In my travels over the years, I’ve kept journals and taken photos that have evolved into a blog. I’d like to share with you some of the beautiful and fascinating places I’ve visited in recent decades.
Retirement trip to Colombia, 2019
Shortly after I retired as a newspaper editor in 2018, I took a two-month trip to Colombia, a South American country I’d previously visited in 1974 and 1997.
I flew to Medellín via Mexico City and travelled south along the Cauca Valley to Popayan, across the mountains to San Agustín and its stone idols, through Colombia’s Tatacoa Desert to the capital, Bogotá. Finally, I took a shorter visit to the Caribbean north. See my photos and videos.
November in Mexico’s historic highlands
In November 2016, I took a trip to the Mexican highlands after getting myself to San Diego on Air Miles points. I love the Mexican culture and am fascinated by the history found in cities like Guanajuato, Dolores Hidalgo, San Miguel de Allende, Patzcuaro and Morelia. And I saw the winter home of the monarch butterfly migration. See my photos and videos.
By road to Northern BC, Alaska and Yukon
I took a driving trip to Northern BC, Alaska and Yukon in May and June 2016. Although I brought a tent and camped a few nights, the wet weather pushed me to seek motel accommodation. Visit the quirky communities of Stewart, BC and Hyder Alaska; drive past bears and bush up the Cassiar Highway; see grizzlies and glaciers near Haines Junction, YT and Kluane National Park.
Return to India’s north from Himalayas to Ganges to Rajasthan Desert
I’ve been fascinated with India since I first visited it as a wandering youth in 1973 and 1977. In those years I visited communities from Leh in Ladakh near Tibet to Kanya Kumari at the southern tip. When I fulfilled my dream of getting back in 2015, I limited my travel to a few northern states, from Delhi to the Himalayan foothills to the cities of the Ganges Basin and the deserts of Rajasthan. See my photos and story.
A mid-winter trip to historic Cuba in 2011
Winter in Ottawa can be miserable. It’s much warmer in Cuba, which is a fairly easy flight without the hassle of going through the U.S. thanks to the 50+ years American embargo. In 2011, Fidel Castro was no longer in command, and there were signs of liberalization, including allowing Cubans to earn hard currency by renting rooms in their homes to foreign visitors. This provided opportunities to meet the local people in the cities of Trinidad and Viñales, and I also wandered the streets of the capital, Havana. See my stories and photos.
A winter drive to the Southwest U.S.A., 2009-10
At Christmas time and over New Year’s in 2009-10, I packed my fuel-efficient VW Golf Turbo Diesel and drove from Ottawa to the states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. Winter is a great time to visit the wonderful national parks because there are few tourists, and the snow adds an artistic touch to the red rocks. Thankfully, I was not abducted by any aliens. See my stories and photos.
Belize and Guatemala by land from southern Mexico
In December 2008, I flew to Cancun, Mexico and took buses and boats to Belize and then on to Guatemala. It was my first time to Belize, an English-speaking country in Central America on the Caribbean. I know Guatemala from previous visits, and besides exploring, I also stayed a week with a local family while studying Spanish, as I did for a much longer time in 1993. See my stories and photos.
A month exploring Ecuador, 2006
After a particularly challenging time, I wanted a break from work and winter, so spent February 2006 in Ecuador. My travels took me from the far south to north of the equator, and from Amazonia to the Pacific Ocean. Ecuador, especially in the highlands, has a significant portion of Quichua-speaking Indigenous people with a rich culture. See my stories and photos.