December 10 I flew from Bogota to Leticia, the capital of the Amazona Department. Leticia is situated on the northeast bank of the Amazon River at the point where 3 countries meet, Colombia, Brazil and Peru. From my hotel I simply can walk a few blocks southeast and pass into Tabatinga, Brazil – no immigration … Click to View Photos & Read More →
Hello everyone. I am delighted once more to be on the road, anticipating this trip will cover many parts of Colombia for wildlife and bird photography. I left Tucson Monday morning Dec 5, and arrived in Bogota shortly after midnight on Tuesday. Multiple sources recommend never hiring a taxi off the street or hailing an … Click to View Photos & Read More →
Hello all. I am just nearing the end of a month stay in the central highlands of Mexico. I last wrote reporting on Yellowstone, while still on the road in the US in my small RV trailer – that trip ended in June after a long detour to Kansas City to visit my brother, who … Click to View Photos & Read More →
Hello everyone. I last wrote from Bozeman, MT. preparing to enter Yellowstone. In Bozeman I spent one afternoon at the famous Museum of the Rockies. I arrived while they had two special exhibitions of great interest to me (and the general public); both were specials by the National Geographic Society. The first was a display … Click to View Photos & Read More →
Hello everyone. I last wrote just after arriving in Klamath Falls, OR, and was then starting my birding around the lake. I remained for 6 days, and spent each morning visiting Putnam Point, at the south end of Klamath Lake where it flows into the Klamath River. This probably is the best spot in the … Click to View Photos & Read More →
Hello all. I last wrote from Lassen Volcanic Nat. Park. Starting at Lassen in north-central California, the Cascade Range is a string of volcanoes running north through central Oregon and Washington (and on through Canada and into Alaska, though with different names). From Lassen I drove the short distance to Lava Beds Nat. Monument, where … Click to View Photos & Read More →
Hello. The Pacific coast by Ft Bragg and for several miles north comprises MacKerricher State Park, a wonderful string of small secluded beaches hidden in coves of rocky, bluff shoreline, with thunderous surf and breakers roiling over hundreds of sharp black rocky extrusions. Pacific harbor seals, cormorants and other seabirds sit on the rocks. On … Click to View Photos & Read More →
Hello all. Five days, in and around Yosemite National Park, provided unique and transient beauty. Fires had scorched sections of the forests on the northwestern entrance side, but wildflowers were everywhere along the roads climbing and descending the mountain passes. Yosemite Valley presented 7 major waterfalls, all engorged by the heavy winter snowmelt and recent … Click to View Photos & Read More →
Hello everyone. I have started a several month long road trip, hauling my little Scamp RV to the western US – at least 6 National Parks in California I never have visited, plus a number in the northwest I wish to visit again. My drive started Monday Mar. 28, a hot dry day in Tucson. … Click to View Photos & Read More →
Hello all. I last wrote from Chania reporting on Crete and the very ancient Minoan civilization. From Chania I flew on the 24th back to Athens for one evening. The day I arrived in Athens, a huge police presence had blocked off a commercial street 2 blocks from my hotel; turns out a bomb had … Click to View Photos & Read More →
Hello all. I last reported from Old Town, Rhodes. On Nov. 10, I flew a small prop plane from Rhodes to Heraklion, capital of Crete, where I lodged in the Hotel Kronos overlooking the old Venetian Harbor on the north-central coast. The Old City part of Heraklion mostly still is surrounded by very thick Venetian … Click to View Photos & Read More →
Hello. I last reported from Monamvasia. From there I traveled by bus to Nafplio on the SE Peloponnese, where I spent 7 days visiting nearby ancient sites. Nafplio is a delightful small town; the “old town” an ancient port city. Today’s narrow passageways and streets mostly date from Venetian periods (15th-18th centuries) and it became … Click to View Photos & Read More →
Hello all. I last reported from Athens. On Wednesday over a week ago I traveled by train to the Peloponnese, the large southern dangling section of Greece that just barely is connected at the “Isthmus” to the rest of the landmass. Actually, now, as of the last 122 years, it no longer is connected (except … Click to View Photos & Read More →
My last day in Meteora, the other-worldly site of 14th century monasteries perched upon the rock pillars, I hiked up a short canyon around the base of several pillars to view ruins of some old monastic dwellings in caves, including what are referred to as hermitages. Some of the rock pillars have small caves, alcoves … Click to View Photos & Read More →
Hello again. I stayed in Thessaloniki almost a week longer than anticipated because of the loss of my wallet with 2 debit cards. It took 10 days to get both cards replaced, and a pin number for just one of them to allow for ATM withdrawals. The other pin should be available in a few … Click to View Photos & Read More →