Playa del Alaska

by Erik Olsen on

Wow, what
an
interesting…and scary…story. Producers of hot gases like factories, cars, and Bill O’Reilly have had such a
devastating effect on climate conditions on the Arctic that indigenous peoples are being forced to come up with words
for phenomena and things that before they had no knowledge of. According to Sheila Watt-Cloutier, chair of the Inuit
Circumpolar Conference, hordes of animals are migrating north at unprecedented speeds (unprecedented at least in human
terms) due to the warming of the planet. Also an eight-nation report this month says the Arctic is warming twice as
fast as the rest of the planet and that the North Pole could be ice-free in northern hemisphere summer by 2100,
threatening indigenous cultures and perhaps wiping out creatures like polar bears.

There are, of course, several ways of looking at the problem. 1) we can be scared sh*tless, panic, cause mayhem and
begin end of world vigils in cities around the world,  2) try to reduce these gases (i.e. sell that SUV and take
O’Reilly off the air), 3) buy soon-to-be beach front property in places like Nevada and Alaska. Don’t know about you,
but I may buy my ticket for Nome very soon.

 

Pygmy Protection in Uganda

by None on

Here’s an opportunity to take a vacation with a difference. Scott and Carol Kellerman are
missionaries running a clinic serving the Batwa people – a displaced Pygmy tribe in Uganda. The Batwa lived in
the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest through their entire tribal history, until the Ugandan
government declared it a national park in 1991 and relocated them. No longer able to follow their hunter/gatherer
traditions, the pygmies are struggling to survive.

The Kellermans put volunteers to work at their weekly clinic held
under a tree, providing hands-on medical training for the diagnosis and treatment of common illnesses and tropical
diseases like malaria. Every volunteer who comes leaves knowing they have played a vital role in saving many lives.
When not at the clinic, volunteers work on school and supply projects.

Visiting this region of Uganda offers other amazing opportunities, too:
gorilla trekking in the Bwindi National Forest will cost
about $275; only 12 visitors a day are allowed into the forest. There’s also a waterfall hike locally, and
in Kampala, the capitol, Nile rafting can be had for $120.

The Kellermans provide food and accomodation to their volunteers, and ask for a contribution of $25 a week in
return. Travelers will be very comfortable on a budget of around $125 a week. Information about travel and visas can be
found here.

Michael Fay’s “Megatransect” across Central Africa

by Nino Marchetti on

Between 1999 and 2001, noted biologist Michael Fay led a team across 2,000 miles of not
always so friendly terrain in Central Africa. Fay hiked the total distance over a 15 month period, taking note of life
in the relatively undisturbed Congo River Basin and wondering how it might change as humans slowly encroach upon
it.

Fay’s trek, dutifully recorded by himself with digital cameras and a lightweight computer system, is archived on
National Geographic’s website. It is a telling tale of a man and nature in a place Fay thinks “may well be the most
beautiful place on Earth.”

More of an overview of Fay’s “megatransect” can be found
here, while the link below leads to
Fay’s expedition notes and photos. Best to put your feet up on this one as you’re going to get sucked in.

Camels for Peace

by Dave (Blogsmith Old) on

Imagine you are in India – would you be riding camels for peace? Sounds strange maybe, but Jim Wilton and Daniel Wright might disagree with you. The two men have teamed to ride camels from Jaisalmer, India to Nepal in an effort to “educate people and spread the message of peace.”

Calling themselves a “Caravan of Light”, these foreigners are essentially wandering through India, promoting peace and installing solar lights in small villages to help children attend school at night. They say that while their journey is more than worth it, riding a camel is very difficult.

Hmmm – camels spit and have bad attitudes in general. I could see that….

Keep on Trucking – Around the World

by Erik Olsen on

If you did not follow the
indefatigable Rolf Potts and his crew of noble vagabonds on
their trip around the world, you should go and do
so. Immediately. Rolf and Co. circum-trucked the globe to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease and finished their
trip up in June. Rolf just published this article on his trip in Chile, a country dear to my heart, as
I lived there a while back. Man, reading this article
brought back memories.  If you have the time, spend some of it on the
round the world site. There is video there and a ton of really cool
stuff about a really cool trip. It all leaves me with just one question: why the hell didn’t they ask me to come!