Jan Morris has been my mentor and a muse. When National Geographic Traveler asked me to travel to Wales to interview her and write about her corner of her beloved homeland, I leapt at the chance. I planned to meet Jan on my first day in Wales and have her set my itinerary, but she […]
Amazon cruising: A Ride in the Wild
May 28, 2012 Leave a Comment
“Oh my God – it’s a black caiman,” he exclaims. “These are endangered – look at this!” Victor places one arm under the neck of the scaly creature, best described as a small alligator with teeth that could do some serious damage. “Want to hold it?” he asks. “Just put your hand under his neck and you’ll be fine.”
Jane Goodall interview
July 27, 2011 1 Comment
From a very early age, Jane Goodall showed a keen interest in observing animals. One day, when she was four, she spent hours crouching in a henhouse trying to see how a hen laid an egg. By the time she was eight, Goodall says she’d decided she wanted to go to Africa someday and live among wild animals.
Southern Ireland with Dervla Murphy
July 27, 2011 1 Comment
Dervla lovingly shows us some her vast collection of books, including volumes that had belonged to her grandfather. Then she picks up a greeting card someone sent her with the words: “Beer is proof that God loves us… and wants us to be happy.”
Guatemala: A Journey Through the Land of the Maya
July 27, 2011 1 Comment
Guatemala: A Journey Through the Land of the Maya is a photo collection of images by Kraig Lieb with text by Michael Shapiro. A few of the photos were taken by Shapiro, including the image of the young Mayan women carrying the anda (a platform used for parading saints through the street) shown on the […]
Mongolia’s Nadaam Games, Washington Post
April 8, 2010 Leave a Comment
When President Nixon visited China in 1972, he said that it takes a great people to build a Great Wall. In Mongolia they countered: It takes an even greater people to make them want to build it. That warrior pride is on full display at the Naadam festival.
