Africa

For as long as I can remember I have wanted to go to Africa. Watching all the National Geographic shows as a kid really stuck with me. I was always fascinated by the episodes that had to do with the savannas and jungles of Africa in particular. It seemed like such a different world to me out there and I could only imagine experiencing it firsthand. There was a time that I had wanted to become a field biologist and study animal behavior in Africa. It is funny how life takes you down a different path but I have never lost my desire for the experience. When the opportunity came for me to join a group of my friends on a safari through Kenya and Tanzania in July of 2007, I jumped on it. Nothing was going to stop me from seeing my dream place. I know, some people would not consider Africa to be their dream place but it definitely was for me. One of my favorite places to go when I was a child was the zoo and Africa felt like a 24 hour zoo that had no boundaries. Africa was like none other: from the baboons I followed on my way to breakfast in the morning, the Maasai village I visited and gave out candies and pens to the children, to watching the hunt, sitting in the front seat of a jeep 12 feet from a lion eating, watching the wildebeests migration, sunsets over the Serengeti, sunrise hot air balloon ride over the Masai Mara, and the long drives on the badly paved roads that ended with numerous mysterious empty bottles of wine in the back. I had so much fun and I enjoyed all the excitement feeling like I was right there when everything happened. I can’t wait for the opportunity to go back again.

Rouen

In June of 2007 I had 4 days of my schedule unexpectedly open up while I was traveling in Europe. I was in Paris at that time and I decided to take the train somewhere new to go off and explore for a few days. After looking around online at my different options I decided to go to Rouen for a few days. Being a fan of Impressionists paintings I was sold at seeing the Notre Dame Cathedral of Rouen in which Monet painted a series of during different times of the day. Rouen is the capital of the Upper Normandy region of France. It is a quaint city located on the Seine river with beautiful gothic churches, cobblestone streets, and half-timbered buildings. I arrived by train in the afternoon, checked into my room, and found the nearest outdoor café to take some dinner, drink wine, read, and relax. I took a walk along the Seine and then made it an early evening and headed back to my room. I woke up the next morning and headed over to the Rouen Cathedral and to my luck and surprise the town was celebrating Normandy day in the church square. They had Bavarian beer, hard cider, huge pans of paella, fresh baked breads, baked apples, lemon tarts, etc… There were rows of wooden picnic benches set up with the locals dressed up for the festival in traditional clothing and a band playing music and dancing around making everyone cheer and laugh. I grabbed a beer, a plate of paella, and a lemon tart and sat down with the locals and joined in on the festivities. I thoroughly enjoyed myself that day. After everything died down, I continued walking through the city and found the place where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake. I found a local restaurant down a side alley and enjoyed a relaxing dinner before I made my way to bed. The next morning I went to the Musée des beaux-arts de Rouen in which amongst other artists I saw one of Monet’s paintings of the Rouen Cathedral. I continued on to the Musée de la céramique. My mom paints porcelain and I thought I would stop to take some photos of the pieces for her to enjoy. I wandered around the city some more, did some shopping, and stopped at another café to enjoy some wine, read my book, and watch the people walk by. I made my way to bed and took an early train back to Paris the next day. My little side trip to Rouen was just what I needed, some time to relax and breathe.

Maasai Village

While on safari in Kenya, I went and visited a Maasai village. The Maasai are a tribe of Kenya whom are easily recognizable by the bright red garments that they wear. While out on safari it was not uncommon to see a lone Maasai walking through the Masai Mara reserve amongst all the animals. Usually the only form of protection that they carry is a spear and/or a short club. When I arrived at the village the chief’s son came out to great us with a group of Maasai warriors. They performed some ritual dances and then a group of women came out and sang some traditional songs. We were then invited into the village for a tour. Their village is circular in construction and is surrounded by a thick collection of brush and sticks that form a hedge to keep the wild animals out. The outer circle within the walls of the village is composed of huts made of sticks and mud. I was invited into one of the huts to have a look around. Inside, there is a small anterior room for baby animals and after passing this you enter the main room. In this room the adults sleep on skins and have a section in the center for cooking over a fire. There is also a small side room in which the children sleep on the floor. When you enter the hut you must duck to enter and remain crouched while inside due to the height of the hut being low to the ground. It took me a moment to acclimate my eyes once inside the house because of the lack of light due to there being no windows or electricity. After exiting the hut they showed me the inner circle of the village in which they keep the cattle. This enclosure is also made of a hedge and it takes up most of the area of the village. Cows are very important to the Maasai for food and milk but also they are the wealth of the people. At this point, the children slowly came out of the huts to see what we had brought them. I handed out pens and candy to the little ones and it was such a great feeling to see the smile on their faces from such small things. I was glad that I had a chance to visit the Maasai village. It was a really interesting experience to see how they lived and to learn more about their way of life.

