The fascinating Masai culture and people were all around us in our time in East and Southern Africa, protecting our camps at night, selling gorgeous beaded jewelry, and entertaining us with dance. Here are some of the lovely ladies we met along the way.
Happy New Year!!! We spent our long weekend camping at the Oregon Coast. Crazy you ask? Well, perhaps, or, as our friend Ron says… we’re freaks! Our 4 nights proved to be exactly what we expected for the coast in late December; just a little bit of everything.
We have seen many of the wonders of the world, both natural and man-made, but my favorite moments and memory snapshots of our travels always comes down to the normal, day to day goings on. This woman in Egypt heading home from the market on her donkey is my perfect type of street scene.
Foto Friday comes to you from the Okavango Delta in Botswana, one of the best concentrations of wildlife on earth. I love zebra stripes and have countless pictures of them, in particular zebra butts. What can I say, the stripes are hypnotic!
**** Warning – this post contains some graphic photos and disturbing text. It’s an incredibly important history lesson but be warned, the story isn’t pretty ***
Cambodia, a country that touched my heart for many reasons. Much of our time in the country was spent feeling disturbed but the history and modern reality of this little country in SE Asia is an important lesson to all of us about how power can corrupt with terrifying results. In other posts I’ll cover the good of the country, the gorgeous beaches, friendly people and, of course, the awe-inspiring temples of Angkor Wat but this is about the horror that was the Pol Pot Regime and the destruction it brought to the country over three short years.
I love flowers and, much to Jim’s dismay, stop often along a hike to snap pictures. This beauty was seen at the botanical gardens in Sydney, Australia
Malawi is a country that touched us more than many we’ve been to. A gorgeous, land-locked country in South-central Africa, Malawi is one of the least developed countries in the world. With a low life expectancy, a high infant mortality rate and ranking amongst the five poorest countries in the world, life is hard. With an average annual income of only $900, the children of Malawi don’t have a lot of hopes for improving their lifestyle.
While waiting for our train to Alexandria, Egypt, I spotted this woman waiting with her goose. Bored with our wait we talked over several possibilities..was it her pet that traveled with her? Was she on the way to the market to sell the goose? While we will never know the story, the picture always strikes me as a perfect example of what makes travel in other countries so appealing to us…the differences in culture keep us constantly intrigued and inspired.
The weather forecast said it all; highs in the low 50’s, 100 % chance of rain, and 60mph wind. What better weekend for camping at the coast? Some may say we were crazy but I was itching for a weekend in Tequila. It had been nearly two months since we’d cuddled into our cozy cocoon and enjoyed nature and I was more than ready, the weather forecast be damned.
Ubud Bali is full of enchanting temples where the locals leave their daily sacrifices. We never tired of the peace and tranquility that surrounded them.
