Charlotte April 27 2011, Kathmandu I am drinking tea and sitting in a music store I’ve just discovered on my last day in Kathmandu. The owner and his brother play me selections from CDs of modern Nepalese music. A track begins and within 10 to 30 seconds I say “Yes” or “Not so much” or … Continue reading
The Veranasi Ghats, Seen from the Ganges April 20, Varanasi, Walking to the Ganges Returning from the Ganges after the evening rituals, I work my way through the crowd and am accosted by a young boy selling postcards for 100 rupees. I assure him I have no money, which is true. Most thefts occur in … Continue reading
Train Station, New Delhi Jaipur The Maharajah of Jaipur died the day before we arrived and everything in the whole state has shut down for two days of mourning. After lunch, we walk downtown and come upon a funeral filling the center of town. There are floats pulled by pick-up trucks, brightly painted elephants, musicians … Continue reading
“All photos handheld and framed in the camera” In the Gem Store, Jaipur, April 7, 2011 After driving for eight hours through the desperately poor areas from Delhi to Jaipur, Bill is obviously shaken. “That was really something,” he says, as we get off the bus. And I, stretching my legs, agree. “Yeah, that was a … Continue reading
Victoria Falls from the Cliff Walk December 6, 2010, Illala Lodge, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe Woke up this morning to the sound of animals screaming. I assumed it was the baboons, so I didn’t bother to investigate. But on my walk in to the dining hall, I saw in the near distance a wild dog, trotting … Continue reading
Dr. David Livingstone December 8, 2010, Illala Lodge, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe When Kerra, a native Zimbabwean, heard that some Americans were staying overnight in Victoria Falls, he asked if he could talk to us about his hero, the Great Liberator of Africa. I copied down as much of the story as I could, but Kerra … Continue reading
At the Waterhole (Tinashe, Our Guide, in the Front in Yellow Shirt and White Shorts) December 3, 2010, Linkwasha Lodge, Hwange National Park, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe What Are You Looking At? When James was training to be a guide, he was assigned to an ex-Army drill sergeant named Tomas. One of James’ jobs was to … Continue reading
The Okavango Delta from the Air Our Landing Strip in Botswana December 1, 2010: Lufupa Camp, Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe John Dee Explains the Okavango Delta The Okavango Delta is the largest interior wetland in the world—a natural basin into which three rivers empty. At some point in prehistory the tectonic plates shifted and there … Continue reading
The Author Gives Lisa a Massage First, a Note about the Photos There is a sanctuary in Zimbabwe where orphaned animals who would die in the wild are protected. Up until the age of 2.5 to 3, a lion is not a threat to humans. The lions are trained with wooden sticks, like the one … Continue reading
Happiness After I told the story of the marriage customs in the United States of America, James, a Shona from Zimbabwe, told us the marriage customs of the Shona. For the Shona, there are three ways for a man and woman to become engaged. The most common is when a poor family is nearly wiped … Continue reading
