Africa Archives - Traveling Archive

Brown Joke

Raoul Pascual — Fri, 28 Jan 2022 22:29:40 +0000

Raoul’s Two Cents: January 28, 2022

Coup Day

Warning: Some spiritual content

Thirty five years ago (January 27, 1987) there was a coup attempt in the Philippines. In the early morning, a rogue Colonel Oscar Canlas led his loyal hundred men to take control of a TV station and an Air Force base … a first phase in an elaborate strategy to derail the newly-seated President Cory Aquino. That same day, a man and a woman were getting ready for their 6pm wedding day.

The streets were cordoned off, the country was in full alert, business shut down, phone lines were jammed. The wedding planners, the flower shop, the caterer, the church, the choir, the bridesmaids and the bridegrooms, the godparents, the family and friends — all had the same burning question: “Is the wedding going to push through?”

“It’s too late for any changes. There is no backup plan. Let’s just pray that the crisis will end before 6 o’clock. If you can make it, I’ll see you at the church,” said the troubled groom.

Fortunately, by noon, the governing army had overpowered the rebels. One soldier was killed and 35 people were injured. The punishment? A proverbial slap on the wrist (more specifically: several push ups). No surprise for the leniency. These were military friends who had fought together against the Marcos dictatorship during the relatively peaceful “People Power revolution” about 4 months earlier. By noon the city began to buzz into its normal rhythm.

The groom arrived early to make sure the church was open. He greeted the early stragglers who had managed to go around the street barricades. God had given favor to this couple. Everything was back in place. The church was packed. The wedding proceeded as scheduled.

No amount of insurance can prepare us for the uncertainties of life. Security of a job, of a home, of a future … we all want that but I believe the little bumps in life (the spice of life) are part of God’s design. Just when we are about to retire, our savings are wiped out. Just when you open up your business, the pandemic collapses the economy. You may be of the top 1% but you are not immune to the financial curb ball thrown at you. I believe these surprises are necessary to pull those (who declare their independence from God) back to His fold. Which one are you? Compliant or defiant? Some are more stubborn than others but all will eventually realize their dependence on God.

“Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” — Philippians 2:10

Most of the Christians I know are in church because they have survived an emptiness or some other terrible ordeal. At the end of their ropes, they found God … just as I found God.

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night nor coup d’ etat could have prevented my wedding day … my special surprise from God. Yup! Thirty five years ago my most cherished possession marched into my arms. I’d be lying if I said it was 35 years of eternal bliss but with God’s kindness there is joy when I look at the family pictures that adorn the walls. I remember blessings I do not deserve.

Happy Anniversary my “langga” (my loved one). Click on the picture below for a song to commemorate our 35 years.

Click on image to listen to Raoul’s original rendition of “You bring the sun up.”

TGIF people! May God bless your family beyond your imagination.

Raoul

Joke of the Week

Thanks to Peter Paul of S Pasadena, CA for this silly riddle.

Original Art by Raoul Pascual

This is so silly, I smile whenever I think of this.

Videos of the week

Ever hear a chicken sing “AFRICA?” Thanks to Efren of Caloocan City, Philippines for this weird Asian comedian named Big Marvel. Apparently, he has a huge following. Silly but funny.

Big Marvel and his singing rubber chicken.

Thanks to Naomi of North Hollywood for this video of KLM’s best diplomat. They should have someone like him in every airport.

KLM is using a unique employee for their Lost and Found department.

Parting Shots

Thanks to Peter Paul of South Pasadena, CA

Thanks to Rodney of Manitoba, B.C.

The post Brown Joke appeared first on Traveling Archive.

5 Ways to Support Local Businesses

Ed Boitano — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 13:30:04 +0000

Spring Greetings from the Staff at Traveling Boy

Trust you are all well and dealing with this dread virus appropriately. Due to State of California mandate, T-Boy has been quarantined, but we’re all alive and well working in our home offices. We have designated this Spring to think of those who suffer from great sorry and misfortune. Here are some of our favorite charities.

5 Ways to Support Small Businesses from Home During the Pandemic

Courtesy Caroline Morse Teel, SmarterTravel

Small businesses are really hurting during this time of isolation. Here are five simple and safe ways you can help support them so that they’ll still be there for you when the pandemic is over. (And remember — the best way you can help small business is by staying home, so that we can end this isolation period faster.)

T-Boy’s BEST Virtual Vacations

You may not be traveling to far-away places in the immediate future, but we can bring them to you. Here’s a series of T-Boy’s virtual trips, and we hope you’ll be able to go there and to other distant destinations soon.

Virtual Sicily

It happens all the time with Overseas Adventure Travel. I start out expecting to write about the trip itself – in this case, Sicily’s Ancient Landscapes & Timeless Traditions – and I end up writing about all the things that are not on the itinerary.

Corona Virus Travel Updates – Live Blog

Courtesy Big 7 Travel Team

As the coronavirus situation is ongoing, we will be updating this live blog with current travel advice, quarantines, flight cancellations and travel industry news. Check back daily for new updates and send any coronavirus travel news tips to

sa***@bi***********.com

LIVE BLOG

Some Airlines Approve Face Masks for Flight Attendants

American and Southwest airlines will allow flight attendants to wear face masks during flights. Flight attendant unions are also requesting temperature checks of crew and passengers before flights, increased cleanings, and blocking off some seats to avoid congestion around restrooms.

Survey: 4 in 10 Say Business Travel Will Return in 3 Months

According to a poll by the Global Business Travel Association, 40% of respondents believe business travel will come back within three months, while 17% think it will take six months before normal plans resume. The survey reported that 89% of business trips scheduled for March have been canceled.

7 Common Myths About Traveling Africa Dispelled

Courtesy Nomadic Mike, Sand in My Suitcase

When I told my friends about my first solo trip to Africa, they thought I was crazy. “What about Ebola?” “You can’t travel to Africa alone! It’s too dangerous!” “You’re going to get eaten by a lion or something!”

This is a common reaction from those who have not been to the continent and are used to seeing it portrayed in a very negative light in the news and popular culture.

The macabre creations are likely the product of an overcrowded cemetery cleared out hundreds of years ago

By Katherine J. Wu, smithsonianmag.com

Archaeologists uncovered nine walls made of human bones beneath Saint Bavo’s Cathedral in Ghent, Belgium. (Photo credit: Ruben Willaert BVBA)

More than 100 billion people have died since the Homo sapiens lineage first appeared roughly 50,000 years ago. And with so many bodies to bury, civilizations have repeatedly run out of convenient places to put them.

But humans are a resourceful bunch. To make room for new graves, the residents of Ghent, Belgium, apparently dug up some old burial grounds and assembled the bones interred within into nine walls. As Alan Hope reports for the Brussels Times, archaeologists conducting excavations ahead of construction of a cathedral’s new visitor’s center have now unearthed the remnants of these ghastly architectural feats.

Airports Warn of Chaos with Looming Real ID License Deadline

WASHINGTON — The nation’s airports are warning of chaos for passengers if the White House doesn’t postpone the looming Real ID deadline.

Without a special Real ID driver’s license or card, airline passengers will be required to present a passport, military ID or Global Entry card to pass through security, even for domestic flights, starting in October.

Gender, Age Reveal Travel Safety Concern Differences

By Bill McIntyre, Global Rescue

Gender and age drive the biggest distinction among travelers, according to results of the 2020 Annual Global Rescue Travel Safety Survey. The survey reveals unexpected travel safety concerns between the sexes and among the generations.

7 Hidden Benefits of Cruising That Might Surprise You

Courtesy Albom Adventures

Are you wondering if a cruise holiday is right for you? While there are all the obvious benefits that come from a nearly all-inclusive vacation with a pre-planned destination itinerary, there are also many hidden benefits of cruising that might surprise you.

How to Take Your Own Passport Photo

Courtesy, Caroline Morse Teel, SmarterTravel

After paying $15 to have an awkward photoshoot in the aisle of a CVS, only to have my passport photos rejected twice (once for being too dark and once for being too bright), I decided there had to be a better way to take your own passport photo. Turns out, snapping your own passport photo is easier, cheaper, and much more convenient than going to a “professional” (a.k.a., the cashier at your local drugstore). Here’s a few tips:

Together in Spirit – The Best Friends Animal Society

At the core of Best Friends Animal Society’s work is the dream that one day animals will no longer be killed in America’s shelters.

