INDONESIA
We met in Jakarta and flew on to Borneo where we transferred to our boat. Traveling up river for two hours we reached Tanjung Putting National Park, the home to wild orangutans. The Kacek Fire Dancers performed for our group and two Balinese dancers posed in the Monkey Temple. Macaques were everywhere. We stayed in a magnificent villa Dedari Kriyamaha in Ubud, Bali. Each villa had a private swimming pool. On Komodo Island komodo dragons roamed like giant dinosaurs flickering their tongues for scent. Rangers walked beside them with forked sticks to stop any potential attack.
JAPAN
Japan is a country of diversity and contradiction—temples vs modern architecture, rickshaws vs shinkansen or bullet trains. Arriving in Osaka on Halloween, we experienced ghouls and bloody goblins. We stayed in jimyo-in monastery which served only vegetarian—a relief from all the weird meat and fish parts, and later a ryokan, a traditional Japanese residence. We hiked a pilgrimage route on Mt. Koya and visited several onsens—community baths. Kyoto has many remarkable sights, such as the Kyoto temple and gardens, the Red Gates, and the bamboo forest. We hired a maiko, an apprenticed geisha, to photograph.
KENYA
At the airport in Nairobi it was “Jambo” and welcome to magical Kenya, one of the premier wildlife destinations in the world. The safari was scheduled in the Masai Mara, the northern most extension of the Serengeti ecosystem. The Massai is a tribe who wears red and lives in earth huts built by the women. They are runners and jumpers. The vast plains and scattered acacia trees are home to lions, giraffes, elephants, hyenas, cheetahs, rhinos, hippos, leopards, antelope, buffalo, and warthogs. We witnessed the migration of the wildebeest and a fight between two male lions both wanting dominance.
REPTILES
The red-eyed treefrog is an arboreal native to rainforests from Mexico through Central America. They are excellent jumpers. They aren’t poisonous but rely on camouflage for protection. During the day they remain motionless, cover their blue sides with their back legs, tuck their bright feet under their bellies, and shut their red eyes. They appear completely green and hidden among the foliage. When it detects an approaching predator, it abruptly opens its eyes hoping to startle the predator getting a chance to flee. The American tree frog is small and easily frightened. They are usually green with large toe pads. They are native to the Southwest.
KEY WEST
The tropical island of Key West lies at the end of U. S. 1, the longest north-south road in the United States. Key West is about 95 miles north of Cuba.
Key West architecture reflects the cultural heritage and natural environment. The facades are marked with large open porches painted in pastel colors. Large-leafed greenery flocks the peripheries nestling the two-story wooden homes. Gingerbread designs skirt the edges of roofs and porches as a reminder of seafaring days when during long hours at sea carving was a way of passing the time.
MADAGASCAR
Madagascar, surrounded by the Indian Ocean, is the fourth largest island in the world. It drifted apart from India and, because of its isolation, over 80% of plant and animal species are endemic to the country being found nowhere else in the world. They include the lemur, the carnivorous fossa, three bird families, and six baobab species. The regions are varied and encompass a range from the desert composed of spiny thickets, the rainforest of which 90% has been deforested, and a marine region. The people speak Malagasy and French.
MEXICO
Mexicans believe that the thin wall between the living and the world of the spirits is at its most permeable on the night of November 1 as All Saints Day slips silently to All Souls Day. This is the one time a year when the dead can visit the relatives they left behind who4 strive to make them welcome on their return. Dedicated to the departed, shrines are set up featuring all the deceased’s favorites. When 11:00 PM approaches, the family appears at the gravesite with candles, Incense, and marigolds where they keep an all-night vigil.
Mexico Pueblos Magicos
Mexico is rich in culture and history. Many of the churches built during its colonial period are still functioning and in prime condition. The people are devout Catholics and keep their churches pristine. The markets are filled with tasty fresh fruit and vegetables. Restaurants serve the local cuisine, but it is creatively presented with a local flair. The Pueblo Magico is a community that has been designated as such because it has maintained much of its original architecture, traditions, history, and culture. Currently throughout Mexico, there are132 Magic Towns
MOROCCO
Morocco is a melting pot of cultures, especially the Berber and Arabic. The cities, Essaouira, Marrakesh, and Fez are a labyrinth of souqs where the sounds of tradespeople at work, smell the aroma of incense and witness the kaleidoscope rugs, scarves, and babouche shoes permeate the streets. The people are not always willing to be photographed, but most can be persuaded.
The Atlas Mountains are dotted with tiny villages beyond which is the Sahara where Berber men conduct camel rides to the desert camps. Also notable is the city of Chefchaouen where every house, doorway, and staircase is painted blue.
NEON BONEYARD VEGAS
The Neon Museum in Las Vegas is a museum of a different kind. It features signs from old casinos and other businesses that have graced the famous buildings of Las Vegas’ past. They are displayed outdoors almost like piles of rubble. As you wander through the now defunct signs one is reminded of the famous glitz of yesteryear. Colorful and random it is like a graveyard for neon displays. The guide relates stories of the history and people behind the discarded signs. It’s a veritable walk down nostalgia lane.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Using the Cranmore Mountain Lodge in North Conway as a base, we photographed the October landscape. New Hampshire delivers colorful fall foliage at the earlier end of September-to- October range. It’s difficul to predict exactly when. Views are breathtaking in the White Mountains along the many routes. The small, white New England churches make an impressive focal point. Reflections are a bonus. The season doesn’t last long and rain and wind can bring the party to an abrupt halt.
NEW ORLEANS
New Orleans is world-renowned for its distinct music, Creole cuisine, unusual dialect, and its annual celebrations and festivals, most notably the Mardi Gras. The historic center of the city is the French Quarter known for its French and Spanish Creole architecture and vibrant nightlife along Bourbon Street.
Louisiana Voodoo is widely practiced; Marie Laveau known as the Voodoo Queen is buried in the cemetery, another spot worth visiting. The Cajun-Zydeco Festival is a yearly event held in Armstrong Park.