Hole In The Donut Travels

Efforts to improve the situation of indigenous peoples through restoration of the environment is one of the most intriguing stories to emerge from travel. One of the organizations doing important work in this field, the Environmental Educational Media Project, produced the documentary Hope In A Changing Climate, which promotes the enormous potential of restoration. Screened [...]

During my travels, some places capture my heart more than others. Zimbabwe was one of those places. I met so many wonderful people who were gracious and smiling despite suffering unbearable economic woes and political suppression. Finally, I am happy to report that my friends in Zimbabwe, who keep me apprised of current events, tell [...]

A few days ago I received an email from my friend, Victor Sibanda, who lives in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. There is so much bad news coming out of Zimbabwe these days that it surprised me to learn Victor has started his own tour hosting business. I was encouraged by his news; it indicates there [...]

In 1969, John Rendall and Ace Berg rescued a lion from a cramped cage in Harrods Department Store, where it was offered for sale. The lion soon grew too big for their small apartment and they reintroduced him to Africa. A year later they wanted to visit their former pet in his natural habitat, but [...]

It seems a simple thing, crossing a street. But my idea of how to get across a busy street in the U.S., whether on foot or in a vehicle, is significantly different from methods employed to cross streets in other places in the world. For example, take a look at this video showing a [...]

In 2002, five million of the 13 million residents of Malawi, a predominantly rural African country the size of Pennsylvania, were starving. Over the past 20 years, the World Bank and a number of rich countries that Malawi depends upon for aid (including the U.S.), pressured this tiny landlocked country to eliminate fertilizer and [...]

I have arrived in Zurich, Switzerland, following a nine-hour, overnight flight from Tanzania. Today is a day of walking and resting – but in the meantime I have uploaded all the Tanzania and Zanzibar photos to the photo library. If you’d like to take a look, just click on the above tab labeled ‘Photos’ and [...]

As I leave Africa and wing my way toward Switzerland, I have been thinking about the three words I will assign to each of the African countries I have visited. I have decided not to do this for Zambia, for I only spent a couple hours in this country and then only in the [...]

For the past five days I’ve been staying at the Sunset Bungalows on the northern tip of the island of Zanzibar, near the village of Nungwi. Initially, things did not go smoothly. On my first day I had lunch at the resort’s restaurant on the beach and tried to charge the meal to my room, [...]

The original owners of the grand Arab houses in Zanzibar’s Stone Town competed with each other over the extravagance of their dwellings. This former glory is still evident in the brass-studded, carved, wooden doors that adorn many of the homes along the narrow streets and alleyways that make up the Old City. There are more [...]