Coronavirus & the Generational Divide

The pandemic is revealing an unexpected, dangerous attitude among older Americans and their behavior during the outbreak. “Coronavirus & the Generational Divide” by Anna Christensen is now available.

Ms. Christensen is a wilderness first aid expert and author, explains that the demographic at the greatest statistical risk for death by the virus are precisely the people who are the least concerned, most apt to break voluntary quarantine, and unlikely to use telemedecine. See Ms.Christensen’s bio and books.

Contact Bill McIntyre for a copy of “Coronavirus & the Generational Divide” a 500-word column. There is no fee to publish the column.

US Passenger Flights Reportedly Might Shut Down

US airlines are working on plans for a voluntary shutdown of nearly all domestic passenger flights, sources say. The government reportedly is considering mandating a shutdown because the coronavirus pandemic makes operating the air traffic control system difficult.

8 Things to Disinfect Every Time You Fly

Courtesy Sherri Gardner

It’s an open secret that airplanes, and airports, are some of the germiest places you visit. From the bins you put your carry-ons in to the seatback pocket, flying exposes you to more germs and pathogens than you might expect.

Website TravelMath conducted a study in 2011 that found most high touch surfaces in airports and on airplanes are dirtier than your home. While Canadian Broadcasting Company show “Marketplace” did a 2018 examination of the dirtiest surfaces on an airplane after taking samples from 18 planes from three major Canadian airlines.

The results from each study vary but they picked up enough bacteria (including E. coli) to convince you to wipe down these germy surfaces.

Just Two Fifths of Americans Use Their Time Off Work to Go on Vacation

Courtesy Calum McCloskey, 10 Yetis

51% of Americans did not use up their allotted vacation last year, and even less intend to this year

Having too much work to complete was the main reason for not using all vacation time
Just two fifths of Americans used their time off work to go on vacation
16% of Americans take time off work to do work

The study was undertaken by the team behind flight-comparison site www.us.jetcost.com, who surveyed more than 4,000 Americans over the age of 18 on how they use their vacation time. All respondents were in full-time employment at the time of the survey.

Safari Pioneer Geoffrey Kent Talks About Old and New Adventures in Africa

Courtesy Christine Ajudua

Geoffrey Kent. Photo courtesy of Abercrombie & Kent

Twenty-five years ago, The Lion King introduced the African savanna to many a Westerner; it also inspired real-world travel to the continent. Ditto on this past summer’s reboot: The Kenya Tourism Board has since reported a rise in safari bookings to locations that inspired the film, from the Aberdare National Park waterfalls (see romantic backdrop for Nala and Simba’s reunion) to Hell’s Gate National Park (its formations served as a model for Pride Rock). In fact, the original idea for the film was developed in the bush, specifically on a trip that DreamWorks cofounder Jeffrey Katzenberg — then chairman of Walt Disney Studios — took with Geoffrey Kent.

Project Recover, a nonprofit dedicated to locating MIA service members, identified the planes’ location

By Theresa Machemer, smithsonianmag.com

A coral-covered propeller of a U.S. SBD-5 Dauntless dive bomber stands on the sea floor in Truk Lagoon. (Photo courtesy of Project Recover/Bob Hess, Scripps)

Researchers from Project Recover, a joint endeavor of the University of Delaware and the University of California, San Diego, that aims to “find and repatriate Americans missing in action since World War II,” recently located the wreckage of three U.S. military aircraft lost during a February 1944 battle in the conflict’s Pacific theater.

The team discovered the two SBD-5 Dauntless dive bombers and one TBM/F-1 Avenger while searching Truk Lagoon in the Chuuk State of Micronesia, per a statement. Seventy-six years ago, the body of water was the site of Operation Hailstone, a two-day Allied air assault on a Japanese naval base. More than 50 Japanese ships and 230 total aircraft, 30 of which were American, were lost in the depths of the lagoon during the skirmish.

How to Avoid the Worst Seat on the Plane

Courtesy Sarah Schlichter, SmarterTravel

We’ve all been there. Make sure it never happens again with these simple tips.

I Accidentally Uncovered a Nationwide Scam on Airbnb

Courtesy Allie Conti

While searching for the person who grifted me in Chicago, I discovered just how easy it is for users of the short-term rental platform to get exploited.

11 Endangered Bucket List Destinations (And How to Visit Them Responsibly)

Courtesy of Mariana Zapata, SmarterTravel

Climate change and overtourism make daily headlines now and are stark reminders that some of the most beautiful places in the world are at risk of disappearing. For many travelers, the natural response to this is “last chance tourism,” or a rush to see endangered places while they’re still here. But before writing obituaries for these endangered destinations, consider instead taking actionable steps before and during your trip to keep them from disappearing. Here are 11 at-risk destinations and what you can do to help preserve them.

Being on the ground in over 180 countries means you get the full story.

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Coronavirus: Live Updates, Cruise Ships, Air Travel

Ed Boitano — Fri, 13 Mar 2020 10:00:35 +0000

March Greetings from the Staff at Traveling Boy

We have designated this March to think of those who suffer from great sorry and misfortune. Here are some of our favorite charities.

C.D.C. and State Department Say to Avoid Cruises: What Travelers Need to Know

Courtesy Tariro Mzezewa and Julie Weed

Despite the government warnings, cruise lines are continuing with sailings. How can passengers navigate the confusion?

Passengers were held on the Carnival Panorama in Long Beach, Ca., over a coronavirus scare that proved unfounded. Photo courtesy of Stephen Carr/lbpost.com

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the State Department are urging Americans to avoid cruise ships as the coronavirus continues to spread, but most sailings are continuing as scheduled, leaving travelers unsure of whether to follow the government’s guidance or continue with their plans.

“Recent reports of Covid-19 on cruise ships highlight the risk of infection to cruise ship passengers and crew,” the C.D.C. said in its latest travel advisory. “Like many other viruses, Covid-19 appears to spread more easily between people in close quarters aboard ships.”

Corona Virus Travel Updates – Live Blog

Courtesy Big 7 Travel Team

LIVE BLOG

7 Common Myths About Traveling Africa Dispelled

Courtesy Nomadic Mike, Sand in My Suitcase

This is a common reaction from those who have not been to the continent and are used to seeing it portrayed in a very negative light in the news and popular culture.

The macabre creations are likely the product of an overcrowded cemetery cleared out hundreds of years ago

By Katherine J. Wu, smithsonianmag.com

Archaeologists uncovered nine walls made of human bones beneath Saint Bavo’s Cathedral in Ghent, Belgium. (Photo credit: Ruben Willaert BVBA)

Airports Warn of Chaos with Looming Real ID License Deadline

WASHINGTON — The nation’s airports are warning of chaos for passengers if the White House doesn’t postpone the looming Real ID deadline.

Gender, Age Reveal Travel Safety Concern Differences

By Bill McIntyre, Global Rescue

Men are about 50% more concerned about family travel than women. Travelers are very concerned about travel to the Middle East, but respondents between the ages of 40-59 are a third more concerned than their younger counterparts. Forty percent of travelers under age 40 believe health/medical issues are the greatest threat while touring and exploring, compared to only 29% of travelers between 40-60 years old.

7 Hidden Benefits of Cruising That Might Surprise You

Courtesy Albom Adventures

How to Take Your Own Passport Photo

Courtesy, Caroline Morse Teel, SmarterTravel

Together in Spirit – The Best Friends Animal Society

At the core of Best Friends Animal Society’s work is the dream that one day animals will no longer be killed in America’s shelters.

8 Things to Disinfect Every Time You Fly

Courtesy Sherri Gardner

The results from each study vary but they picked up enough bacteria (including E. coli) to convince you to wipe down these germy surfaces.

Just Two Fifths of Americans Use Their Time Off Work to Go on Vacation

Courtesy Calum McCloskey, 10 Yetis

51% of Americans did not use up their allotted vacation last year, and even less intend to this year

Having too much work to complete was the main reason for not using all vacation time
Just two fifths of Americans used their time off work to go on vacation
16% of Americans take time off work to do work

Safari Pioneer Geoffrey Kent Talks About Old and New Adventures in Africa

Courtesy Christine Ajudua

Geoffrey Kent. Photo courtesy of Abercrombie & Kent

Project Recover, a nonprofit dedicated to locating MIA service members, identified the planes’ location

By Theresa Machemer, smithsonianmag.com

A coral-covered propeller of a U.S. SBD-5 Dauntless dive bomber stands on the sea floor in Truk Lagoon. (Photo courtesy of Project Recover/Bob Hess, Scripps)

How to Avoid the Worst Seat on the Plane

Courtesy Sarah Schlichter, SmarterTravel

We’ve all been there. Make sure it never happens again with these simple tips.

