Southern Africa: A River Runs Through It

Map Source: Wikipedia

 Any visitor to the Southern African nations learns quickly about the majesty of the Zambezi River; the fourth longest river in Africa; the longest river in the continent by some measures, but still only about half the length of the Nile. Having experienced both the Zambezi and the Nile rivers, the Zambezi is by far the most formidable, and certainly a completely different experience than the Nile.

 

Slow Travel or Adventure Travel?

  

Photo: Jann Segal
Lake Guatavita, Colombia

Slow travel. I love even reading the words. They calm my travel soul and remind me that there will be travel in my future, at an even and interesting pace. A pace where I can see the magnificence, smell the spices and flowers, watch the locals count buckets of money, learn how to cook a new dish from locals in their homes, meet their families, run into them by accident on the street of their charming town, or be greeted by these kind strangers during an accidental meeting at the airport.  All of these things have happened to me while traveling with Overseas Adventure Travel, sometimes as part of the group, sometimes on my own before or after the group adventure. These moments don’t require having a
camera to capture them. They require an appreciation of life and living, learning, wandering.

The concept of slow travel began in 1986 as a movement in Italy after a Mc Donald’s opened in Rome. People were afraid that interest in the culture and the food would start to wane and ultimately be forgotten rather than relished, savored, appreciated to the fullest. In fact, a whole slow movement began that many of us heard little about. Then the world was treated to a global pandemic, and even local traffic came to a grinding halt. But in the travel world, slow travel was talked about for when travel resumed. It includes a connection to people and their cultures, to educate oneself and to stay in the moment in a sustainable and lasting way. But of course, this education has lasting consequences for the future for those who endeavor to take the slow path, even if it’s in conjunction with a group tour, which is how I like to do it. 

The Blue City of Chefchaouen, Morocco and the Ancient City of Tetouan

The blue city of Chefchaouen in Spanish Morocco is about six hours outside of Casablanca by bus, and a glorious and colorful city to experience.  When I took this pre-trip with OverseasAdventure Travel on their Morocco Sahara Odyssey trip, we saw many colorful sights along the way. I never thought I’d be taken by the sight of casaba melons, but as with everything else in Morocco, it was a unique and colorful sight.

Of Travel and Timelessness

 

My name is Jann Segal, and I’m a travel addict. There, I said it. Writing is my twelve - step program, and thankfully, it’s not been working. I’ve given myself over to the higher power of travel and the tour companies who entice me. They constantly triumph, and I’m delighted with the outcome. But like any other addiction, mine has genetic roots.

I always knew it was my mother’s side of the family that was to blame. My mother Anita became a travel agent after I had started traveling, but the real culprit was her brother, First Lt. Edwin B. Kane, who died in Tunisia during World War Two.   Killed eight years before I was born, I obviously never got to know my late uncle. But when his affects were sent back home, included were his well-documented photos of the many places he was able to visit while on the European and African continents before the war took its toll. I looked at the photos constantly as a child, dreaming that someday I might get to visit Egypt, Libya, Africa, and Ethiopia, (the latter he documented as Abyssinia). These photos, in addition to his souvenirs which my mother eventually let me have, were absolute treasures to me.

Remembrance of Great Meals Past

Do you remember when you had your last exceptional and unforgettable meal during foreign travels? I surely do.

Photo: Jann Segal

 Local food and beverages are among the things we all look forward to enjoying when we travel to a foreign country. In Turkey one year I was quite taken by the pomegranate salad oil, which for me became a life changing experience I had to write about. Then there was the unexpectedly delightful risotto and mushroom sauce I experienced in Milan. When I classify a meal as life changing, that means I loved it so much, I had to go home and cook it! And now, thanks to an olive oil farm I visited in Israel, I know how to shop for higher quality olive oil to enhance my cooking. After my visit ot Vietnam one year, my food walking tour was such an eye opener in terms of both food and locale that I would normally never have experienced, I now always take a food walking tour in foreign cities. Food in all its unique varieties is truly the heart and soul of every culture. Other foods (in particular, spices) of which I have fond memories, are spicy fresh paprika from Croatia, fresh pepper from Southern India, which is along the Spice Route, and of course spices in Istanbul at the Grand Bazaar.

 Food can be so much more than a meal. When traveling and experiencing new cultures, if can feed the human spirit, lift the world-weary traveler’s soul just enough to make it to the next destination, enhance new friendships forged through travel, and heighten a traveler’s awareness of new possibilities that go beyond the travel experience. In under- developed countries, the food purchased and served even in a restaurant, can elevate those whose livelihoods depend on the income.

Not Traveling….in Gratitude and Understanding

 

Food in·se·cu·ri·ty

noun

the state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food.

