I confess to a long-held affection for elephants with their floppy ears and unwieldly trunks. I’ve seen them in India still used as beasts of burden, in Vietnam as a tourist attraction around ruins and in zoos circling their small enclosures. But in protected parts of Botswana, these largest of land animals move at their… Read more »
It was his eyes that drew me in – focused on the distant horizon, unblinking, looking for what he was hearing. A mature Botswana male lion, the largest of the big cats in Africa, had stopped suddenly, fifteen yards away, intensely still, listening. Gazing outward, he moved his mane from side to side, passing… Read more »
I’ve stood at the base of the South American continent and watched boats pass through the Straits of Magellan. At the bottom of Australia’s continent lies Melbourne, a charming city I explored more for its offerings than its location. But to best experience the dropping off point of a continent, the Cape Point on the… Read more »
Three years ago, my husband and I visited my cousin who lives in Tunisia. We were enchanted by this Mediterranean country with beautiful beaches and well-preserved Roman ruins. Europeans had long discovered the country’s temperate climate and flocked there in droves. But today as I write, Tunisia is in the midst of a revolution and… Read more »
The shopping mall has been with us for over 50 years and the modern supermarket started with a Piggly Wiggly in 1916. But their predecessors began centuries ago. I was reminded of that on a recent trip to Tunisia and Sicily, fascinating destinations that lie just across the Mediterranean Sea from each other – each… Read more »
I watched Barack Obama’s acceptance speech at 7 a.m., November 5th, in a hotel room in Cairo, Egypt. There were not shouts of joy in the street at the time. It was too early for the newspapers headlines to reflect the victory. But later, the excitement of his election became apparent. Under the People to… Read more »
The Desert Road from Cairo to Alexandria is a swift journey from Egypt’s past to its future. In parting Cairo, we crawled through a few of its poorer neighborhoods where camels trotted down narrow alleyways and donkeys pulled trash-laden carts. The dust shrouded Giza pyramids appeared suddenly, facing some of Egypt’s most luxurious hotels. And… Read more »
Call to prayer Dogs barking Traffic horns commanding cars at intersections Click of shoes on cobblestone streets Coffee houses, hookahs, men’s idle talk Women murmuring with arms entwined Call to prayer Policemen’s whistles Cell phones ringing Ocean and desert winds The buzz of tour buses arriving Construction machines groaning, cranes clanking Call to prayer Mediterranean… Read more »
Mary with statue of John Lennon in Havana, Cuba park
Mary riding camel in Jordan desert
Mary Surrounded by Hmong women selling their wares in Sapa, Vietnam
Mary on glacier in southern New Zealand