The man with the sickle was passing sheaves of long grass to the thatcher on the roof, but the dozen tourists on the nearby watchtower ignored this picturesque operation. Their eyes were trained on the freshwater pond and the adjacent patches of jungle that had been cleared to make the tigers easier … [Read More...]
Pisac, Earth Mother Temple in Peru’s Sacred Valley
I would love to go back to Peru, but on my next trip I wouldn’t necessarily return to Machu Picchu. The places that impressed me more than the “legendary lost city of the Incas” were actually much easier to get to. Ollantaytambo, Qenko and Sacsayhuaman are literally within walking distance of Cusco … [Read More...]
Shamanic Experience at Machu Picchu
Night was falling as we got into the bus to go up to Machu Picchu. Our group of ten, usually talkative and laughing, … [Read More...]
British Columbia First Nations Attractions Entertain and Inspire
I watched in fascination as the two men carved away slivers of wood from the pole. Stylized figures of animals and … [Read More...]
Hidden Treasure in Australian Rainforests
When the first European explorers came to Australia in 1788, they viewed the aboriginal residents as so uncivilized that … [Read More...]
Cave Art, Architecture And Ghosts Near The Grand Canyon
We bounced along a deeply-rutted dirt road from the Indian cave with its 3,000 year old petroglyphs and pictographs. We … [Read More...]
Transformed by a Maya Medicine Woman in Belize
The Maya medicine woman smeared a handful of green, aromatic mud onto my forehead, binding it with a strip of cloth, as … [Read More...]
Yucatan, Land of the Mayan Rain God
Bats flapped overhead as I made my way deeper into the cave. A rope handrail helped me navigate steep steps. The air got … [Read More...]
What is a Pilgrimage?
A pilgrimage, for me, is what differentiates a tourist from a traveler. While a tourist is happy simply to get away, … [Read More...]
The Holiest Rock on Earth
It is the holiest rock on Earth, and I touched it. Its surroundings have changed over the past 3.000 years, but the rock … [Read More...]
Durian: the World’s Most Repulsive Fruit Moves Upscale
KUALA LUMPUR - “No Durians Allowed” has long been the rule in hotels, taxis, tour buses and airplanes throughout … [Read More...]
The Truth About “Survivor Island” Borneo
PULAU TIGA, Malaysia - Producers of the hit TV series Survivor worked hard to make the location of their game show seem … [Read More...]
People In The Outaouais Are As Colourful As Their Autumn Leaves
I was startled to realize that the woman in the striped dress was a mermaid. Then I chuckled when I noticed her right … [Read More...]
Barkerville Celebrates its Chinese Heritage
The glow from hundreds of candle-lit paper lanterns provided the only light as we paraded up the dirt street into … [Read More...]