Casablanca
Morocco
April 16, 2013
Bonjour,
The group tour and the serious sightseeing start tomorrow. For today, I decide on my favorite activity. I have no plans, no guidebook, no destination in mind. I just take a walk.
Baku
Azerbaijan
November 3, 2012
Sunny and Mild
Dear Friends and Lovers of the Sea,
Joy! Unrestrained joy!
Joy! Unexpected, giddy joy!
I am filled with joy as I walk alongside the Caspian Sea.
Who can explain it?
The Caspian Sea. So exotic. So distant. So inaccessible. Yet, here I am.
Across the sea to the east lies the brooding Turkmenistan and enormous Kazakhstan. To the north looms Mother Russia. To the south, the impenetrable Islamic Republic of Iran. But here, as I gaze on the western shore of the Caspian Sea, in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, I don’t know why, but I am so happy to be here.
Istanbul, Turkey
13 October 2009
Dear Family and Friends,
Fortunately, I chose to be in Istanbul on Sunday.
Fortunately, my hotel was a ten minute walk to the Sultanahmet area and the Blue Mosque and The Haghia Sophia – two of Istanbul's most historic and most visited sites.
On Sunday, the visitors included hundreds of residents of Istanbul and other Turkish tourists and their families who swarmed around the grand mosques, picnicked on the grounds, and entered the halls for prayer. It was Sunday in the Park and I was happy to meander among the multi-colored crowd as I admired once again the lofty minarets, the colossal domes - the superb architectural achievements of mighty Istanbul.
{C}
Gondwana Canyon Lodge
Somewhere between Keetmanshoop and Lüderitz
Kanas Region
Southern Namibia
Republic of Namibia
June 18, 2024
Hello,
My Geo Tour Group tour concentrated on the geology of Northern and Central Namibia.
I extend my trip. I hire a guide for a week. We make stops as we travel south.
Garas Park Camp. (The humorous creation of the Owner.)
The Devil’s Playground. (The irrepressible creation of Time.)
Yet I am determined to see Fish River Canyon – the largest canyon in Africa. The second largest canyon in the world.
Keetmanshoop
Karas Region
South Namibia
June 15, 2024Giant'sHello,
Geological Wonders of Namibia explains The Giant's Playground as "a chaotic pile of huge dolorite blocks." **
"Giant Dyke Swarms (GDS), which naturally appear in very old geological formations, have been detected not only on Earth but also on Mars and Venus.
In times of great geodynamic activity, like the opening of the South Atlantic Ocean, pressurized magma violently fractures the crust, while simultaneously injecting itself through subsurface fractures, forming dykes. Some dykes reach the surface generating volcanic eruptions.
Garas Park Camp
Keetmanshoop Town
Karas Region
South Namibia
June 14, 2024
Hello,
The name Garas is derived from the Nama word which means quiver tree. The Garas campsite is basic yet clean, offering washing facilities and attractive decorations. It is surrounded by numerous quiver trees, aloe plants , and stunning rock formations.