I Accidentally Uncovered a Nationwide Scam on Airbnb

Courtesy Allie Conti

While searching for the person who grifted me in Chicago, I discovered just how easy it is for users of the short-term rental platform to get exploited.

11 Endangered Bucket List Destinations (And How to Visit Them Responsibly)

Courtesy of Mariana Zapata, SmarterTravel

Being on the ground in over 180 countries means you get the full story.

The post Coronavirus: Live Updates, Cruise Ships, Air Travel appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Coronavirus Slams US Travel, Stressed Americans

Ed Boitano — Wed, 26 Feb 2020 05:32:06 +0000

Happy Late Winter from the Staff at Traveling Boy

We have designated the late Winter season to think of those who suffer from great sorry and misfortune. Here are some of our favorite charities.

The Coronavirus is Slamming the US Travel Industry

Courtesy David Slotnick, Business Insider

Tourists wear face masks in New York City. The states of California and New York are expected to be hit hardest in the loss of Chinese visitors amid the coronavirus, according to a Tourism Economics report.

The coronavirus is expected to cost the US travel industry more than $10 billion over the next four years, with more than half of that loss coming in 2020.
Although US airlines are working to minimize the impact, hotels, museums, retail and dining sectors, and other businesses that rely on tourist dollars are expected to face major economic fallout from the outbreak.

If the coronavirus continues to spread, particularly in other countries, the impact could be significantly worse.

Corona Virus Travel Updates – Live Blog

Courtesy Big 7 Travel Team

LIVE BLOG

7 Common Myths About Traveling Africa Dispelled

Courtesy Nomadic Mike, Sand in My Suitcase

This is a common reaction from those who have not been to the continent and are used to seeing it portrayed in a very negative light in the news and popular culture.

The macabre creations are likely the product of an overcrowded cemetery cleared out hundreds of years ago

By Katherine J. Wu, smithsonianmag.com

Archaeologists uncovered nine walls made of human bones beneath Saint Bavo’s Cathedral in Ghent, Belgium. (Photo credit: Ruben Willaert BVBA)

Airports Warn of Chaos with Looming Real ID License Deadline

WASHINGTON — The nation’s airports are warning of chaos for passengers if the White House doesn’t postpone the looming Real ID deadline.

Gender, Age Reveal Travel Safety Concern Differences

By Bill McIntyre, Global Rescue

7 Hidden Benefits of Cruising That Might Surprise You

Courtesy Albom Adventures

How to Take Your Own Passport Photo

Courtesy, Caroline Morse Teel, SmarterTravel

Together in Spirit – The Best Friends Animal Society

At the core of Best Friends Animal Society’s work is the dream that one day animals will no longer be killed in America’s shelters.

How the Coronavirus Is Impacting Global Tourism

In a matter of weeks, the coronavirus has taken the world by storm. There’s now total number of confirmed cases at 60,000 in China alone and death toll has now risen to 1357. Starting in China – the world’s most populated country – the virus comes at a time when over a billion Chinese citizens ring in the Lunar New Year.

Photo courtesy of Express.co.uk

As travel plans are put on hold and flights get cancelled, the virus is going to sweep the tourism industry in 2020. Here’s what you need to know about the affect of coronavirus on global tourism, from travel bans to mandatory quarantines.

Just Two Fifths of Americans Use Their Time Off Work to Go on Vacation

Courtesy Calum McCloskey, 10 Yetis

51% of Americans did not use up their allotted vacation last year, and even less intend to this year

Having too much work to complete was the main reason for not using all vacation time
Just two fifths of Americans used their time off work to go on vacation
16% of Americans take time off work to do work

Safari Pioneer Geoffrey Kent Talks About Old and New Adventures in Africa

Courtesy Christine Ajudua

Geoffrey Kent. Photo courtesy of Abercrombie & Kent

Project Recover, a nonprofit dedicated to locating MIA service members, identified the planes’ location

By Theresa Machemer, smithsonianmag.com

A coral-covered propeller of a U.S. SBD-5 Dauntless dive bomber stands on the sea floor in Truk Lagoon. (Photo courtesy of Project Recover/Bob Hess, Scripps)

How to Avoid the Worst Seat on the Plane

Courtesy Sarah Schlichter, SmarterTravel

We’ve all been there. Make sure it never happens again with these simple tips.

I Accidentally Uncovered a Nationwide Scam on Airbnb

Courtesy Allie Conti

While searching for the person who grifted me in Chicago, I discovered just how easy it is for users of the short-term rental platform to get exploited.

11 Endangered Bucket List Destinations (And How to Visit Them Responsibly)

Courtesy of Mariana Zapata, SmarterTravel

Being on the ground in over 180 countries means you get the full story.

The post Coronavirus Slams US Travel, Stressed Americans appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Global Travel Rescue, Ruined Travel Destinations

Ed Boitano — Mon, 10 Feb 2020 23:14:21 +0000

Happy February from the Staff at Traveling Boy

We have designated the month of February to think of those who suffer from great sorry and misfortune. Here are some of our favorite charities.

Gender, Age Reveal Travel Safety Concern Differences

By Bill McIntyre, Global Rescue

More Than One Third Of Americans’ February Resolutions Involve More Traveling

Courtesy Calum McCloskey, www.10yetis.co.uk

Image by Viator

Almost two fifths of Americans have set themselves New Year’s resolutions for 2020
Slightly over one third of these cite wanting to travel more as one of their resolutions
26% of Americans not wanting to travel in 2020 say so because they are fearful
Japan, Britain and Canada most popular destinations for those wanting to travel this year

Tips from Rick Steves: Defend Yourself Against 21st-Century Travel Scams:

Courtesy USA Today

Europe is a surprisingly creative place when it comes to travel scams. Many of the most successful gambits require a naively trusting tourist, but seasoned travelers can be taken in, too. We should all be wary of the numerous subtle scams – a cabbie pads your fare, a hotel business-center computer records your password, or a waiter offers a special with a “special” increased price. But if you’re cautious and not overly trusting, you should have no problem. Here are some of the latest travel scams I’ve discovered on my travels, and how to skirt them.

7 Secret Amtrak Tips That Could Save You Money

by Ed Perkins

If you’re considering a trip on Amtrak, you could be eligible for a discount you don’t know about. Amtrak routinely gives up to 30 percent off bookings for an array of reasons, some based on status, some on when you buy, and some on short-term promotions. Here are the Amtrak tips you need to know to save money on a rail journey.

How to Avoid the Worst Seat on the Plane

Courtesy Sarah Schlichter, SmarterTravel

We’ve all been there. Make sure it never happens again with these simple tips.

From Cape Town to Kigali, Nairobi to Arusha, transformative opportunities for travelers to discover culture and connect with locals.

There is more to an African journey than watching wildlife in the wilderness – and much more to Africa as well. Timeless Africa Safaris, the boutique Cape Town, South Africa-based travel designer has made a specialty of curating Urban Safaris for travelers intrigued by the culture of the continent, with transformative opportunities.

I Accidentally Uncovered a Nationwide Scam on Airbnb

Courtesy Allie Conti

While searching for the person who grifted me in Chicago, I discovered just how easy it is for users of the short-term rental platform to get exploited.

The Swiss UNESCO World Heritage sites.

UNESCO World Heritage sites are witness to the history of the earth and humanity. Each one of these places embodies authenticity, quality and diversity across generations.

Thanks to Mother Nature and some eminent masterminds, Switzerland is home to no less than 12 wonders, a constellation of cultural and natural sites with the Biosfera Engiadina Val Müstair, the architectural works by Le Corbusier and the Jungfrau-Aletsch Region among others.

On the anniversary of the convention adopted on 16 November 1972 in Paris at the 17th General Conference of UNESCO we pay tribute in this newsletter to our Swiss wonders.

We begin with a selection of our four favorite sites with the promise of more to come in the next few months…however, if you can’t wait, feel free to visit the exhaustive list available on our website: UNESCO World Heritage sites.

7 Hidden Benefits of Cruising That Might Surprise You

Courtesy Albom Adventures

11 Endangered Bucket List Destinations (And How to Visit Them Responsibly)

Courtesy of Mariana Zapata, SmarterTravel

How to Take Your Own Passport Photo

Courtesy, Caroline Morse Teel, SmarterTravel

Being on the ground in over 180 countries means you get the full story.

