On our first full day in Kochi, India, we decided to take a tour of the Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary, which is, among other things, a sanctuary for migratory birds. And one of us has a passion for shooting birds -- with a camera, of course -- and combing through thousands of photos of them to … Continue reading Going Batty at Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary
Even with the voracious encroachment of clothed two-legged predators upon their territory, there are reportedly some 25,000 elephants still in the wild in India. And if you know where to look, quite a few of them can be found in Kerala, the state where we spent a month volunteering. But alas, their stomping grounds are … Continue reading Encountering Elephants at Konni Reserve in Kerala
photobombed by Alain who we met on the trail to Pico March 12 With our first week of volunteering concluded at UBHA school, we were free to spend a 3-day weekend hiking through the stupendous Chicaque Natural Park. On Saturday morning, we set out on a hike to visit one of its landmarks: Pico (the … Continue reading Exploring the Trails in Chicaque Natural Park
Although it's only half an hour from the buzzing metropolis of Bogota, Chicaque Natural Park is like a lost world, and parts of it seem far removed from any signs of civilization. It's 300 hectares (741 acres) of mountains, streams, thick vegetation, with a few but not too many tourist amenities like campgrounds, lodges, restaurants … Continue reading UBHA the One-Room Schoolhouse in a Colombian Cloud Forest
Puyo, Ecuador turned out to be a bit of a disappointment -- at least as far as the city itself. We didn't see why anyone would recommend going there except for nearby attractions. Like the Amazon -- Puyo is the closest jumping off place to tour the jungle; even the tours leaving from Baños go through … Continue reading Monkeying Around in Puyo
December 3, 2021 - Part II > If you're going to visit the Yucatan Peninsula, you simply have to see some Mayan ruins. And the best place to do that is the enormously famous Chichen Itza, right? So we thought. And so we'd planned. It is after all, one of the seven wonders of the … Continue reading Mayan Ruins and Chocolate (Part 1)
And then it happened. Something splashing in the water, seen out of the corner of her eye. Was it a fish jumping? No, there was no concentric circle that occurs after a fish splash. A diving bird? No, they were everywhere but none surfaced nearby.
We noticed the shore was littered with seaweed and the sea was literally turning green. So we began to wonder, is it edible?
world travel with a theatrical flair 