”. But the guide persisted with his fast, easy and quick decent method.  So, all slid down standing up and barefooted on the other side of the dune in one minute flat. And they landed beside the dry, white vlei, the flat clay pan (lake) next to Big Mamma.

“It was like flying,” one said.  The early morning dark shadows, plus the sun shining on the red sand dune sea, were a priceless scene. Still on that Big Mamma “flying high”, all was able to walk to the champagne brunch awaiting them underneath an Acacia tree, compliments of the Regent Seven Seas Cruises tour. And 360 degrees around that breakfast were the greatest and tallest sand dunes in the world and dozens of hungry desert cape sparrows waiting for their morning snacks.