The 12 Best Places to Travel in 2020

Courtesy Avital Andrews, SmarterTravel

From Egypt to the Arctic, get inspired with this month-by-month guide.

17 Ways Flying has Changed Over the Last Decade

Courtesy Sophie-Claire Hoeller, Insider

Between the stringent security, long lines, packed-to-capacity planes, bland meals, and extra fees, flying can be stressful. However, flying today is cheaper, safer, and faster than it has ever been.

Bored of eggnog? Sick of cider? Here are nine scrumptious winter beverages to sip on from across the globe

Courtesy Lila Thulin, smithsonianmag.com

Cola de mono, or colemono is a coffee-and-cinnamon-laced spiked refreshment Chileans drink for the winter season.

In the United States, the winter months might conjure the image of a crackling fire, wrapping paper, lit candles and the taste of warm cider, eggnog or piping-hot chocolate. These libations — iced, boozy or once-a-year delicacies — reflect the culinary traditions, weather, religion and agriculture of the places they originated. Here are nine beverages that will be served at special occasions around the globe this winter.

22 Destinations that Were Ruined by Tourists Over the Past Decade

Courtesy of Ben Mack, Insider

Photo courtesy of Murray Foubister, via Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 2.0

The 2010s saw more people traveling than ever before, according to The Guardian’s report on recent figures from the World Tourism Organization.
But millions upon millions of people going on adventures has put pressure on numerous destinations.
Some, like Venice, have long been affected by overtourism, but others like Dubrovnik, Croatia, are facing new challenges caused by the popularity of TV shows like “Game of Thrones.”
Here are 22 of the places we’re loving to death.

See Slideshow Here

Why You Should Visit Hamburg in 2020

From Beatles’ Hamburg anniversary, to a new 5-star hotel, to off-beat festivals and culinary stars …. 2020 is the year to visit Germany’s maritime city.

Since the opening of the Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg’s new concert hall, the city has become more popular than ever. If you have not visited this northern German city, 2020 will give you even more reasons to explore this maritime city on the Elbe river, as the coming year has plenty of new discoveries in store.

Come Together – The Hamburg Beatles Experience
March 27-29

It was in 1960, when five young musicians from Liverpool first performed at Hamburg’s Indra club in St Pauli as “The Beatles”. Sixty years later, Hamburg is celebrating the world’s most recognizable band, at the sites where their career started. A weekend of concerts at Indra and Kaiserkeller – both authentic venues where the band performed – as well as other locations, will bring back music history. An interactive Beatles’ tour, exhibitions and talks with Beatles’ experts will broaden the experience. Cometogether-experience.

Ancient Jerusalem Maze-of-Tunnels Discovered

Courtesy of National Geographic

A fifth-century church has been uncovered in Jerusalem. Built to commemorate the site where Jesus is said to have cured a blind man, the sanctuary fell out of use, its roof eventually collapsed, and the ancient building over time joined the city’s vast underground realm.Unearthing the 2,000-year-old, 2,000-foot-long street that once conveyed pilgrims, merchants, and other visitors to one of the wonders of ancient Palestine: the Jewish Temple, was one the world’s most expensive archaeological projects. Choked with debris during the fiery destruction of the city by Roman forces in A.D. 70, this monumental path disappeared from view.

How to Survive Sitting on a Long Flight, According to a Physical Therapist

Courtesy Josh Ocampo, Lifehacker

I can never sit comfortably on a flight; I’ve struggled with lower back pain for years. After emerging from a long flight spent in a middle seat, I have been known to collapse on the floor of the airport like an infant that’s learning to walk.

Ancient ‘Lost City’ of the Khmer Empire Discovered in Cambodia

Courtesy Jessie Yeung, CNN

Researchers have identified the elusive ancient “lost city” of Cambodia for the first time.

Photo by Nina Hofer/Courtesy of Antiquity Publications Ltd

Mahendraparvata was one of the first capitals in the Khmer Empire, which lasted from the 9th to 15th centuries AD, but much of what we know come from inscriptions recovered from other sites. Scientists theorized that the city was located on the Phnom Kulen plateau, about 48 kilometers (about 30 miles) north of Siem Reap, but it was difficult to find evidence.

Together in Spirit – The Best Friends Animal Society

At the core of Best Friends Animal Society’s work is the dream that one day animals will no longer be killed in America’s shelters.

Americans Reveal What Makes a ‘Good Tourist’

Going abroad provides the perfect opportunity to relax and get away from the responsibilities/stresses of everyday life. Set in vacation mode, many people sometimes forget that they are a guest in another country and therefore, fail to ensure their behavior as well as actions are always respectful towards the visiting destinations local culture/customs.

12 New UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Courtesy SmarterTravel

The Plain of Jars, located in Central Laos, gets its name from the 2,100 tubular-shaped megalithic stone jars that were used as tombstones during the Iron Age. Photo courtesy of Jakub Hałun via Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 4.0.

This year UNESCO has added 29 new cultural sites to its World Heritage List. Here are 12 wonders to add to your bucket list.

The post Global Travel Rescue, Ruined Travel Destinations appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Travel Resolutions, Rick Steves on Travel Scams

Ed Boitano — Fri, 10 Jan 2020 04:19:11 +0000

Happy New Year from the Staff at Traveling Boy

We have designated the year 2020 to think of those who suffer from great sorry and misfortune. Here are some of our favorite charities.

More Than One Third Of Americans’ New Year’s Resolutions Involve Travelling More In 2020

Courtesy Calum McCloskey, www.10yetis.co.uk

Image by Viator

Almost two fifths of Americans have set themselves New Year’s resolutions for 2020
Slightly over one third of these cite wanting to travel more as one of their resolutions
26% of Americans not wanting to travel in 2020 say so because they are fearful
Japan, Britain and Canada most popular destinations for those wanting to travel this year

Tips from Rick Steves: Defend Yourself Against 21st-Century Travel Scams:

Courtesy USA Today

7 Secret Amtrak Tips That Could Save You Money

by Ed Perkins

How to Avoid the Worst Seat on the Plane

Courtesy Sarah Schlichter, SmarterTravel

We’ve all been there. Make sure it never happens again with these simple tips.

From Cape Town to Kigali, Nairobi to Arusha, transformative opportunities for travelers to discover culture and connect with locals.

I Accidentally Uncovered a Nationwide Scam on Airbnb

Courtesy Allie Conti

While searching for the person who grifted me in Chicago, I discovered just how easy it is for users of the short-term rental platform to get exploited.

The Swiss UNESCO World Heritage sites.

UNESCO World Heritage sites are witness to the history of the earth and humanity. Each one of these places embodies authenticity, quality and diversity across generations.

On the anniversary of the convention adopted on 16 November 1972 in Paris at the 17th General Conference of UNESCO we pay tribute in this newsletter to our Swiss wonders.

7 Hidden Benefits of Cruising That Might Surprise You

Courtesy Albom Adventures

11 Endangered Bucket List Destinations (And How to Visit Them Responsibly)

Courtesy of Mariana Zapata, SmarterTravel

Americans Reveal What Makes a ‘Good Tourist’

How to Take Your Own Passport Photo

Courtesy, Caroline Morse Teel, SmarterTravel

Being on the ground in over 180 countries means you get the full story.

The 12 Best Places to Travel in 2020

Courtesy Avital Andrews, SmarterTravel

From Egypt to the Arctic, get inspired with this month-by-month guide.

17 Ways Flying has Changed Over the Last Decade

Courtesy Sophie-Claire Hoeller, Insider

Between the stringent security, long lines, packed-to-capacity planes, bland meals, and extra fees, flying can be stressful. However, flying today is cheaper, safer, and faster than it has ever been.

Bored of eggnog? Sick of cider? Here are nine scrumptious winter beverages to sip on from across the globe

Courtesy Lila Thulin, smithsonianmag.com

Cola de mono, or colemono is a coffee-and-cinnamon-laced spiked refreshment Chileans drink for the winter season.

22 Destinations that Were Ruined by Tourists Over the Past Decade

Courtesy of Ben Mack, Insider

Photo courtesy of Murray Foubister, via Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 2.0

The 2010s saw more people traveling than ever before, according to The Guardian’s report on recent figures from the World Tourism Organization.
But millions upon millions of people going on adventures has put pressure on numerous destinations.
Some, like Venice, have long been affected by overtourism, but others like Dubrovnik, Croatia, are facing new challenges caused by the popularity of TV shows like “Game of Thrones.”
Here are 22 of the places we’re loving to death.