Alaska

In the summer of 2005, I had a job offer from Mystique Magazine to take me to shoot in Anchorage, Alaska. Of course I would never pass up such an amazing opportunity. Our shooting time was spanned out over three days. The first day I shot in an old gold mining town. It was nestled in the forest with a stream running though it. The 2nd and 3rd days I was helicoptered onto two different glaciers to shoot. I must say that the second day of shooting was my coldest shoot ever. It was very hard not to look like I was in pain. The wind was blowing over the glacier across the water and hitting me while I was laying on the rock wearing nothing but medal. The third day was at a higher altitude but thank goodness no breeze that day. I actually was getting a sun tan while I shooting. I must say that I fell in love with Alaska. Never had I seen such beauty in nature untouched and so pristine. The vastness of the mountains and wildlife was overwhelming. I thought I could definitely live there in the summer months when it is nice and cool but not too cold. During this time too the sun only sets real late and rises early. In my opinion though it never really gets dark but stays at a constant dusk-like haze at night. This definitely messes with your sleep. I slept less but I was never tired. It was weird to get used to this lack of time recognition. I was lucky to get a chance to visit a nature preserve while I was there. I love zoos and preserves and I often choose these places to go on my travels. The last day while in Alaska I joined the crew for a day-cruise to see the glaciers. The boat gets real close to the glaciers and you are able to see large chunks of ice break from the main glacier called calving. I also spotted quite a few bald eagles nest as we were heading back to port. Alaska is a place that I would like to visit again someday. If you want to see nature that will leave you in awe then this is the place.

Korea

In the Fall of 2003 I had a short visit to Seoul, Korea. Unfortunately, it was just a stopover for a couple of days but I did get to enjoy myself a bit. Right across the street from my hotel was the Bongeun-sa Buddhist Temple situated on the largest grounds that I had ever seen for a temple. When I entered, I felt from the beginning how nice and receptive everyone was. This has not always been my experience with different religions so I was pleasantly surprised. I walked around from building to building and really enjoyed the statues of Buddha in different forms that they had on the property. I found a huge statue of Buddha in one of the courtyards that was in all white and so beautiful. I came upon a room in my exploration that had people kneeling in prayer. It was my first experience watching Buddhists pray and a calm sensation came over me and I felt very peaceful in that moment. It is funny how sometimes an experience affects you many years later in ways you never imagined. I really enjoyed my visit to Bongeun-sa and the experience started an understanding inside of me for a peaceful place. The next day I got a chance to sneak away to the Aquarium. The Coex Aquarium is the largest in Asia and was absolutely amazing. I love zoos but an aquarium brings you in contact with new species that you don’t normally get to see. I really enjoyed the jellyfish exhibit. The lighting was perfect to see the details that made such a simple life form seem not so simple anymore. I don’t believe I have been to a more amazing aquarium to date with such a vast array of species on display. I truly enjoyed it. It would have been nice to have had more time to explore the city in depth but I did enjoy what I did get to see and it was a worthwhile stopover.

New Delhi, India

I arrived in New Delhi in March of 2007. India was not necessarily a place I had always wanted to go to. I wanted to go somewhere and the opportunity came along to join a friend on a trip to India and I took it. After a very long flight I arrived and soon wondered where I was. At the time, India was unlike any place that I had traveled to. The stimulation was immediate from the brightness of color in the women’s garments, the difference in the architecture, the sound of prayer, the constant honking of horns in the streets, the common sight of wandering cows and monkeys, the smell of new foods, incense, and cow dung, and the experience of really tasting Indian food for the first time for every meal. It has been the most different place I have been to so far and I believe the one trip I was the most unprepared for. I am not sure how I could of prepared myself really for half the experience was the shock of a whole new world. I believe you can look at photos of a place and think you understand the differences but one of the greatest things about travel in my opinion is that you realize you could of never understood these differences until you have experienced them firsthand. I had a great tour guide named Anil who took us on a tour of New Delhi. I went to the Red Fort, Humayun’s Tomb, and the Jama Masjid Mosque. My favorite would be the mosque. It was nice to go in and watch the people praying. There is something about people in prayer that is comforting. The religion does not matter because it is always interesting for me to watch.

Chateau de Versailles

I had a day off while in Paris last month and I was excited to finally make my way to see the Chateau de Versailles. The chateau is actually a palace located 30 minutes outside Paris city center that King Louis XIV moved the court to in May of 1682. He made Versailles his home and what a lovely home it is. I love to read period based books and quite a few have revolved around Versailles so it was interesting for me to see the palace firsthand. It was decadent. I have seen numerous palaces around the world but most of them have lost a lot of what made them so grand in the first place. A good imagination is usually needed to see what a palace once was. Versailles definitely was shinier and grander in its heyday but all the pieces to the puzzle still stand and leave you in awe. I was blown away by the paintings on the ceilings. Not only were they in excellent condition, but they were also almost in every room you walked into. I spent more time looking at the ceilings than anything else. Couple this with marble pillars, intricate crown moldings, numerous statues, wall sized paintings, extensive gold leaf, carved doors, rich tapestries and brocades, magnificent chandeliers, etc…Versailles was just beautiful. It was all that I thought it would be and much more. The gardens too are extensive and magnificent. From the back of the palace they extend as far as the eye can see with lakes, forests, and ornamental gardens. I only had six hours to tour Versailles which definitely was not enough time. You could easily spend a couple of days taking in the palace and all the grounds. I would like to go back one day with a partner and rent a boat to row in the lakes. It would be a perfect day with a packed lunch and a bottle of wine.