"more than 800 million people live every day with hunger or food insecurity as their constant companion"

Definitions from Oxford Languages

 

Last year, amid the COVID-19 crisis and all that I experienced between shutdown and the inevitable life changes, I wrote a piece called What I Learned on my Coronavirus Vacation. Now it’s a year later, the pandemic has lasted longer than anticipated, and I now realize that somehow, according to some grand plan, I was supposed to be prepared for this time in our history. It’s been a wild ride, preceded in early 2019 with a premonition that many people were going to die around me, followed by what I refer to as“Covid Boot Camp.”

What I Learned During my Coronavirus Vacation

I thought 2020 was going to be a year of perfect clarity. A year when we could look back with

hindsight on all that we learned, and as travelers, all that we saw, and glean from it lessons that would move us forward in life. This is after all, what travel does to those who are paying attention. And it is the definition of 2020 vision. Instead, I have thus far learned something far more meaningful, as events this year kept me mostly indoors looking at the four walls in my home and my coffee colored carpet. I had much to think about during our period of lockdown and slow reopening, which was intensified by nationwide civil unrest and early curfew in Los Angeles and other major cities.

Travel the World Against the Evil Eye

There are cultures on every continent that have amulets of good luck as part of their cultures. Pick a county and you will find a way to avoid bad luck as part of the country's customs and history. But one country where I saw this literally everywhere and in the most colorful of ways was Turkey, when I took the trip Turkeys Magical Hideaways with Overseas Adventure Travel.

Explore the Cultural Crossroads of Morocco

Morocco has more cultures to explore then the average tourist is aware of. In fact, I traveled there solo a few years ago and noticed bits of it. But it wasn't until I took Morocco Sahara Odyssey with Overseas Adventure Travel, that I was able to truly experience the country and learn about all the cultural influences. And to me, this was pure bliss.

Ritual public  bathing before call ot prayer

Cultural variances can be seen as soon as arrival in Casablanca. Although the language there is French and Arabic, Casablanca is clearly Spanish for "white house". In fact, the white house from which the city derives its name is located on the coast. I saw it when I arrived a couple of days early and had a driver and guide take me up the coast to the once Portuguese occupied town of Al Jedda among others. The Portuguese cannons facing the water can be seen in various parts of the country up and down the coast.

The Volcanoes of Central America

Phtotos :Jann Segal
Volcanoes at Lake Atitilan

Volcanos are a fact of life in Central America, a part of the world that has seen its share of natural beauty and natural disasters. This part of the hemisphere is actually part of the Ring of Fire, since so many volcanoes dot the landscape, and number in  the 20s in El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua each, while Honduras has only four and Belize has none. They are as powerful in their destructiveness over time as they are in their beauty and contribution to Central America as a vital natural resource. They are a source of beauty along the Flower Route of El Salvador, verdant greenery to die for in Nicaragua, and their soil is a source of  rich and flavorful coffee throughout all the countries in the region, from Nicaragua to Honduras. Ancient Mayans had to deal with the destruction of the volcanoes, and throughout more modern history, so have the more current residents.

Explore the Treat that is Copan, Honduras

Sometimes we have to step out of our comfort zones to have an unforgettable experience. I have heard many things about Honduras over the years. About the beauty and murders. And the contradiction that is Central America, since Honduras can boast having a city that is the murder capital of the world. . But when I took the Overseas Adventure Travel trip, Route of the Maya, we spent two nights in Copan, Honduras to see the ruins at Copan. It was a true highlight for me. And I have seen my share of ruins before.

The Benches and Fences of Central America

Photos: Jann Segal

On a recent trip to Central America with Overseas Adventure Travel, on their wonderful Route of the Maya adventure, I got caught up in noticing benches – yes, benches. Why would something as simple as a bench catch my attention, I was asked. Well, I figured that after I took enough photos of benches, I would figure it out. And figure it out I did.

Traveling to Observe Traditions – Kites, Fireworks and Pottery in Guatemala

Photos: Jann Segal

On a recent trip I took to Guatemala with OverseasAdventure Travel, their marvelous Route of the Maya adventure, our group had the experience - and privilege - of observing the people uphold some of their oldest and most cherished traditions; kite making, firework making , and pottery making. And we were able to experience this all in one day!

Experience the Peruvian Amazon at Night

Photo by Jann Segal

A trip to the the Peruvian Amazon is a trip of quiet riverboat luxury, adventure, and unexpectedly delightful sights and sounds. This author traveled with OverseasAdventure Travel on their Amazon River Cruise and Rainforest trip in July of 2014. As with any OAT trip, there are always wonderful surprises lurking. On this trip, it was at the end of a long day aboard a skiff when we took a night time excursion into the depths of an Amazon tributary in the Pacaya-Simiria National Reserve.