See Slideshow Here

Why You Should Visit Hamburg in 2020

From Beatles’ Hamburg anniversary, to a new 5-star hotel, to off-beat festivals and culinary stars …. 2020 is the year to visit Germany’s maritime city.

Come Together – The Hamburg Beatles Experience
March 27-29

Ancient Jerusalem Maze-of-Tunnels Discovered

Courtesy of National Geographic

How to Survive Sitting on a Long Flight, According to a Physical Therapist

Courtesy Josh Ocampo, Lifehacker

Ancient ‘Lost City’ of the Khmer Empire Discovered in Cambodia

Courtesy Jessie Yeung, CNN

Researchers have identified the elusive ancient “lost city” of Cambodia for the first time.

Photo by Nina Hofer/Courtesy of Antiquity Publications Ltd

Together in Spirit – The Best Friends Animal Society

At the core of Best Friends Animal Society’s work is the dream that one day animals will no longer be killed in America’s shelters.

12 New UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Courtesy SmarterTravel

This year UNESCO has added 29 new cultural sites to its World Heritage List. Here are 12 wonders to add to your bucket list.

The post Travel Resolutions, Rick Steves on Travel Scams appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Bologna New Year, Global Holiday Drinks

Ed Boitano — Sun, 22 Dec 2019 02:15:22 +0000

Happy Holiday Season from the Staff at Traveling Boy

We have designated this Holiday Season to think of those who suffer from great sorry and misfortune. Here are some of our favorite charities.

Bored of eggnog? Sick of cider? Here are nine scrumptious end-of-year beverages to sip on from across the globe

Courtesy Lila Thulin, smithsonianmag.com

Cola de mono, or colemono is a coffee-and-cinnamon-laced spiked refreshment Chileans drink for the winter season.

In the United States, the winter holidays might conjure the image of a crackling fire, wrapping paper, lit candles and the taste of warm cider, eggnog or piping-hot chocolate. These libations — iced, boozy or once-a-year delicacies — reflect the culinary traditions, weather, religion and agriculture of the places they originated. Here are nine beverages that will be served at special occasions around the globe this holiday season.

From Cape Town to Kigali, Nairobi to Arusha, transformative opportunities for travelers to discover culture and connect with locals.

Europeans’ Favourite Flight Destinations and Opinions On The USA For 2019 Revealed

Courtesy Calum McCloskey, 10 Yetis Digital

New York is the most searched-for flight destination from the UK, Germany, France and Spain
Sightseeing, food and culture amongst the top things most enjoyed by Europeans visiting the States
French, German and UK residents cited ‘the people’ as their least favourite part of travelling to America

The data was collated by the team at flight-comparison site www.us.jetcost.com, who looked at flight searches for 2019 conducted by residents of the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany and France (an even 25% split amongst the four countries).

I Accidentally Uncovered a Nationwide Scam on Airbnb

Courtesy Allie Conti

While searching for the person who grifted me in Chicago, I discovered just how easy it is for users of the short-term rental platform to get exploited.

The Swiss UNESCO World Heritage sites.

UNESCO World Heritage sites are witness to the history of the earth and humanity. Each one of these places embodies authenticity, quality and diversity across generations.

On the anniversary of the convention adopted on 16 November 1972 in Paris at the 17th General Conference of UNESCO we pay tribute in this newsletter to our Swiss wonders.

7 Hidden Benefits of Cruising That Might Surprise You

Courtesy Albom Adventures

Could Nuclear-Powered Ships Help the Industry Meet the 2050 Emissions Target?

Courtesy Lloyd’s Register

Nuclear power as a fuel for ships is a completely zero-emission solution – it does not emit any SOx, NOx, CO2 or particulates. The technology is also millions of times more power-dense than fossil fuels and alternative fuel options that are currently being considered like methanol, ammonia and hydrogen. In terms of meeting the IMO’s 2050 greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction ambition, it’s the only proven solution available today, capable of replacing fossil fuels in all marine applications.

The Middle Seat Is About to Get Wider on Some Planes

(CNN) — It is a truth universally acknowledged that middle seats on airplanes are the worst.Being awkwardly sandwiched in between two people while fighting for elbow room is the bane of most passengers. Now a new design might actually make people want the middle seat — or at least make the travel experience less miserable. The S1 design from the Colorado-based startup, Molon Labe Seating, features three economy seats in a staggered layout, putting the middle seat slightly behind the aisle and window seats, and at a slightly lower height.

11 Endangered Bucket List Destinations (And How to Visit Them Responsibly)

Courtesy of Mariana Zapata, SmarterTravel

How to Survive Sitting on a Long Flight, According to a Physical Therapist

Courtesy Josh Ocampo, Lifehacker

How to Take Your Own Passport Photo

Courtesy, Caroline Morse Teel, SmarterTravel

The Worst Seats on a Plane (And How to Avoid Them)

Courtesy Sarah Schlichter

You’re crammed into a middle seat at the back of an airplane, with neighbors encroaching on your armrests and an endless chorus of flushing sounds from the lavatory nearby. Alas, you’re stuck in one of the worst seats on a plane, and you have to ask: How did you end up here, and how can you make sure it never happens again?

Seat selection can make a huge difference in how comfortable you are in flight, especially on long international trips. I interviewed an expert to help identify the worst airplane seats and explain how you can land yourself a betterlast-cha spot on your next flight.

Being on the ground in over 180 countries means you get the full story.

Global Rescue’s Holiday Gift Guide for Travelers

Courtesy Global Rescue

Photo courtesy of Martin Kosich/Global Rescue

“Shoppers are flooded with holiday promotions,” said Harding Bush, former Navy SEAL and associate manager of operations at Global Rescue. “But the Global Rescue Holiday Gift Guide for Travelers is the only one compiled through the recommendations of our members and staff of travel experts and military special forces veterans all of whom are among the most experienced when it comes to the excitement of travel and necessity for preparation.”

New Year’s Eve in Bologna

Courtesy Alice Brignani, Bologna Welcome

Photo courtesy of Bologna Welcome

“Bologna dances for the festive season” (Bologna Balla per le feste) from dances in the streets to fine-art videomapping on historical buildings featuring the best dance scenes in the history of cinema.

22 Destinations that Were Ruined by Tourists Over the Past Decade

Courtesy of Ben Mack, Insider

Photo courtesy of Murray Foubister, via Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 2.0

The 2010s saw more people traveling than ever before, according to The Guardian’s report on recent figures from the World Tourism Organization.
But millions upon millions of people going on adventures has put pressure on numerous destinations.
Some, like Venice, have long been affected by overtourism, but others like Dubrovnik, Croatia, are facing new challenges caused by the popularity of TV shows like “Game of Thrones.”
Here are 22 of the places we’re loving to death.

See Slideshow Here

Why You Should Visit Hamburg in 2020

From Beatles’ Hamburg anniversary, to a new 5-star hotel, to off-beat festivals and culinary stars …. 2020 is the year to visit Germany’s maritime city.

Come Together – The Hamburg Beatles Experience
March 27-29

Ancient Jerusalem Maze-of-Tunnels Discovered

Courtesy of National Geographic

Ancient ‘Lost City’ of the Khmer Empire Discovered in Cambodia

Courtesy Jessie Yeung, CNN

Researchers have identified the elusive ancient “lost city” of Cambodia for the first time.

Photo by Nina Hofer/Courtesy of Antiquity Publications Ltd

Americans Reveal What Makes a ‘Good Tourist’

Together in Spirit – The Best Friends Animal Society

At the core of Best Friends Animal Society’s work is the dream that one day animals will no longer be killed in America’s shelters.

Dodging Sticky Fingers: How to Outfox Pickpockets

By Rick Steves, Tribune Content Agency

I don’t give much thought to petty crime when I travel abroad. I’m well aware that it happens: I’ve been preaching about the importance of wearing a money belt for decades. And for decades — probably about a total of 4,000 days of travel — I’ve never been hit by a thief. Well, my happy streak finally ended: I was pickpocketed in Paris this summer.

One in 11 Americans Has Gone On Vacation Without Their Partner Knowing

Photo by Deb Roskamp

9% of Americans have been on vacation without their partner and lied to them about it
Main reasons are to go with friends, drink more heavily and to have a break from each other
More than two fifths got found out by their partner; one in five broke up as a result
One in ten Americans have cheated on their partner whilst on vacation

Number of European 5-star hotels have doubled in three years
Asia’s star is rising with almost 5.000 new star hotels in three years
Falling stars in the United States: decline in 5-star hotels

Half of the world’s star rated hotels are located in Europe.

12 New UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Courtesy SmarterTravel

This year UNESCO has added 29 new cultural sites to its World Heritage List. Here are 12 wonders to add to your bucket list.

Loro Parque’s World Population Clock

The Loro Parque Foundation warns that the enormous pressure of the growing population is driving animals out of their habitats. For example, it’s estimated that in Africa, before the Europeans arrived, there could have been over 29 million elephants. However, as early as 1935, the population had dropped to 10 million and now stands at less than 440,000, according to a 2012 study conducted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The post Bologna New Year, Global Holiday Drinks appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Exploring the Surreal Skeleton Coast

Skip Kaltenheuser — Thu, 16 May 2019 21:25:35 +0000

The Skeleton Coast is one of the most appropriately named stretches of land in the world, a place where many hapless sailors of centuries past have mingled their bones with whale ribs and shipwrecks.

Photo courtesy of Eduard Bohen

There was at one time no margin for error for sailors rounding the Horn of Africa and heading north through rough seas past this vast expanse, which stretches along the northern third of Namibia’s coast. The region borders more vast expanses, among them the world’s oldest desert, the Namib. One wonders whether whalers and sailors who somehow made it ashore after reefs had thrashed their ships found a moment to appreciate landscapes that would have challenged even the surreal imagination of Salvador Dali.

Courtesy of Ezilon Maps

Along the coastline are immense flat plains, broken in places by lines of small cones denoting abandoned diamond mines. The plains yield to giant, orange-yellow sand dunes. The wind etches geometric patterns on their long curves and slopes.

Photos courtesy of Skip Kaltenheuser

Walking across a flat plain from our vehicle – a Land Rover with old airplane chairs strapped to the roof – my companions and I step in each other’s footprints to minimize the impact on the tiny blades of vegetation that suck moisture from the ocean fog.

After hiking up a dune’s long backside, we slide down its steep interior slope. Suddenly, the sound of the wind is drowned out by the eerie monotone crescendo of a double bass. But there are no double bass players in sight.

Photos courtesy of Skip Kaltenheuser

The musicians, in fact, are us. The dunes’ uniquely shaped sand grains emit a deep roar as they grind together. Delighted, some of us take long leaps down the slope, adding staccato notes.

Struggling back up the huge half-bowl slope, the solitude of the coast hits home. Despite a huge concession set aside for the Skeleton Coast Camp – which is where we are staying – it is limited to 12 visitors at a time.

Photos courtesy of Skip Kaltenheuser

I keep imagining the challenges shipwrecked sailors would have faced. If I were in their shoes, would I have been able to overcome fear and march up the coast, giving my skeleton a run for its money?

Photos courtesy of Skip Kaltenheuser

Yet there are those that survive in this environment. The wildlife is fascinating in how it has adapted to the desert conditions. Up on a ridge facing the ocean breeze are several gemsbok, or oryx, weighing nearly 230 kilograms each. A type of antelope, they hyperventilate in the ocean air in order to cool their body temperatures. Their horns are like scimitars, forcing the region’s desert-adapted lions to think twice. Fresh lion tracks in a river bed make me think twice when, separated from the only other vehicle, I collect flat rocks to jam under tires bogged down in dry sand. A bit inland, amid arid canyons and valleys, are ostriches, jackals, mountain zebras, baboons and foxes.

Even the bugs are amazing. I saw a beetle that satiates its thirst by using grooves in its back to build up a drop of water from condensed fog.

Photo courtesy of Namibia Ministry of Environment

Desert elephants sometimes venture to the coast and surf the dunes, creating their own symphonies. We track the elephants on foot – they’re always just around the bend, judging by the fresh elephant dung – but the sun reflecting off the walls of a clay canyon beat us back. Our vehicles cause us to throw in the towel as well, as an unexplored river bed that might leave a vehicle stuck becomes too forbidding near sunset. There are no tow trucks here.

Photo courtesy of face2faceafrika.com

But the greatest survivors are the members of the Himba tribe, some of whom reside just outside the park. Scattered across northern Namibia, they make up less than 1 per cent of the population. They haven’t changed their nomadic lifestyle in centuries, raising cattle and living in huts of dung and sand.

The women are particularly striking, wearing only goat skin aprons and jewellery that glows red from a mixture of ochre and rancid butter, rubbed daily over every square inch.

Photos courtesy of Only Tribal

With their braided hair coated with mud and hardened like a helmet, these women work hard while the men count their cattle. The women’s true beauty is rooted in their physical strength and a meticulously tended traditional appearance that, according to anthropologists, maintains their cultural identity and protects them against the vagaries of modern life. Their refined beauty is framed by the harsher beauty around them.

Horrors such as the diamond wars farther north in Angola, the heartbreak of AIDS orphans, tribal conflicts and deprivation magnified by an envy of wealth have missed the Himba in this neck of Namibia. The elements of their neighbourhood are so tough no one hungers for their land – it’s safety in lack of numbers.

A couple of decades ago, a drought – the term is relative here – killed enough cattle to drive some Himba into the towns. They didn’t fare well – alcoholism and prostitution were often the byproducts of poverty and culture shock. Much farther east, a proposed dam threatens the Himba way of life. But on the Skeleton Coast, it’s likely that in 50 years, the headman’s progeny will still be tending the holy fire, a smoldering log that is said to help departed paternal ancestors bring good fortune to the tribe.

Photos courtesy of Skip Kaltenheuser

At night, I stand watching the sky, stealing glances at the silhouette of a jackal slipping around my tent, which by Himba standards is as luxurious as the Taj Mahal. Before the morning fog, the night is moonless but bright. The stars are the brightest and most numerous I’ve seen, and shooting stars abound.

None of the hemisphere’s constellations are familiar. It’s an alien world, beautiful as long as I know a prop-driven aircraft will eventually alight on our desert runway with ample provisions.

GETTING THERE: Tour operators such as Wilderness Safaris, which operates the Skeleton Coast Camp, offer flights into the park in small bush planes from various points in Zimbabwe, Botswana, Malawi, Namibia and South Africa, and Skeleton Coast Camp for a four-day, three-night safari package.

For more visitor information, visit the Namibia Ministry of Environment

The post Exploring the Surreal Skeleton Coast appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Good Friday Message: Nomads

Raoul Pascual — Sat, 20 Apr 2019 04:04:04 +0000

Raoul’s 2 Cents

If you have been a subscriber of my TGIF email for several seasons, you know that today (Good Friday) is the one Friday in the year when I do not share any jokes in deference to the Christian faith … for it is on this day that Jesus was crucified on the cross because of His love for mankind. If spiritual topics offend you, just move on and we’ll see each other again next week.

Ambassadors to the Nomads

I met two truly fascinating people last Monday. Jack & Jill are camel-riding missionaries on furlough from their adopted land in Africa. Both are College grado but rather than choose a lucrative profession in America, they go to one of the poorest places in the world.

When you think of missionaries, you think of people who plant themselves in some far away island in order to spread their Christian faith. Yes, Jack & Jill do all that but what complicates the logistics is their “island” is a “floating island.” They minister to desert nomads who have no permanent address. Not only is their “island” in constant flux but the people they come in contact with also change. It’s only the Nomads’ annual journey that brings them to the area. You can imagine how many years it has taken them to build any kind of relationship.

Another big impasse is the Nomads use a language unique to that area. The “Nomadic Translation Book for Dummies” is yet to be published. During their first year, they used pictures and finger pointing to communicate. It’s been almost 10 years now and they have yet to figure out how to engage in philosophical concepts. How does one even approach the concept of God to these illiterate camel-riding Muslims?

Thankfully, the Nomads think Jack and Jill are mere oddities and not dangerous. The nomadic aspiration in life is to be considered a noble and generous person. There is a story of a rich man who owned many cattle and he was so generous that he would kill (not a goat but) a cow for every stranger he would meet. So many strangers later and he ran out of cattle. He became a street beggar. Today people would point at this beggar as a noble man. It is the Nomad’s ambition to be like this street beggar.

Life is hard for all of them. They live a life of daily labor for survival. Of course women are properties. The dominant male owns several wives. Ideally, the wife is a first cousin. Surprisingly there are no reports of abnormality. They are Muslims because they do not know any other religion. They ostracize anyone who defects from their faith. To do so is akin to a death warrant. Despite the language barrier, one woman accepted Christ. God works in mysterious ways. This pregnant woman survived a miracle. Her water broke but her baby didn’t come out until 10 weeks later. They prayed for her. The baby is healthy. No complications. She keeps her growing faith a secret from everyone otherwise she will be disowned, divorced and anyone who would take her in would also share her demise.

The nomadic culture is not very far from the culture of their ancestors in the 1st century. On this Good Friday, 1,986 years ago, a man of love and peace was beaten, tortured, ridiculed and condemned to die by hanging on a wooden cross. His crime? Proclaiming that He was the son of God. Solid historical testimonies and writings give evidence that three days later, this man rose from the dead. Since that day, his followers have shared this amazing, incredible Good News. God is a god of love for He gave his one and only son so that whoever believes in him will have eternal life. “Spread the word,” Christ said. Millions of martyrs later and his followers are still spreading the good news. Do you think people would give up their lives for a false narrative?

You wonder why Jack & Jill chose to raise their children to grow up in that miserable hell hole. But when you see Jill’s welcoming wide-brimming smile and Jack’s calm demeanor, you know there is a genuineness in them that big city folk like us lack. I can only imagine the world in America as seen from their eyes. It must be a land of wasteful plenty with ungrateful irresponsible people. Luxury does that to us. In their faces, I see rest from the harsh desert conditions but I also see joy in their loving hearts. I see Jesus Christ. He is alive. He is risen.

TGFGF (Thank God For Good Friday) people!

p.s.
Please let me know if you would like to support them. I will pass along your email.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.”
— Romans 1:16

The post Good Friday Message: Nomads appeared first on Traveling Archive.

African Waters

Skip Kaltenheuser — Tue, 16 Apr 2019 23:30:54 +0000

The low lying banana boat picks up a passenger arriving from the airport and departs the small dock with the caution not to dangle a hand in the water. The reason soon becomes apparent, the eyes and rough hide of a ten foot crocodile surfaces several feet off the boat, then disappears in murky waters of the mighty, 3,540 km long Zambezi. An hour later it enters a wide stretch known as Atuleo Amanzi, or Quiet Waters, where David Livingstone first drifted by in 1855 before discovering Victoria Falls 18 km down river – luckily not by going over it, as he would have dropped more than his jaw at the sight of the mile wide river plunging 360 feet. Think of Johnny Weismueller’s Tarzan rescuing Boy as he napped toward certain doom on an breakaway lily pad.

Photo by Skip Kaltenheuser

Curious hippos surface about the boat, which moves quickly to safer waters. High among the thick trees along the river bluff, portions of several bungalows can be seen on the Zambian side, facing Zimbabwe National Park and sunset. The boat docks and under the trees steep steps lead to the River Club and to the style to which I’d like to become accustomed but probably won’t.

Ten thatched chalets, accommodating up to twenty guests, with balconies hanging over the river on stilts, their backside open to the river. A swank bedroom on the top level, where draped mosquito netting becomes an art form framing an orchid presentation on the bed. An old-fashioned tub and shower are on the lower split level, allowing a naked wave to passing fisherman angling for Tiger Fish. The front door opens toward a bird bath, a croquet lawn and an Edwardian home that is the hotel’s dining room and verandah, with a library and drawing room that looks transported from an English fox hunt and where enough post dinner port has flowed to float Boy’s lily pad.

This particular night, at his private home on the river bluff, secluded away from the hotel down a long nature walk path, the hotel’s proprietor is entertaining River Club guests, who sit on makeshift bleachers. The special occasion is a rugby championship, brought in by a satellite TV with mercurial reception, cursed by the owner as he fiddles with wires and paces like a panther, that heightened game suspense. Guests catch the owner’s enthusiasm as he redefines irrational exuberance every time England scores over Australia, and his hounds take up the howl. The River Club chef, an Australian, is as combative until England emerges victorious. He is needled by his boss so mercilessly that guests wonder if a food taster would be a good idea at that night’s dinner on the veranda, where everyone breaks bread together and spin stories of the day’s adventures.

Most guests tonight are from the UK, and welcome rugby’s flash of Empire. The game, and the relative comfort offered by the club, underscore the duality of African travel, the upper crust exclusivity stands in high contrast to the often elemental existence in much of Africa, which depends heavily on the tourism the high end travelers set the gold standard for. They depend on the wildness of Africa for many of the adventures they seek, for the feel of being someplace truly different. A premium is given the timeless quality offered by areas and wildlife that much of Africa struggles to keep in their natural state.

The hotel often boards travelers acclimating to Africa after arriving in the region, for which most initially fly into South Africa, or decompressing from a package of safari trips elsewhere in the region, from Namibia’s Skeleton Coast to Botswana’s Okavango Delta, usually traveling by small plane.

Photos by Skip Kaltenheuser

But there are plenty of local attractions to choose from. Victoria Falls, known to the local Kololo people as Mosi-oa-Tunya, or the Smoke Which Thunders, is perhaps the best known destination in Africa. Not far away, one enterprise offers day long elephant safaris, where travelers ride double with guides on elephants through a private preserve with ample wildlife, big cats excepted. There are rhino tours into the Livingstone Zoological Park, and other safari options, including in Zimbabwe across the river. The club’s pontoon boat provides sunrise and sunset river trips, or guests can take canoes. Chilling out at the hotel includes croquet, lawn tennis, fishing and birding.

Local artisans are among the best on the continent, and the outdoors crafts market at Victoria Falls has terrific offerings. Historical Livingstone, the Livingstone Museum and the railway museum offer interesting glimpses into the colonial past. The River Club can make arrangements to stone age sites in the region.

But one of the most thought provoking offerings is in a Zambian village which Peter Jones, creator and owner of the River Club, has committed to helping with its challenges. Jones, a former British commando officer in the 5th Airborne Brigade and a Falklands veteran, was schooled not just in rough and tumble special operations but in the importance of winning local hearts and minds. “Here in Africa,” says Jones, “we are always keen to see that the people see direct benefits to themselves as a result of our decision to invest in the continent.”

Photos by Skip Kaltenheuser

The River Club seems an odd focal point for community development of an impoverished village. The swank main building is the former home of “a delightful elderly Belgian lady” who wanted to start a lodge operation but didn’t have proper financing, and was Jones’s home for two years after he bought the place in 1995. The scene is worlds apart from the 3,000 inhabitants of Simonga Village where children play amid humble huts, nervous chickens, and parched plantings of millet, mealy and beans their families consume or barter.

But Jones treats his small empire as a command center in tackling the challenge of improving the quality of life at Simonga, mindful of entreaties from the local Environmental Impact Assessor to “Please make sure that you are able to keep it going. The people have sadly become used to others letting them down.” After four years of operations, Jones determined that his company was on a good enough footing to take on the responsibility.

Photos by Skip Kaltenheuser

The villagers are mostly of the royal tribe of Zambia, the Lozi, whose King, the Litunga, once ruled over the whole of what is now the Western province. A quarter of River Club staff are Simonga villagers Jones has trained.

The first objective, says Jones, was to create incentives for receiving visitors – a compensation formula based on the number of guests touring the village. We already pay a unit per guest for the removal of litter and other debris from the tour path. We’re now asking the villagers to devise a rubbish collection system for the entire village, offering to haul away debris in our vehicle. Compensation will increase with the completion of a palace for the chief to stay when meeting with his local subjects, and when the village trains its own guides to conduct tours.

“Assessing critical village needs,” says Jones, “we quickly realized the need to focus efforts on the children. Education is the most important feature of any society, for it ensures growth. The school project has gone well, and we have raised enough money to put all the kids through school for at least one year. We have been able to buy books and pencils for all the children. Recently, an American guest sent a load of educational books.” Jones is exploring small solar technologies that would provide light for extra teaching and homework time, and is laying plans to add classrooms.

One guest, who wishes anonymity, agreed to sponsor the top child in the school for four years of education at the town’s best boarding school, a commitment of US$8,000. An American who lives in Switzerland, he also donated three football strips and 10 footballs for the sports teams through his Lions group in Germany, says Jones. “Six foot seven inches tall, he sends his hand me-down clothes to the tallest man, who had been out of luck finding a suitable wardrobe in town!”

Jones hopes to leverage his efforts with similar considerations, large and small, from interested guests who recognize the village’s difficulties. One example he cites is “the Street family, from New York. They brought their son, Evan, and their three daughters. We organized a football match at the school for them to take part in. Afterwards, Evan handed over a donation of US$500 he had raised as part of his Bar Mitzvah celebration. It was a terrific time, and a wonderful example for the village youngsters.” The money purchased books, pencils, locks for the cupboards, chalks, dusters, rulers and other essential items often taken for granted.

Photo by Skip Kaltenheuser

One connection between River Club patrons and Simonga villagers began with Jones’s discovery of a skinny young boy on a blanket in a hut. At the time he was unable to speak and suffered from the loss of parents – his father in prison for killing the boy’s mother – as well as from cerebral palsy. Taken to the River Club, Mapulanga was fed, given clothes, and placed upright in a chair while he sipped his first orange juice. A couple days later Keith Ruff, from Coralville, Iowa, and his daughter Kelly Armstrong, were staying at the lodge and, hearing of the boy, asked to be introduced. Keith also has cerebral palsy and is a counselor for others with the affliction. Keith allowed Mapulanga to spend time in his wheelchair.

The Adamson’s, a visiting English family that lives in Belgium, decided to purchase a wheel chair for Mapulanga. Jones was in touch with a local organization that supported handicapped children, and they knew of wheel chairs being make in the capital city of Lusaka, 300 miles away. Measurements were taken, six weeks later the chariot arrived, and Mapulanga’s first words were “Tweende” – “Let’s go” in the Lozi language – as a cousin pushed him to a shop to buy biscuits and sweets. Sadly, Mapulanga’s hope of attending the University of Zambia will not come true, as he recently passed away. But until his death he was thrilled to attend Simonga school. His life was greatly brightened by the dreams that before never seemed possible, inspiring his village as well.

A major challenge is the water supply, for which women have had to spend most of the day walking to the river and schlepping large jugs back, returning exhausted and short on time for family. Hippos are feared by fishermen, but the Zambezi crocodiles are notorious for dining out on people who linger at the river’s edge. Crocs take one or more Simonga villagers a year.

“We have dug three wells with another three in progress, aiming for everyone to have good, clean water within 500 meters of their homes within a year,” says Jones. “Hand pumps are being procured from a donor group, and we hope to resurrect the old borehole pump.” This is a critical step in allowing the village to grow more crops during an unusually long drought building what observers call “the perfect famine” striking the region.

Other factors mugging Zambia, the government of which logged significant social and economic progress during prosperous times, are an economic power dive, including fractured copper prices; difficult adjustments to the competition that accompanies globalization and the imports of cheap used clothing that have devastated Zambia’s textile industry; the demagogic destruction of agriculture infrastructure in the region’s former breadbasket, neighboring Zimbabwe, by its fallen angel dictator, Robert Mugabe.

Photos by Skip Kaltenheuser

Floating down a quiet portion of the often roaring Zambezi River, on the Zambian river banks across from Zimbabwe one can see new lodges and other enterprises popping up, established by farmers who fled the disastrous reign of Mugabe. His “land indigenisation” scheme aims to replace 4000 of Zimbabwe’s commercial farmers with untrained settlers – as well as, critics claim, Mugabe favorites such as the wife of the army chief and the Zimbabwe ambassador to the UN. In Zimbabwe, commercial farmers who farm now face incarceration, never mind the million and a half people they employed, many of them also seeking refuge in surrounding nations. The barometer of economic desperation is readily read in the faces of those selling Zimbabwe’s impressive crafts at Victoria Falls markets.

And then there is H.I.V. AIDS experts now predict that, absent significant developments, the disease may eventually claim half the adult population of Zambia. In a country of 10.3 million people, two million AIDS orphans are expected by the decade’s end. Already, 650,000 children have lost one or both parents. The millions at risk of malnutrition and starvation, in part from the agricultural disaster in Zimbabwe, regional droughts and incomprehensible policies refusing food aid such as genetically modified corn, will face increasing health vulnerability to AIDS, as well as to other diseases that devastate the region.

The traditional Zambian village reverence for raising children, which awarded special status and care to orphans, is being overwhelmed as grandparents wear out, says Jones. The spectre haunts him as he encourages a group of Swedish doctors, one a former guest, to explore setting up satellite clinics in nearby villages that share a visiting doctor who will help relieve local nurses. “Even the simple addition of toilets and related sanitation programs, with health education, would improve everyone’s life tremendously,” says Jones. “Environmental maintenance is quite a challenge, and the women are quicker to understand its importance.”

Along the gauntlets Jones must run are petty bureaucrats “who see investors as a money wells from which large amounts of cash can be extracted”, while providing very limited municipal services.

“For some efforts, the village has been slow on the uptake but now they see that we have done what we said we would,” says Jones. “Now we will promise to do something if they do something first. That incentive always holds promise, the belief that they can help themselves.”

Travelers seeking to personally connect with a facet of Africa should wander through Simonga, perhaps puzzling out approaches, micro and macro, to the daunting challenges faced by much of Africa.

Antics for the Frantic:

Victoria Falls offers a carnival of thrill rides across an exotic amusement park without borders. Pursuits offering high octane adrenaline include arguably the world’s premiere whitewater rafting, boogie boarding through rapids and waves, microlight flights, and bungee jumping off the 1905 bridge, an engineering marvel built for moving trains over the vast river gorge between Zambia and Zimbabwe, 111 metres over the river.

This writer took Jone’s dare to take on the legendary class five rapids of the Zambezi, on a day trip organized by Shearwater Adventure. The British Canoe Union ranks the river grade 5, “extremely difficult, long and violent rapids, steep gradients, big drops and pressure areas.” The distance between rapids varies from 100 metres to to 2 kms. The river let me know where I stood with it, my eight person raft was flipped. Failing to reorganize ourselves out of chaos and climb the upended raft, we balled ourselves up and shot along through a stretch of rapids several blocks long, thankful for helmets and life jackets and the avoidance of rapids by hippos and large crocs. One rapid in the day trip, (trips range from half day to five days) “Commercial Suicide,” is unnavigable and must be portaged, though one impressive kayaker familiar with the river tackled it, disappearing and then popping up further down river.

The day trip offers approximately fifteen significant stretches of rapids, mostly class five. There is a good orientation and training session, and the guides are experienced. Waterproof cameras only, or kiss your camera good bye. The guide in my boat was excellent and amiable, it was sad to see his sinewy body with the lesions that are markers of AIDS.

Every bend in the river brings new views of the impressive gorge, which is 400 feet deep at the put-in point, and 750 feet, a taxing hike, at the take out point. The river drops 400 feet over the 24 km in the one day trip, and can be as deep as 200 feet.

Not yet content to leave well enough alone, rushing to the Zimbabwe airport, I made a quick detour to a section of gorge with several thrill options backdropped by a bend of the Zambezi. The one that captivated me was the Zambezi Swing, 53 meters of unfettered free fall down a sheer cliff. When a line attached halfway across another line that stretches across a deep, wide canyon reaches its length, it whips the person from free fall into a long, fast pendulum swing across the boulders and tree tops swinging back and forth several times before the person is lowered to the floor, for a steep hike back to the rim.

The fellow who was going to demo it for me backed to the edge of the launch platform, stood there for a couple minutes, started trembling and stepped back, slipping out of his harness. “Too much time working on the edge,” explained the proprietor, a South Africa lawyer who sought a new challenge. Before I could think about it, he had me in the harness, my heels over the edge, my hands tightly around the line so it didn’t jerk me into the cast of “The Sopranos,” Vienna Boys Choir version. Tethered to a tree, he holds my arm, slowly leans me backwards, gives a Cheshire Cat grin and says “Three. Two. One…Bye!”

Postscript: This offering is part of an occasional series of favorite travels, pursuits and places fetched from the Wayback Machine, of experiences I’d like to return to for another perspective. Hence, some aspects might be a bit disjointed from the present as time moves along. But enough remains accurate to provide a sense of place to those interested in exploring the environs. Apologies for the photos not quite hitting the mark. They came from a primitive drugstore scan of snaps taken from somewhat damp film after the camera, despite being tightly wrapped in plastic, was fire-hosed when a raft was flipped end over end in the middle of a three block long stretch of rapids. Next time, a waterproof camera only. For further information, visit The River Club.

The post African Waters appeared first on Traveling Archive.

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